Functions of the Internal Organs |
|
Heart |
·
Pump oxygenated blood to cells ·
Pump deoxygenated blood to lungs ·
Maintain blood pressure |
Lungs |
·
Oxygenate Blood ·
Expire Carbon Dioxide ·
Aid in acid base balance ·
Involved in beat to beat variability of Heart ·
Converts Angiotensin I to Angiotensin II, responsible for regulate blood pressure |
Kidney |
·
Removes waste products from blood ·
Regulates fluid volume, reabsorbtion and
excretion ·
Involved in Blood pressure regulation ·
Secretes erythropoietin which stimulated marrow to make RBC ·
Secretes rennin which regulates blood pressure ·
Secretes active form of Vit D which helps
maintain calcium balance for bones ·
Regulates acid base balance ·
Involved in inorganic electrolyte balance |
Spleen |
·
Acts like a large lymph node involved in immunological functions ,
like the production of antibodies and the maturation of B- and T-lymphocytes,
and Macrophages ·
Acts as a blood filter to remove waste, including damaged red blood
cells, platelets, and bacteria, through phagocytosis
by macrophages and neutrophils ·
Removes hemoglobin from RBC and recirculates
it ·
Acts as a reservoir for various other white blood cells and platelets ·
Acts as a filter against foreign organisms that infect the
bloodstream ·
Creates new blood cells especially during fetal debelopment |
Liver |
Endocrine functions ·
Secretes insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in
response to growth hormone, this encourages growth by inducing mitosis in
many tissues, especially bone. ·
Involved in the production of vitamin D. ·
Converts triiodothyronine
(T3) from thyroxine (T4). ·
Secretes angiotensinogen,
which is acted upon by renin in the kidney to form angiotensin. ·
Metabolizes and transforms hormones |
Clotting functions ·
Produces many of the plasma clotting factors,
especially prothrombin and fibrinogen. ·
Makes bile salts, important for the absorption of
vitamin K, necessary for production of the clotting factors. |
|
Plasma proteins:
Creates and secretes albumin in the plasma, acute phase proteins , binding
proteins for steroid hormones, lipoproteins, and trace elements, and other proteins |
|
Digestive functions through bile production and
secretion ·
Creates and secretes bile acids, important for
digestion and absorption
of fats. ·
Neutralizes acid in the duodenum by secreting
into the bile a bicarbonate-rich solution of inorganic ions,
that neutralizes acid in the duodenum. |
|
Organic metabolism ·
Changes plasma glucose into glycogen and triacylylycerols in the absorptive phase. ·
Produces triacylylycerols
and secretes it as lipoproteins in the absorptive phase. ·
Changes glucose from glycogen and other
precursors –gluconeogenesis- during the postabsorptive phase and lets the glucose into the blood. ·
Changes fatty acids into ketones
when fasting. ·
Manufactures urea, the waste product of amino
acid and protein catabolism, and discharges it into the blood to be dealt
with be the kidneys. |
|
Cholesterol Metabolism ·
Manufactures cholesterol and discharges it into
the blood. ·
Secretes plasma cholesterol into bile. ·
Changes plasma cholesterol into bile acids. |
|
Excretory, Detoxification, and Degradative Functions ·
Releases bilirubin and
bile pigments into the bile ·
Excretes many foreign and endogenous organic
molecules through the bile. ·
Biotransforms many
foreign and endogenous organic molecules into other usable substrates or some
improved way of excreting the metabolite. |