HUMAN ANATOMY. To understand the human body it is necessary to understand how its parts are put together and how they function. The study of the body's structure is called anatomy; the study of the body's function is known as physiology.
Anatomists find it useful to divide the human body into eight systems: the skeleton, the muscles, the circulatory and respiratory systems, the digestive system, the urinary system, the glandular system, the nervous system, and the skin.The skin is a complete layer that protects the inner structures of the body, and it is the largest of the body's organs. It keeps out foreign substances and prevents excessive water evaporation. The nerves in the skin provide tactile information. The skin also helps keep the body's temperature close to 98.6 F (about 37 C): heat is conserved by reducing blood flow through the skin or is expended by increasing blood flow and by evaporation of sweat from the skin. Hair and nails are accessory structures of the skin

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Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia
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