Organ Systems In Living Organisms – Functions And Adaptations

The shoot and root systems in plants

The way living organism adapt to their environment is a concept that goes to the core of the modern biology. Biologists for both the plant and animals study this concept as the basis of understanding the entire nature of the ecosystem, and the interdependence of living organisms.

Both animals and plants operate through their organ systems. Plants have two organ systems. The root system is that part that remains under the ground. The primary functions of the roots are to anchor the plant and support it on the ground. Through gravitropism, roots grow downwards as they branch further into the ground to give the plant a firm anchor (Overvoorde, Fukaki, and Beeckman, 2010). Another function is the absorption of water and minerals from the soil and transports them to the shoot system. In some plants, roots act as the storage of food for the plant. Roots have root hairs that increase the surface Area in the ground. The root hairs also secrete acid H+ (Overvoorde, Fukaki, and Beeckman, 2010). These structural helps the roots in their water and mineral uptake function.

On the other hand, the shoot system is the part seen above the ground. The shoot system stores food and performs the photosynthesis function. The structure of shoot consists of leaves which have chloroplast cells for photosynthesis which is the food making mechanism. The shoot also holds other plant organs like the reproductive organs. This function works through the help of the xylem and phloem tissues.

The animal body system composes of 11 main organ systems. Muscular System facilitates the body’s movements and locomotion. The structure of his system consists of muscle fibers that cause movements, posture, and support. The skeletal System facilitates both the protection and support. The skin system protects the inner tissues and prevents loss of water. The skin organ is the outermost part covering the entire body.

The respiratory System transports oxygen to body tissues and removes carbon dioxide to the external environment. The digestive system contains acids and hormones that aid in the digestion and assimilation of food nutrient into the body. It’s also long to allow more time for digestion. The circulatory system deals with the transportation of products within the body to their respective organs. It consists of blood, heart, capillaries, veins, and arteries that facilitate the movement.

The immune system defends the body against attacks from viruses and microorganisms. The cells within the system have antigens that fight invading organisms. The excretory System removes the body waste as well as regulating the levels of body fluids. The nervous system is concerned with the coordination of body organs and other systems. Some of the aspects of this system are the memory, conscious thoughts, body responses, breathing, heartbeats, and involuntary muscle responses. The endocrine system works together with the nervous system to regulate the activities of internal organs. This system secretes different hormones for regulation of different body metabolic actions, growth, or reproduction. The reproductive system is the one responsible for the species’ survival and spreading. The main elements in this system are the reproductive hormones that are regulated by the endocrine system. 

The 11 main organ systems in the human body

The two main organs of plant described in this picture are the stem and the root. The roots are adapted to their functions by the fact that they are on the ground to anchor the plant in the soil. They are also branched to reach more water and minerals. The stem is adapted to its function by having the xylem and phloem which help it in the transportation of water and mineral salts to other parts. It also helps in supporting other parts of the plant. The table below summarizes these adaptations and functions

	Systems	Structure	Adaptation to the Function
	Shoot System	Green	· To make food through photosynthesis · Maximize the surface area during absorption of water and required minerals
Above the Ground	· To acquire sunlight for photosynthesis
Dermal tissues	· Protects the root’s soft tissues · Controls plant’s interactions with the ground.
Vascular Tissues	· Xylem stores and transports and other soluble nutrients. · Phloem transports protein, sugars, organic molecules; · Xylem cells offers rigidity to support the plant
Root System	Branched	· Firm anchoring · Maximize the surface area during absorption of water and required minerals
Underground	· Firm anchoring
Acidic PH	· For absorption of water and minerals
Dermal tissues	· Protects the root’s soft tissues · Controls plant’s interactions with ground.
Vascular Tissues	· Xylem stores and transports and other soluble nutrients. · Phloem transports protein, sugars, organic molecules; · Xylem cells offers rigidity to support the plant

The four main organs discussed in human body systems are the skin, the heart, the penis, andmain organs. The skin has numerous blood vessels that dilate or constrict to lower or prevent heat loss temperature regulations. The skin is also tough with subcutaneous fat, melanin and keratin that protect the underlying tissues from damage either by microorganism, radiation or mechanical impact.  It also has widespread of nerves for sensatory function. The table below represents the entire skin system.

The next major organ is the heart. The heart has cardiac muscles that pump blood. The presence of vagus and sympathetic help control the heart rates. The heart has the tricuspid and bicuspid valves for preventing blood from flowing back. The semilunar valves in the pulmonary artery prevent the blood from flowing back to the right and the left ventricles.

The heart is enclosed with the pericardial membrane; that secretes a fluid which lubricates it reducing the friction on its walls as it pumps. The pericardial membrane is lined with a layer of fat in the inner wall that act as a shock absorber and holds the heart in position and checks over dilation of the heart. The heart has two partitions for preventing the mixing of blood.

Lungs are also main organs in the body. The lungs have a thin epithelium for easier gases diffusion. The surfaces where gases diffuse are have thinner walls and are moist to allow quick passage of gases. The numerous alveoli increase the surface area for gaseous exchange. Lungs also have tiny and numerous blood vessels for exchange of the gases.

The small intestines is also one of the major organs. It is long enough for ensuring adequate time for digestion. The villi and microvilli maximizes the surface area required for absorption. The muscles tissues provide muscular contraction to allow peristalsis that move food through. The digestive enzymes and the bile help in the breakdown of lipids, carbs, and proteins.

The skin system	Adaptation to Function	Function
	Blood vessel can dilate Sweat glands	Temperature regulation
Tough with melanin and keratin and Subcutaneous fat	For protection against mechanical impacts higher temperatures, radiation, chemicals, or micro-organisms
Widespread network of nerves	Sensation function

The skin system – Adaptation to Function and Function

Nervous system	Adaptation to function	Function
	Neurons are long	For communicating with distant body parts.
Neurons have dendrites.	For connecting with other neurons
Synapses gaps	For passing nerve impulses.
Mitochondrion	Production of energy for propelling the cell

Digestive system	Adaptation to Function	Function
	Salivary Glands	They secrete saliva which moistens the food; Saliva has carbohydrase enzymes
Stomach	It releases hydrochloric acid
Pancreas	Produces digestion enzymes such as carbohydrase, lipase, protease
Liver	For production of bile
Gall Bladder	For storage of bile
Small Intestine	Absorbs the digested food
Large Intestine	Does the absorption of water

Male Reproductive system	The penis is spongy and long, sensitive glands.	To enter into the vagina
Testis have somniferous tubules; Premedical germ cells; Lower temperatures;	For spermatogenesis
Sterol cells	For nourishment of sperms
Long and coiled Epididymis	For storing sperms
Muscular Vas deferens	For pushing sperms out
Sperm cell has a tail, head, and mitochondria	To swim to the egg
Prostate gland	For production of seminal fluid in which the sperm swims through
Female reproductive system	Uterine walls are elastic;	To allow expansion as the fetus grow
Uterine walls are muscular.	For pushing the baby
Muscular pelvis.	To support the growing fetus
Funnel-shaped oviduct.	For ova movement to the womb
Long vagina opening.	To give room for the penis
Two ovaries.	For increases chances of ovum production
Vascularized ovaries.	Nourishment of cells during oogenesis
Nerve endings in the clitoris.	For maximum stimulation

Organ functions and structure involve a combination of different cell types. The cells may organically assemble themselves into the main tissue called parenchyma, or they may assemble into the sporadic tissues called stoma to carry out a certain physiological function (Contrada and Baum, 2011). Therefore, each organ would perform a function that matches the exact action of the cells that have assembled together for that particular function. Cells perform only one task which happens when proteins biochemically react, and genes produce these proteins through transcription and translation (Contrada and Baum, 2011). Therefore, in each organism, the transcription and translation of its genes matter a particular function that an organ perform.

The organism described for this section is the Plant Organism. Plant Cell Structure

Genes are the instruction inside the body. Each gene has instructions that define what protein a cell makes. If a gene offers variant instruction, the cell produces a different protein (Robinson, Fernald, and Clayton, 2008).

Genes carry instructions that tell cells the kind of protein that they will make. The protein made performs the task in which it was made to perform including powering muscles. Therefore, genes cause protein production; proteins create cells, cells form the organism (Robinson, Fernald, and Clayton, 2008). 

One of the simple identification keys for classification is called the dichotomous keys. The dichotomous keys use organism’s traits that are observable. The keys consist of statements that present two choices that end with one correct identification.

The collected images of were; algae, mosses, fern, confer, sunflower, grasshopper, hawk, rooster, duck, rabbit, sheep, pig, horse

1	Organisms are locomotive………………………………………	Go to 2
	Organisms are not locomotive…………………………………..	Go to 9
2	Has six legs…………………………………………………	Grasshopper
	Does not six legs…………………………………………………	Go to 3
3	Has wings……………………………………………………….	Hawk
	Has no wings……………………………………………………	Go to 4
4	Has four legs…………………………………………………….	Go to 5
	Does not have four legs…………………………………………	Go to 6
5	Has hooves………………………………………………………	Go to 7
	Does not have hooves…………………………………………..	Rabbit
6	Has a red comb………………………………………………….	Rooster
	Does not have a red comb………………………………………	Duck
7	Has a woolly skin……………………………………………….	Sheep
	Does not have a woolly skin…………………………………….	Go to 8
8	Has four toes on each foot………………………………………	Pig
	Does not have four toes on each foot……………………………	Horse
9	Produce seeds	Go to 10
	Does not produce seeds	Go to 11
10	Produce flowers	Sunflower
	Does not produce flowers	Conifer
11	Has true roots	Fern
	Has no true roots	Go to 12
12	Has body differentiation	Mosses
	Has no body differentiation

Biological classification of organism places them into five different kingdoms. These kingdoms further subdivide into phyla, classes, orders, families, genera, and species. The five kingdoms are discussed as follows.

Organisms in this kingdom are unicellular or single-celled. Some move while others do not. Their cells have a cell wall but do not have chloroplasts, nucleus or even other organelles. The organisms are very tiny, absorb their nutrients via their cell wall or make them through photosynthesis (Dunster, 2011).

The organisms are unicellular, and they can move through the amoeboid mechanism, cilia or flagella (Dunster, 2011). They have no cell wall, but some of them have. The cell has organelles which include a nucleus. Some of them have chloroplasts while others do not. They acquire their nutrients through feeding on other organisms, photosynthesis or both.

The heart – Adaptation to Function and Function

The kingdom Fungi holds multicellular organism that have a cell walls. The organelles of the cells of organisms in this kingdom have nucleus but do not have chloroplasts (Dunster, 2011). Another feature in this kingdom is that organisms have no locomotion mechanism (Dunster, 2011). The organisms vary in size. Some of them are microscopic while others are large. These organisms acquired their nutrients through absorption. 

These are multicellular organisms. They have no locomotion mechanism although some plants gametes are capable of moving using cilia or flagella (Dunster, 2011). The cells have a nucleus, cell wall, and chloroplasts among other organelles. The organisms acquire their nutrients through photosynthesis.

Organisms in this kingdom are multicellular, and they have locomotive mechanism either with muscular organs, cilia, or flagella (Dunster, 2011). The organelles in the cells include a nucleus, but they don’t have both cell wall and chloroplasts. Organisms acquire their nutrients through ingestion.

	Information about their features	Examples
Animals	They are eukaryotic; They are multicellular; They are heterotopic; They are locomotive; They have no chloroplasts They have no cell wall	Dogs; lion
Plants	They are eukaryotic; They are multicellular; They have cell wall; They have chloroplasts; Most of them are not locomotive though some move using cilia and flagella	Fern; cypress,
Fungi	They are eukaryotic; They are multicellular; They have cell wall; They have no chloroplasts;	Mushroom; puffball
Protoctista (protozoans)	They are unicellular; They are locomotive; They have no cell wall though some have; They have organelles; They have nucleus; Some have and others do not have chloroplasts	Plasmodium; Slime moulds
Prokaryotaes (Monera)	They are unicellular and microscopic; They have no cell membrane; They have no organelles; They have no cell wall.	Bacteria;Cyanobacteria

 Classify organisms using these features

Kingdom	Example of Organisms
Monera/Prokaryotae	· Bacteria; · Cyanobacteria · Streptococcus · Cyanobacteria · Treponema pallidum
Protoctista	· Algae, · Slime moulds · Plasmodium.
Fungi	· Mushroom; · Mold; · Puffball;
Plantae	· Beans; · Fern · Maize;
Animalia	· Dogs; · Man; · Cows

 Make a table to explain what vertebrates and invertebrates are with named examples of each. Produce a key classifying five classes of vertebrates.

Organism	Explanation	Examples
Vertebrates	These are animals that have no backbone	humans, cats, dogs, birds, crocodiles, snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, and fish.
Invertebrates	These are animals that have an internal skeleton composed of bones.	worms, ants, bees, spiders, octopuses, wasps, snails, millipedes, and leeches.

Classes of Vertebrate classification key

	Classification Key	Class	Example
1	Have scale on their skin……………………………	Go to 2
	Do not scales on their skin………………………	Go to 3
2	Have gills for breathing………………………….	Fishes	Tilapia
	Does not have gills for breathing………………..	Reptiles	Snake
3	Skin is covered with feathers……………………	Birds	Eagle
	Skin is not covered with feathers………………..	Go to 4
4	Are warm-blooded.………………………………	Mammalia	Cow
	Are not warm-blooded…………………………..	Amphibians	Crocodile

A food web consists of many food chains linked together. In a food web, the elimination of one organism causes an imbalance to the entire food web as it affects all organisms (Das, 2008). This interrelationship is the interdependence of organisms. Regarding habitats, animals require plants for shelter. For instance, birds use sticks to build nests. On the other hand, plants require animals for pollination and seed dispersal.

On the dietary level, plants can make their food. Since animals cannot make theirs, herbivores depend on plants for food to survive (Ings et al., 2009). Since carnivores cannot eat plants, they eat herbivores for their survival. Omnivores feed on both herbivores and plants.  Therefore, these organisms depend on each other.

Food web includes numerous food chains. All participants in food chains include producer organisms, the consumers, and the decomposing organisms (Schneider et al., 2016). Consumers require producers to make their food (Das, 2008). Decomposers require consumers to bring the energy back to the ecosystem. In a symbiotic level, mutualism occurs when two organisms assist each other (Ings et al., 2009). For instance, ants stay in acacia trees to eat organisms that feed on the tree’s leaves. Therefore, the tree benefit from the ants, and vice versa. In parasitism, the help of organism depends on the harm of the other (Das, 2008). For instance, when a tapeworm feeds on the nutrients made by the host, the host is harmed as it is derived its nutrients.

Cayote		White Lion		Bobcat
Ringtail	Western whiptail	Raven		Pine Marten
Pika	Redbreasted nuthatch	Tree frog	Butterfly	Squirrel	Antelope
	Plants

The lungs – Adaptation to Function and Function

In this presentation, the diagrams demonstrate a food web which is a combination of different food chains. The chain starts with the plants which are able to make their own food. Herbivores are the primary consumers as they feed directly on the plants. Examples of these are the pika, redbreast nuthatch, butterfly, tree frog, squirrel and deer. Omnivorous are the secondary consumers as they can feed on both plants or herbivores. Examples of these are ringtail, western whiptail, raven, and pine marten.  Last are the tertially consumers. These can feed on either omnivores or herbivores. Examples are the lion, cayote, or bobcat

All organisms have ways of living in their environment in a mechanism called adaptation. Adaptation helps organism to look, behave, and stay in a manner that helps them reproduce and survive in the environment they live in. For instance, the hot and dry desert climates are seemingly harsh to support the life (Silverstein, Silverstein and Nunn, 2008). However, there are plants and animals that survive in such conditions. These organisms are adapted to survive with less or without water, and high temperatures.

Some of the adaptation mechanism of desert animals to the hot sun are moving or hibernating during the day and coming out at night. Some plants use the torpor mechanism. Both plants animals have water storage mechanisms. Plants can store their water in the shoot or roots. Animals like Gila monsters use their tails to store water. Desert organisms also have mechanism for reducing heat. Some plants can face their leaves away from the sun while other deflect sunlight. Similarly, animals remain in their holes, shades, or dormancy. Other animals also dissipate heat with their small bodies or long ears in dessert rabbits (Silverstein, Silverstein and Nunn, 2008).

		Adaptation to the environment
	Lion	· Archetypal roar to protect the territory; · Long, sharp claws for grabbing the prey; · Rough tongue for pealing prey’s skin and fresh; · Sharp teeth for killing the prey; · Run fast to catch the prey; · Loose middle skin to absorb kicks from preys;
	Deer	· Ability to run fast to escape; · Camouflage to hide from predators; · Nocturnal, only active at night for hiding; · Long ears to hear predators when coming; · Strong teeth to help chew hard herbs;

References

Contrada, R. and Baum, A. (2011). The handbook of stress science. 1st ed. New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co.

Das, B. (2008). Environmental science. Prentice Hall.

Dunster, K. (2011). Dictionary of Natural Resource Management. UBC Press.

Ings, T., Montoya, J., Bascompte, J., Blüthgen, N., Brown, L., Dormann, C., Edwards, F., Figueroa, D., Jacob, U., Jones, J., Lauridsen, R., Ledger, M., Lewis, H., Olesen, J., van Veen, F., Warren, P. and Woodward, G. (2009). Review: Ecological networks – beyond food webs. Journal of Animal Ecology, 78(1), pp.253-269.

Overvoorde, P., Fukaki, H. and Beeckman, T. (2010). Auxin Control of Root Development. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 2(6), pp.a001537-a001537.

Robinson, G., Fernald, R. and Clayton, D. (2008). Genes and Social Behavior. Science, 322(5903), pp.896-900.

Schneider, F., Brose, U., Rall, B. and Guill, C. (2016). Animal diversity and ecosystem functioning in dynamic food webs. Nature Communications, 7, p.12718.

Silverstein, A., Silverstein, V. and Nunn, L. (2008). Adaptation. 1st ed. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books.