The largest organ in the human body

Gordon

... is apparently the skin. But:

I propose that the largest organ in the human body is actually the heart as surely the surface area of the veins and arteries must make up a larger area than the skin.

I know that veins and arteries aren't seen as an organ but surely the heart organ includes the veins and arteries?

If so - would the surface area be larger than the skin?

What you think?

Gaz

I think Gordon is very bored !

But I see your point. Why are veins and artieries not considered an organ in their own right ?

An organ is defined as , A natural part or structure in an animal or a plant, capable of performing some special action (termed its function), which is essential to the life or well-being of the whole; as, the heart, lungs, etc., are organs of animals; the root, stem, foliage, etc., are organs of plants.

Seems to me that a vein fills the requirments, any budding med students care to explain ?

GuanYin

By organ it is understood that it is a single functioning unit. In this sense the skin is standalone whereas the cirulatory system is not. I'm really unsure of the area in the circulatory because arteries and veins will differ in thickness depending on health and fitness. The the blood vessels are thought to be about 80,000 miles in length though, however capillaries are just one cell thick and throufare channels slightly wider than that.

BioHazRd

As far as I am aware, the largest internal organ is the Liver

Bio






*and yes, Gordon, you must be very bored

Gordon

Heh, I was thinking about it while on a bus counting the female:male ratio on the whole journey. Sheesh, I have a fantastical ground-breaking thought and I am discussed as being 'bored'!

80,000 miles - are you serious? Just imagine a being made up only of the heart and circulatory system, that would be a sci-fi epic eh!

GuanYin

Originally posted by Gordon


80,000 miles - are you serious? Just imagine a being made up only of the heart and circulatory system, that would be a sci-fi epic eh!

yeah, but remember most of that 80,000 miles has a tupe with a wall of one cell in thickness. Thats about 10-20um which, to put to scale is 100th of a 1mm measure on your ruler.....

He'd be a very fragile being!

Gordon

So you're saying that this being would be able to have extremely sharp tendrils if he/she could split the thin tube in two across the width? It could be a killing machine?

It gets better!

Capt'n Midnight

if you are doing by surface area then your lungs are about the size of a football field

as for the sci-fi epic in the blood - anyone remember fantastic voyage ...

isn't blood an organ too ..