Classification or Division of a Whole Entity

Classification or division of a whole entity into numerous specific groups has long been embraced as a method in which focused attention can be applied to the different areas, with the end result being the smoother function of the entity in general. Dividing organizations, government, studies, written works, and species of plants and animals into specific categories allows for more complete or focused attention to be applied to specifically functioning members within the given macrocosm. The same principle of division and classification can be applied to the human body and its various, specific, functions within a medical setting. It is perhaps the understanding of classification of the human functions that has brought about the concept of classification to be applied to the world around us.

Whether focus is upon a government structure, a company, a military structure or upon the individual human body, specific compartmental functions can be singled out and identified. Although no specific function can truly be described as being greater than another function, the overall entity will not be able to operate smoothly without the specific capabilities exerted by even the seemingly smallest of its divisions. The briefest of trips to a doctor's office will reveal a cosmos within a cosmos that is so complex, various medical specialties have come about in order to treat the individual categories more completely.

The body consists of a number of systems represented by organs. Each system has a specific job, but all systems work together in order to keep the body alive and properly functioning. Systems are the most complex of the component units of the human body. A system is an organization of varying numbers and types of organs that are arranged in order to perform complex functions for the body (Gardner). Science has divided the major systems composing the human body into categories including skeletal, muscular, endocrine, nervous, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. All systems must function smoothly down to a microscopic, cellular level or the entire body will sense discomfort or fail completely.

Sensing discomfort, a trip to the doctor's office is sometimes in order because in spite of the fact that the human is in possession of a spectacular brain, the human being is not always capable of understanding all of the messages his or her own body is broadcasting. The individual can readily perceive malaise, but the underlying cause sometimes requires outside help before it can be identified.

In the physician's office preliminary tests will be done in order to check the functioning of the individually classified systems. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems are usually the first to be checked, although some savvy physicians actually perform a visual evaluation of the patient, noting first the condition of the skin - which is actually the body's largest organ. Blood or urine samples might be obtained in order to examine cellular functioning and detect possible signs of infection.

The vital role of the cardiovascular system in maintaining smooth function depends upon the continuous flow of blood through the thousands of miles of capillaries that permeate every tissue in the body. In the microscopic capillaries blood performs its ultimate function of transporting nutrients and other essential materials. Waste products are also removed (Gray).

The lymphatic system functions as a defense system against invading microorganisms and disease in much the same way that various military divisions act jointly and yet separately in order to defend a sovereign country. Their duties might differ, but the overall goal for each division is the same.

While the elimination of accumulated wastes might seem to be the least important of functions, it is actually perhaps among the most important and is a task that is jointly accomplished by a variety of organs. The lungs in the respiratory system excrete some waste products including carbon dioxide and excessive water. The skin also rids the body of wastes through the sweat glands. The liver and intestines excrete bile pigments that are a by-product of ongoing destruction or assimilation of red blood cells. The major task of excretion, however, belongs to the urinary system. If this system fails none of the other systems will be able to duplicate its function regardless of how extreme the joint effort might be (Seer's).

The same can be said for each of the other systems in the body. The skeletal system provides a structure for the human body, the digestive system provides the system's operating fuel, the endocrine system provides chemical messengers that influence growth, development, and metabolic activities, the heart provides the circulation of blood through all systems. Yet, if one of the systems stops functioning, all systems are affected, and sometimes irreversibly.