Definition of Vital Organs

The body is made up of various structures, each with a specific function. These structures or functional units are called organs, the organs that intervene in similar processes, or that together fulfill a certain function, make up an apparatus or system.

Some organs fulfill critical functions for the organism, so their absence is not compatible with life, these are known as vital organs and include the brain, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas and kidneys.

Other organs, although they fulfill important functions, are not essential, so it is possible that they are removed from the body and that the person can continue living. Such is the case with the stomach, intestines, spleen, bladder, and sense organs.

The main vital organs and their functions are listed below:

Brain

The brain is the main organ of the nervous system. It is the command center of the body, responsible for controlling each and every one of the functions that occur in the body.

The brain receives information from outside and inside the body, coming from a complex network of receptors and structures such as the sense organs. This information reaches specific centers where it is processed giving rise to signals that control, regulate and allow the execution of various processes that occur both voluntarily and consciously, as well as unconsciously and autonomously (such as the breathing, the heartbeat, the temperature of the body, the secretion of hormones and bowel movements among many others).

The brain is injured mainly by failures in its blood supply, which is due to the so-called cerebrovascular accidents that occur when there is a rupture of a blood vessel in the brain that causes bleeding, or when an artery becomes blocked causing ischemia.

These conditions cause a part of the brain to die, leading to the appearance of a deficit, some areas may stop working without this compromise the life of the patient, which occurs in cases of hemiplegia, where the affected area is responsible for motor control of the body, which causes the paralysis. However, if critical areas such as the upper part of the brain stem are damaged, the nerve centers are affected. that regulate functions such as respiration, which causes a respiratory arrest and therefore the death of the individual.

Heart

The heart is the main organ of the cardiovascular system. It has a muscular structure that gives rise to four cavities communicated with each other and with the blood vessels main valves by means of a valve system, which allows it to carry out its function of pumping blood through of circulatory system, formed in turn by two systems: the major circulation and the minor circulation.

The greater circulation involves the left chambers of the heart, which receive oxygenated blood coming from the lungs to propel it to all organs and systems through the artery aorta. The right cavities, on the other hand, intervene in the minor circulation, in which little blood is received. oxygen from all tissues through the vena cavae and sends it to the lungs for its oxygenation.

This pump function is a critical process for the body, so it is impossible for life to continue when a serious heart condition occurs. In fact, there is a condition known as sudden death due to the presence of an electrical failure of the heart that causes it to stop, which compromises the supply of oxygen to the tissues causing these die.

Lungs

The lungs are the organs in charge of oxygenate the blood, they also intervene in the regulation of the Balance acid base of the body.

Certain conditions such as tumors, trauma, or serious infectious diseases can lead to it is necessary to remove one lung, being possible to live with the other with a good quality of life, without embargo it is not possible to live without both lungs.

Some chronic conditions that affect the function of the lungs, such as chronic bronchitis or EBPOC, greatly affect the quality of life of those who suffer from them. These patients are limited in their ability to move and even speak, since any activity causes them great fatigue and shortness of breath. These types of conditions are irreversible and can only be definitively treated with measures such as lung transplantation.

Liver

The liver is one of the most important organs of the body, fulfilling more than 500 functions related to the metabolism, hormonal function and blood clotting.

The liver is susceptible to environmental toxins, various microorganisms (mainly viruses), drugs, alcohol, and excess fats and sugars in the liver. feeding. These factors cause changes in the composition of liver cells, known as hepatocytes, causing them to accumulate fat, which causes fatty liver, which with time progresses to fibrosis and the appearance of liver cirrhosis, a state in which liver function is compromised and is the main cause of failure liver.

Liver damage is a condition that severely affects quality of life, since it is not possible to live without this organ, which has led to the need to carry out transplant surgeries as the only treatment to maintain the life of the patient.

Pancreas

The pancreas is one of the main glands in the body. It fulfills functions called exocrines related to the production of enzymes that are released by intestine to allow the digestion of food, mainly sugars and fats, in addition of it the pancreas produces and releases into the blood one of the most important hormones in the body, such as insulin.

Insulin production failure can be of two types, both of which lead to the development of diabetes. Some people develop resistance to the action of insulin, which causes the pancreas to produce very high levels of insulin. hormone to keep blood sugar levels within normal limits; when insulin production is not enough, diabetes develops, this is called type II diabetes which, if not treated, leads to the appearance of multiple complications that ultimately lead to the death of the patient. patient. There is another type of diabetes known as type I diabetes, in which the cells of the pancreas responsible for producing insulin are destroyed by an immune mechanism, which makes them not insulin is produced, a situation that is incompatible with life, forcing these patients to receive exogenous insulin permanently, unless they receive a transplant of pancreas.

Kidney

The kidney is an important organ located in the back of the abdomen, behind the peritoneum, it is part of the urinary system and is responsible for filtering the blood to produce urine. The kidneys also produce an important hormone known as erythropoietin, which works by stimulating the bone marrow to produce red blood cells.

Kidneys are very susceptible to increased blood pressureTherefore, hypertension is the main factor related to the development of kidney damage, another important disorder that accelerates kidney damage is diabetes.

Renal failure is known as renal failure, this condition in its advanced stages is incompatible with life, which is why patients whose Kidneys stop working must undergo a treatment known as dialysis, in which the patient is connected to a machine that filters his blood. This treatment is done three times a week, three hours each session and once the only way to suspending it is when receiving a kidney transplant from a deceased donor or family member related.

Photos: Fotolia - Redline / Sebastian Kaulitzki

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