ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Your body’s organs produce all the necessary functions to keep you alive. But there are some organs that you just don’t need.
The human body is made up of about 79 organs but do all of them perform vital functions?
It’s true. There are several organs that you can live without. For instance, you only need one lung. If you have a lung removed, you’ll lose about 35 percent of the volume of air you exhale in a second. But breathing is still possible. Another organ you don’t need: your stomach. If it’s removed, surgeons can connect your esophagus with your small intestine, and you can still eat solid foods just less of them. You can also live without your spleen an organ that normally filters blood. But if you have it taken out, you’re more likely to get sick. Many people know your appendix isn’t necessary for survival. Doctors still aren’t sure exactly what the organ does. And you’ve probably heard that you don’t need both of your kidneys. That’s why you can donate one while you’re alive. Your gallbladder is also not an essential organ. If it’s removed, your liver can perform the job without it. Helping you understand how your organs work.
You also don’t need your bladder or colon. And while you can’t live without your liver, you can live with just part of it. Your liver is the only organ in your body that can regrow after parts of it have been removed or damaged. In fact, it can grow back to its full size in just months.
Sources: https://www.livescience.com/37009-human-body.html
http://howieswebs.ipage.com/pdf/health/organs_of_the_human_body.pdf
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/new-organ-in-human-body#1 https://www.thehealthy.com/bodies/what-organs-can-you-live-without/
http://theconversation.com/seven-body-organs-you-can-live-without-84984
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Julie Marks, Writer and Robert Walko, Editor.
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