Name_________________________________________Date__________Period____________
Answer Key
The Human Body: The Ultimate Guide
The Body’s Framework
1-The body’s strongest bone is the femur/thigh bone.
1A-How was this bone used as an architectural model in the 1800s in Paris? Used as a model
in designing the Eiffel Tower.
The Biggest Organ & Blood
2-Skin that lacks collagen is weak.
2A-Explain how skin heals. Cut skin…blood vessels (capillaries)….platelets slow
bleeding…protein forms mesh (scab)….it contracts and pulls wound together.
3-Platelets rush to a cut in the skin to begin the healing process.
4-A scab forms from a protein mesh.
The Art of Balance
5-In humans, balance is maintained by nerves and muscles working together, the eyes using a
point of reference, and two sacs within the inner ear filled with fluid.
5A-Explain why we don’t have a sense of balance in space. No gravity. Fluid and crystals in ear
move down when head tilts because of gravity.
The Human Hand
6-Evolution probably molded the muscles in the hand that were necessary for making tools.
6A-Why would the ability of early humans to throw rocks have been important in the
development of our hands? Throwing rocks at attaching animals allowed humans time to
perfect their hand skills/making tools.
The Human Brain
7-The olfactory gland (nerves in nose) contains receptors that detect odor/smell.
7A-According to the video, what impact do smells have on aspects of our personality?
Olfactory receptors near part of brain (limbic system) which controls emotion and memory,
which influence mood.
Senses and Seeing Through Sounds
8-The largest part of the brain is devoted to the sense of sight.
8A-According to the video, how might blind people be able to one day “see” again? Blind
people may be able to learn to recognize additional auditory information. They’d carry a
computer in addition to stick/dog.
Cells: The Building Blocks of Life
9-The control center of the cell is the nucleus.
9A-Name two types of cells we’ve learned about (e.g.: neurons, alveoli, nephrons, osteocytes,
etc.) in this class and explain their function. Neurons control/coordinate messages, alveoli do
gas exchange, nephrons filter blood, osteocytes build bone
When Cells Don’t Behave
10-Healthy skin cells can heal or regenerate (heart cells and brain cells can’t do this).
10A-Artificial skin can be grown using the circumcised foreskins of newborn babies! Why is
this? What other uses are there for this valuable “medical waste”? Foreskins of babies are like
stem cells: they can grow to be anything. This waste can also make skin cream, cosmetics,
and be used for cosmetic testing.