HOW DO CELLS WORK TOGETHER? YOUR CELLS Your body has about 200 different kinds of cells. Each cell’s size and shape is specialized to fit its job. Many cells have special structures that help them in their work. Examples: Muscle cells have long fibers made of protein. Lung airway cells have waving hair-like structures called cilia. They sweep germs and dirt out of the airways. Red blood cells are round discs. The shape of the cells help them move quickly and easily in the blood vessels. Skin cells are flat so they can overlap to properly cover your body. CELL GROUPING A single cell cannot do very much on its own. Cells will frequently join up with other cells to assist in function. Cells join together to create the following things: Tissues Organs Organ Systems CELLS FORM TISSUES Tissue- a group of same kind of cells working together doing the same job. Examples: Muscle cells group together to make muscle tissue. Bone cells group together to make bone tissue. Groups of nerve cells together make nerve tissue. TISSUES FORM ORGANS Tissues join with other types of tissues to form organs. Organ- a grouping of different tissues combined together into one structure. The tissues work together to perform a main job in the body. Plants have tissues and organs too. Examples of plant organs are the stem, roots, leaves, and flowers. Examples: Heart, Lungs, Eyes, Ears, Stomach Your largest organ is your skin. ORGANS FORM ORGAN SYSTEMS Like tissue, organs work together in groups. Organ Systems- a group of organs and tissues that work together to carry out a life process. Examples: Each bone comes together to form the skeletal system. Muscles come together to form the muscular system. Stomach and Intestines form the digestive system. ORGAN SYSTEMS WORK TOGETHER Many organ systems work together in many ways to make a complex organ system. Example: The nervous system controls how your muscles move your bones. Organ systems often work closely together that some organs could be put into 2 organ systems. Muscles are not just connects to bones, some of the strongest muscles in your body make up your heart. .