Human body organs diagram

What this diagram shows

An organ is a part of the body made of different tissues that work together to do a particular job. This diagram shows seven major organs in the chest and abdomen: the brain, lungs, heart, liver, stomach, kidneys and intestines. In Explore, tapping an organ shows its name and one fact. Labels names them all at once. Quiz me asks the child to find each organ and gives a score at the end of the round.

Organs rarely work alone. They belong to organ systems: the heart, blood and blood vessels make up the circulatory system; the lungs are part of the respiratory system; the stomach, intestines and liver are part of the digestive system; the kidneys belong to the urinary system; and the brain is the control center of the nervous system.

Common misconceptions

• "The heart is on the left side." It sits near the middle of the chest, tilted slightly to the left, between the two lungs.
• "The stomach is behind the belly button." It sits higher, just under the ribs on the left. The intestines fill most of the lower abdomen.
• "Food goes straight from the stomach out of the body." Most digestion and absorption happens in the small intestine, and the large intestine takes back water.
• "The lungs are just empty bags." Lungs are spongy, full of tiny branching tubes and millions of air sacs where oxygen passes into the blood.
• "Blood goes from the heart and stops." Blood travels in a loop, back to the heart and through the lungs again and again.

Where this fits in school

• England, Year 4: pupils describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans.
• England, Year 6: pupils identify the main parts of the human circulatory system and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood.
• England, Key Stage 3: pupils study the structure and functions of the gas exchange system and the digestive system in more detail.
• US, grades 3 to 5: elementary units name the major organs and their jobs. NGSS 4-LS1-1 covers internal structures that support survival.
• US, grades 6 to 8: NGSS MS-LS1-3 asks students to argue that the body is a system of interacting subsystems made of groups of cells.

A 10-minute body organs activity

• Ask the child to name any organs they know and guess where each one is, before opening the diagram.
• In Explore, tap the lungs, then the heart. Ask: "How does the oxygen you breathe in get to your toes?"
• Follow a sandwich: stomach, then intestines, with the liver helping along the way. Ask what happens at each stop.
• Tap the kidneys and the brain, and ask which system each belongs to.
• Finish with one Quiz me round, using Labels afterwards to check any misses.

A quick physical link helps: have the child find their pulse on the wrist, count the beats for 15 seconds, then jump in place for a minute and count again. The faster beat shows the heart working harder to deliver more oxygen to busy muscles.

Learning more

Science is part of Eurekami's skill map, with lessons that draw science diagrams live and narrate them in English or Spanish. For older students, Exam Prep includes GCSE Combined Science practice papers.