Parasites
A parasite is a plant or animal that lives on the outside or inside of another plant or animal. It gets its nourishment from the animal or plant on which, or in which, it lives. Some parasites are so small that they can only be seen under a microscope. For example, the parasite that lives [...]
Stomachaches
Many people think that the stomach takes up, or occupies, the whole belly area. This is not true, as one can see from the diagram. The stomach is mostly in one corner of the belly, high up on the left side underneath the ribs. In addition to the stomach, the belly, or abdomen, contains the [...]
How Our Pancreas Works
The pancreas is a gland lying crosswise in the abdomen, just below the liver. It is an important organ because it makes the juices, or enzymes, that help to digest the foods we eat. The pancreas also has special cells that manufacture insulin, a substance that allows the body to use the sugar we have [...]
Liver and Small Intestine
The Liver
The liver is the largest organ in the body. It extends across the upper abdomen beneath the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. The liver has more jobs to do than any other organ. It stores and releases into the blood the proteins, sugars, and fats that we [...]