Parts Of The Body

Learn different parts of the body in English. Human anatomy and physiology are treated in many different articles. There are ten major systems include the skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and the reproductive system.

External Parts of the Body

The Face

Body Part	Location	Functions
face	front of the head	five senses; communicating emotions
scalp	top of the head (under hair)	cooling the head with sweat glands in the skin; protecting the skull with extra blood vessels
forehead	top of the face, above the eyes	forming facial expressions; protecting the eyes
neck	below the head, above the shoulders	supporting the head’s weight; allowing the head to turn; sending messages from the brain to the rest of the body (vertebrae)
eyes	below the forehead, above the nose	sense of sight
mouth	below the nose	eating; talking; sense of taste
nose	middle of the face	breathing; keeping out foreign particles (with nose hairs)
nostrils	these are the two holes in your nose	breathing; sense of smell;
tongue	inside the mouth	sense of taste (with taste buds); talking (forming words); swallowing
eyebrow	above the eyes	to keep our eyes clear of liquid, such as sweat or rain
eyelid	just above the eye	protecting the eyes from foreign particles; enable eyes to close
eyelash	on the edges of the eyelid	protecting the eyes from foreign particles
cheek	face	responsible for various facial expressions
chin	lower end of the face	modern human chin helps the jaw stand up to the forces generated by chewing
lips	mouth	provide competence to the oral cavity during mastication and at rest.
ear	on either side of the head	sense of hearing; maintaining balance
hair	on top of the scalp	regulating body temperature; protecting the scalp
jaw	top of the mouth (maxilla) and bottom of the mouth (mandible)	chewing; opening and closing the mouth; talking
teeth	inside the mouth	chewing food to be digested

The Arm, Hand And Fingers

Body Part	Location	Function
arm	on either side of the torso	performing tasks with movement
upper arm	between shoulders and elbows	flexing the arm; connecting the lower arm to the shoulder
forearm	between elbows and wrists	flexing the wrist; connecting the arm to the wrist
shoulder	joint between the upper arm and torso	connecting the upper arm to the torso; allowing the arm to rotate (range of motion); providing strength to the arm
elbow	joint between the upper arm and forearm	connecting the upper arm to the forearm; extending the arm; rotating the lower arm
wrist	joint between the forearm and hand	connecting the forearm to the hand; rotating the hand
knuckle	joint between hand bones (carpals) and finger bones (phalanges)	connecting the fingers to the hand; allow fingers to bend and extend
hand	end of the arm, connected to the wrist	fine motor skills (writing, pinching, gripping)
palm	flat side of hand	helping with grip; sense of touch
finger	end of hand	helping with grip; sense of touch; gesturing (pointing, hand signals, etc.)
fingernail	end of finger	protecting nail beds from foreign particles; helping with grip
index finger	The index finger is the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the thumb and the middle finger.	easily pinches against an opposed thumb in the sagittal plane, has a very mobile tip for repositioning objects because of intrinsic muscles that can abduct and adduct to meet the thumb
middle finger	The middle finger is the third digit of a human hand. It is located between the index and the ring finger.	the source of strength for grabbing and holding on
ring finger	The ring finger is the fourth digit of a human hand. It is located between the middle and the little finger.	Wearing a ring on your ring finger represents your relationship status, whether that be engagement, marriage, or a long-term monogamous relationship.
little finger (informal: pinky finger)	The little finger is the fifth digit of a human hand. It is located after the middle finger.	The pinkie finger is critical for grip strength.
thumb	left or right side of the hand	helping with grip (opposable; can turn back against the other fingers)

Parts of the Torso

Body Part	Location	Function
torso	middle of the body, between the neck and legs	stabilizing the body (posture); protecting internal organs; connecting the limbs (arms and legs) to the body
chest	top of the torso	protecting lungs and heart; assisting in arm movement
abdomen	middle of the torso	stabilizing the body; protecting internal organs
belly button	middle of the belly	connects a baby’s umbilical cord to its mother’s placenta before birth
back	back of the torso	stabilizing the body; protecting vertebrae, which send messages to the rest of the body
buttocks	back of the torso, just above the legs	cushioning the body when sitting; assisting in hip and thigh movement
waist	middle of torso	stabilizing the body; allowing the upper body to bend to the lower half
hips	lower sides of torso	supporting body weight; helping with walking, sitting, and standing

Parts of the Legs

Body Part	Location	Function
leg	below torso, above foot	keeping the body stable; walking; running; bending the body
thigh	top of leg, above the knee	allowing the leg to flex and move; supporting weight of the upper body
shin	lower leg, under the knee	flexing the foot; stabilizing the ankle
knee	joint between the thigh and shin	bending the leg; supporting weight of the upper body
ankle	joint between the foot and shin	rotating the foot; connecting the foot to the leg
foot	bottom of the leg	walking; supporting body weight; propelling the body forward
toe	end of the foot	providing balance while walking; distributing body weight
heel	back of the foot	distributing body weight

Internal Parts of the Body

Body Part	Location	Function
heart	chest	pumps your blood around your body.
lungs	chest	when you breathe, the air goes into your lungs.
veins	all throughout the body	these transport blood through your body. They are like little tubes.
brain	inside the skull	this is your ‘thinking machine’ inside your head.
skull	the head	the bone that protects the head
vocal chords	throat	to speak or sing
throat	neck	food goes down this to get to your stomach.
pancreas	inside the abdomen	helps your digestive system by making enzymes and hormones.
joints	limbs	allows for backward, forward, sideways, and rotating movement.
muscles	all over the face and the body	responsible for movement.
ligaments	all throughout the body	hold structures together and keep them stable
liver	inside the abdomen	the organ that cleans your blood.
stomach	inside the abdomen	your food goes here when you swallow it.
kidneys	inside the abdomen	the organs that process all your body waste.
skeleton	all over the face and the body	all of the bones in your body.
bones	all over the face and the body	your skeleton consists of many bones. There are about 206 in your body.
glands	all throughout the body	produce and release different hormones that target specific things in the body.
ribs	chest	these are the bones that protect the organs in your chest.
red blood cells	all throughout the body	carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our bodies.
white blood cells	all throughout the body	help the body fight infection and other diseases
skin	all over the body	it covers almost the entire body and helps keep all the organs and muscles in place.