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Organ (biology)

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A scientific diagram showing the positions of various internal organs in the human body.

Organ (biology)

An organ is a special group of tiny parts called cells that work together to do important jobs in living things. Think of an organ like a team of friends all helping to do one big task. Organs are found in most animals and plants that are made of more than one cell.

In animals, organs are parts of bigger groups called organ systems. For example, the heart is part of the cardiovascular system, which helps move blood all around the body. Another example is the stomach, which is part of the digestive system that helps break down food. Some other important animal organs include the liver, kidneys, lungs, and brain.

Plants also have organs, but they are different from animal organs. Plant organs include roots, stems, and leaves, which help the plant grow and make food. Flowers are special plant organs that help make new plants.

People sometimes give each other healthy organs when someone needs a new one. This is called organ donation, and it can help save lives. Scientists are also working on making new organs in labs to help even more people.

Here are some important animal organs and the systems they belong to:

Images

A labeled diagram of a sheep liver, showing its different lobes and blood vessels, useful for learning about animal anatomy.
Illustration showing the internal organs of the human body from a 1905 medical book.
A scientific diagram showing how major animal organs evolved across different animal groups.
An old drawing showing important internal parts of the human body, like the stomach and intestines, from a science book.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Organ (biology), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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