GLOSSARY

An organ system is a group of organs that work together to carry out a common, larger function.
The human body is usually studied in eleven main systems: integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic and immune, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive.

Cooperation of Systems in Sport

No system works alone; in a 400-meter sprint, the nervous system issues the movement command, the muscular and skeletal systems produce the movement, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems deliver oxygen, the endocrine system mobilizes energy by releasing adrenaline, and the skin removes heat through sweating.

Key Teaching Point

The topics of this encyclopedia are arranged by these systems; in sporting practice, however, an athlete’s performance is the result of the coordination of all systems, and weakness in one, such as anemia in the circulatory system, can limit overall performance.