Arteries and veins are the two main kinds of blood vessels that carry your blood around the body. But, they both do different jobs. Your arteries carry blood filled with oxygen, and your veins carry blood filled with carbon dioxide and other waste materials that the body gets rid of. When we breathe in, our […]
Blood
Blood is a red liquid that travels to all parts of your body. It works like a highway, carrying cells around the body. It’s made up of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, which float in a liquid called plasma. Blood is important for a lot of reasons. It moves oxygen, nutrients and […]
Nails
Your nails, your hair and the top layer of your skin are all made from the same stuff – keratin. In their own ways, they all protect your body. Nails are made up of dead cells, which is why it does not hurt when you cut your nails. They help to look after your fingers […]
Skin
You can’t actually see most of your body – it’s hidden behind skin. Skin protects everything inside you. But, it also helps you to feel things, through your nervous system, which controls your senses. You have two main layers of skin. The outer layer is called the epidermis, and is covered in dead cells. The […]
Muscles
Everyone’s got muscles – at least 600 of them! Some are easy to find like your arm muscles – but others are hidden away, such as in your heart. Your muscles are all very flexible, which allows them to move about. That’s because they all do something – some help your heart to work, others […]
Nerves
You have nerves all over your body which have a very important job. They carry messages (signals) from your brain to all the different parts of your body, that allow us to do different things. The whole network of nerves in your body is called your nervous system. Your nervous system allows you to do […]
Hair
What’s the difference between your hair, your nails and the top layer of your skin? Actually, not that much! They’re all made from the same stuff – keratin. They all work in different ways in helping to protect your body. Hair helps to keep you warm, and stops things from getting in your eyes. Each […]
Bones and joints
The shape of your body comes from your bones. That’s because everything is held inside your skeleton, which is made up of them. You won’t normally see the outside of a bone, but if you could, you’d see the cortical. This is the smooth but very strong part. Underneath you’ll find lots of layers of […]
Ears
Ears are not just the squidgy flaps on each side of your head. They’re way more complicated! As well as allowing you to hear, they also help your balance, and stop you from falling over! The parts you can see are called the outer ears. They’re like goal posts, collecting lots of sounds. These go […]
Skull
Tap your skull and feel how hard it is. That’s because it’s made up of bones fused (joined) together and has the very important job of protecting your brain. Your skull also supports your face and mouth muscles. When you are a baby your skull is very soft, and gets harder in the first few […]