1. Skeletal System:
* Provides support and structure to the body.
* Protects internal organs.
* Enables movement.
* Composed of bones, cartilage, joints, and ligaments.
2. Muscular System:
* Allows movement and helps with posture.
* Contains skeletal muscles that attach to bones and smooth muscles found in internal organs.
3. Nervous System:
* Controls all bodily functions, including sensory input, motor output, and thought processes.
* Composed of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
4. Circulatory System:
* Transports blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients and removing waste products.
* Includes the heart, blood vessels (arteries, veins, capillaries), and blood.
5. Respiratory System:
* Responsible for taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide.
* Composed of the lungs, trachea (windpipe), bronchi, and diaphragm.
6. Digestive System:
* Breaks down food into nutrients the body can absorb.
* Includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus.
7. Urinary System:
* Filters waste products from the blood and produces urine.
* Composed of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
8. Endocrine System:
* Produces hormones that regulate many bodily functions, including growth, metabolism, and reproduction.
* Includes glands like the thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal glands.
9. Integumentary System:
* Includes the skin, hair, and claws.
* Protects the body from the environment, regulates temperature, and provides sensory input.
10. Reproductive System:
* Involved in the production of offspring.
* Composed of the ovaries, uterus, and vagina in females, and the testes, penis, and prostate in males.
11. Lymphatic System:
* Helps fight infection and maintain fluid balance.
* Composed of lymph nodes, vessels, and fluid.
12. Immune System:
* Protects the body from disease.
* Includes white blood cells, antibodies, and other defense mechanisms.
Understanding how these systems work together allows us to better understand how cats maintain their health and well-being.