organ

(or′găn )

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[L. organum fr Gr. organon, tool, (musical) instrument, (bodily) organ]
A body structure made of several tissues that all contribute to specific functions. Many organs occur in pairs. In such pairs, one organ may be extirpated and the remaining one can perform all necessary functions peculiar to it. One third to two fifths of some organs may be removed without loss of function necessary to support life. SEE TABLE: Size, Weight, and Capacity of Various Organs and Parts of the Adult Body ♂ Male ♀ Female
Size, Weight, and Capacity of Various Organs and Parts of the Adult Body ♂ Male ♀ Female

Description	Size	Weight	Capacity
Adrenal gland	5 cm high	5 g
	3 cm across
	1 cm thick
Bladder	12 cm in diameter		500 mL (when moderately full)
Blood volume			♂ 4-6 L
			♀ 3-5 L
Brain		♂ 1240-1680 g
		♀ 1130-1570 g
Ear, external canal	2.5 cm long (from concha)
Esophagus	23-25 cm
Eye	23.5 mm vertical diameter
	24 mm anteroposterior diameter
Fallopian tube	10 cm
Gallbladder	7-10 cm long		30-50 mL
	3 cm wide
Heart	12 × 8-9 × 6 cm	♂280-340 g
		♀230-280 g
Intestines—small	Variable
	6-7 m long
Intestines—large	1.5 m long
Intestines—vermiform appendix	2-20 cm long, average 9 cm
Intestines—rectum	12 cm long
Kidney	11 cm long	♂ 150 g
	6 cm broad	♀ 135 g
	3 cm thick
Larynx	♂ 44 × 43 × 36 mm
	♀ 36 × 41 × 26 mm
Liver		♂ 1.4-1.8 kg	6500 mL
		♀ 1.0-2.5 kg
Lung		Right 625 g
		Left 565 g
Ovaries	3 × 1.5 × 1 cm	2-3.5 g
Pancreas	15 cm long	♂ 74-106 g
		♀ 70-100 g
Parathyroid	6 × 3-4 × 1-2 mm	50 mg
Pharynx	12.5 cm long
Prostate	2 × 4 × 3 cm	8 g
Skeleton		Average adult male, 4957 g
Skull		Average (without teeth), 642 g	Variable ♂ 406 mL ♀ 207 mL
Spinal cord	42-45 cm long	30 g
Spleen	12 × 7 × 3-4 cm	150 g
		80-300 g
		Decreases with age
Stomach	Variable		Variable
	25 cm long		1500 mL
	10 cm wide
Testes	4-5 × 2.5 × 3 cm	10.5-14 g
Thoracic duct	38-45 cm long
Thymus		Newborn, 10.9 g
		10-15 yr, 29.5 g
		20-25 yr, 18.6 g
Thyroid	Each lobe 5 × 3 × 2 cm	30 g total
Trachea	11 cm long
	2-2.5 cm in diameter
Ureter	28-34 cm long
Urethra	♂ 17.5-20 cm long
	♀ 4 cm long
Uterus	7.5 × 5.0 × 2.5 cm	30-40 g (nonpregnant)
Vagina	Anterior wall length 7.5 cm
	Posterior wall length 9.0 cm

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