Glands/Organs

What is the difference between a Gland and an Organ?

GLAND: 1. A secretory organ or structure. 2. A cell or group of cells which have the ability to manufacture a secretion that is discharged and used in some other part of the body rather than for its own function. e.g. It selectively removes materials from the blood, concentrates or alters them and secretes them for further use in the body or for elimination from the body. A gland may be simple (consisting of one or a few secreting units) or compound (consisting of many secreting units). Simple glands may be straight, coiled, or branched. Glands consisting of one cell are called unicellular, those of more than one cell multicellular. Secretion is accomplished within cells and is passed through cell membranes into secretory ducts.

Glands of concern for the purpose of beginning the detoxification process include specifically:
1. Adrenal, a gland lying above each kidney. This gland produces and secretes neurotransmitters, which increases or decreases cardiac output, blood flow to tissues, neuro response, (muscular, skeletal and nerve cells). They increase glucose and fatty acid availability in the blood, all to increase systemic and cellular energy. As well it affects the hormones which affects the reproductive system in both males and females. It aids in tissue repair. It is anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic in nature. It is part of the Endocrine System.

2. Endocrine, a structure which secretes a hormone that is absorbed into the blood or lymph; a ductless gland. All of the Endocrine glands are vital to the health and well-being of the physical body. It is part of a system where every tissue in your body interacts with every other tissue.

3. Lymph System: is composed of nodules of lymphatic tissue, found along the path of a lymphatic vessel. The Lymph system is your sewer system. Your Lymph nodes are your septic tanks. Keep them cleaned out. That is the why of raw fruits and vegetables – to keep your GI tract clean. The intestinal flora will restore itself.  Exercise-move, walk.

4. Thyroid, a ductless gland of internal secretion situated in the neck in front of the trachea. You need to clean, enhance, strengthen and regenerate the thyroid gland to avoid chronic fatigue, heart arrhythmias, osteoporosis, brittle fingernails, hair loss, arthritis, bursitis, migraine headaches, obesity, wrinkles etc. The thyroid gland affects normal growth and development. It affects calcium utilization for the bones.

ORGAN: A differentiated structure (as heart or kidney) consisting of cells and tissues and performing some specific function – a body part performing a function or cooperating in an activity. Most organs are in pairs. Any one organ may be extirpated (destroyed completely, wiped out, removed surgically) and the remaining one will perform all necessary functions peculiar to it. Even half the brain may be removed without being fatal. From one-third to two fifths of some organs may be removed without interference with their functions.

Organs of concern in the detoxification process include:

1. Kidneys – two organs situated at the back of the abdominal cavity, with one on each side of the spinal column. Their function is to excrete urine  which contains the end product of metabolism and to help regulate the water, electrolytes, and acid base content of the blood. The Bladder is the vesicle which acts as a reservoir for the urine.

2. Liver – the largest organ in the body. It is situated on the right side beneath the diaphragm, is covered by a tough fibrous sheath – is the site of a great many metabolic functions. The liver receives blood from the portal vein and thus is the first organ to receive blood from the intestine where the blood has absorbed the final decomposed products of digestion. From this blood, the liver removes glucose from which it synthesizes glycogen which it stores.The liver excretes bile pigments – filters out and destroys bacteria present in the blood stream. It is also a storage place for vitamin B-12 and the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. It plays a role in the regulation of blood volume and is one of the main sources of body heat. (Hence, the temperature changes in the body, sweats, chills, and liver enlargement). Cholesterol, which is found in most body cells and is a major constituent of bile, is manufactured mainly in the liver. The Gallbladder is a pear-shaped sac on the under-surface of the right lobe of the liver holding bile from the liver until discharged through the cystic duct. Once the gallbladder is removed, other body parts to include the liver and bile duct generally compensate for its absence working hard to do what the gallbladder was designed to do.

3. Stomach and Bowels. The stomach is a dilated saclike, distensible portion of the alimentary canal below the esophagus and below the diaphragm to the right of the spleen, partly under the liver. It is composed of a fundus or round part, a body or middle portion, and pyloric portion which is the small end. It has two openings: the upper cardiac orifice opens into the esophagus and the lower pyloric orifice opens into the duodenum. The stomach is composed  of four layers; the outer serous coat covers almost all of the organ. The muscular layer just beneath is formed of three layers of smooth muscle fibers; an outer longitudinal layer, a medial circular layer and an inner oblique layer. The submucous layer is a connecting medium between the muscular and mucous layer, the inner lining of the stomach. The stomach secretes gastric juice and converts proteins into peptones serving as an organ of digestion. It regulates the admission of food to the remainder of the gut, acting as a reservoir – its acid kills a large proportion of the microbes present in most food. It is important in the acid-base equilibrium of the body – particularly when electrolytes are removed from the body during vomiting. Many of the body issues begin in the stomach to include cancer, cardiac, and even tooth dentition problems.

Bowels – the intestines which purpose is the evacuation of feces. The number of bowel movements varies in normal individuals. Today it is advocated that a person have from 1 to 3 bowel movements a day in order to maintain good intestinal health.

Some glands and some organs may be referred to interchangeably within certain body systems, such as the Endocrine System.

Right now we are concerned mainly with those glands, organs and systems suggested above.  As you read the information given – you should begin to understand how each of your body systems and parts interact with each other.  If something goes wrong in one system/part, it affects most,- if not all, of the others systems or parts.

The biggest issues encountered when the systems are affected or weakened include: brain and nerve function, heart, vascular system, skin, blood pressure, muscle weakness, gastrointestinal, inflammation, aging, osteoporosis, acidosis, hormonal imbalance, cholesterol plaque, sugar (diabetes) and etc.

It is important that you be in charge of your health’s destiny. Don’t let bad habit food choices create toxic conditions in your bodies that can result in illness or death.

(References for this article include: Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary; Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary; and The Detox Miracle Sourcebook.)

I pray this article helps each of my readers to understand their bodies better, and how all the body’s parts work hand in hand. More body system info will come after you all have had a chance to digest this information, which may be new to some of you.

May God Bless!