Top 10: What are the heaviest organs in the human body?

1. Skin

Average weight: 4,535g
Function: Protects against pathogens; provides insulation; synthesizes vitamin D; regulates temperature; provides sensation

2. Liver

Average weight: 1,560g
Function: Breaks down toxins; produces hormones, proteins and digestive biochemicals; regulates glycogen storage

3. Brain

Average weight: 1,500g
Function: Drives executive functions such as reasoning; coordinates responses to changes in environment

4. Lungs

Average weight: 1,300g
Function: Supplies oxygen to be distributed around the body; expels carbon dioxide that is created around the body

5. Heart

Average weight: 300g
Function: Pumps oxygenated blood from lungs around the body; pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs

6. Kidneys

Average weight: 260g (pair)
Function: Remove waste products; regulate sodium and water retention; filter blood; produce urine and hormones

7. Spleen

Average weight: 175g
Function: Filters blood; holds a reserve supply of blood; recycles iron; synthesizes antibodies; removes bacteria

8. Pancreas

Average weight: 70g
Function: Produces insulin and glycogen; secretes enzymes that assist in the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine

9. Thyroid

Average weight: 20g
Function: Controls body’s energy use; makes proteins; controls hormone sensitivity

10. Prostate gland

Average weight: 11g
Function: Secretes an alkaline fluid that constitutes 50-75 per cent of the volume of semen

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