Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD) Sterile Processing Technician Practice Exam

What term describes complex structures with specialized functions within the body?

1. Cells

2. Tissues

3. Organs

4. Systems

The correct answer is: Organs

The term that describes complex structures with specialized functions within the body is "organs." Organs are specifically defined as groups of tissues that work together to perform a specific function or set of functions within an organism. Each organ has a distinct structure that allows it to carry out its duties, such as the heart pumping blood, the lungs facilitating gas exchange, or the kidneys filtering waste from the blood. In contrast, cells are the basic building blocks of all living things, and they perform a wide variety of functions but do not constitute a complex structure on their own. Tissues are groups of similar cells that function together, such as muscle tissue or nervous tissue, but they do not exhibit the complex organization of an organ. Systems are composed of multiple organs that work together to carry out broader physiological functions—like the digestive system or the respiratory system—but the term for the individual complex structures is specifically organs. Thus, "organs" accurately captures the concept of complex structures with specialized functions, making it the correct term in this context.