Author Question: Major vs. Minor Organs

When I first got this author question, I thought, okay– this should be really simple. A major versus minor organ– easy right?

Until I started to think about it.

What I would consider the major organs would be the brain, heart and lungs. Then I began to think about some of the minor organs (liver, stomach, etc…) that become very problematic if they aren’t functioning correctly causing major problems for the patient.

Then I thought– this isn’t really a distinction I make in medicine. For instance, it’s not a term used on a daily basis. So, then I wondered if someone did use that type of terminology.

On with Dee’s question.

Dee Asks:

I’m wondering if/hoping you could answer a quick question for me…

Is a spleen considered a major organ? Or not so much because it’s not vital to the body?

Jordyn Says:

Not sure how I would answer. Why is it important to make the distinction?

This isn’t a distinction we make in medicine.

Maybe this explains my difficulty: http://www.anatomy.org/content/how-many-organs-no-matter-how-minor-it-does-human-being-have-and-what-are-they

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Dee J. Adams is the author of the Adrenaline Highs series published by Carina Press. Her first book, Dangerous Race, was a finalist in the 2012 Golden Quill Contest. Adams also has the distinction of being hired by Audible.com to narrate Danger Zone and Dangerously Close. Living Dangerously will be a May 2013 release. New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann says: “Dee J. Adams delivers it all in Danger Zone: romance, intrigue, and a cast of characters to fall in love with, authentically set in the gritty and entertaining world of movie-making. This one’s on my keeper shelf!” You can connect with Dee J. via her website: http://www.deejadams.com/