Can You Figure Out the Organ From These Clues?

By: Torrance Grey
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Figure Out the Organ From These Clues?
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

In school, you probably learned that organs are the body's "machines" -- they are active, serving a function, and often complex in structure. This is easy to see when we're talking about the body's "rock star" organs: the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. 

But things are a little more complicated than that. (Aren't they always?) Not everyone can even agree on how many organs the body has. Is it 50? Or even more than 70? To get to that higher number, 78, you have to count all the glands, as well as parts of the body we don't think of as very active or machine-like. Take the bladder, for example. You're probably used to thinking of it as a mere holding tank, but it's classed as an organ. There are some organs you can even do without, like the spleen. 

If you're nostalgic for your old health-science class, we've got a quiz for you. We'll provide a picture, and you identify the organ. We'll also provide a hint if you get stuck... which you might, even if you love biology. We get into quite a few of the glands and lesser-known organs. 

Are you up to the challenge?

lungs
Shutterstock
Which organ -- well, "organs," plural -- are shown in this image?
Cornea
Lens
Lungs
Testis
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many people view the lungs as big balloons, simple in structure. They're actually filled with dense, light structures (alveoli), like a honeycomb.

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small intestine
Shutterstock
This looks like something that came out of a meat grinder, but what organ is it, actually?
Alveolus
Eye
Pineal gland
Small intestine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The small intestine is responsible for much of the digestive process. It is divided into the ileum, duodenum and jejunum.

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large intestine
Shutterstock
What big organ are you looking at?
Alveolus
Adrenal gland
Large intestine
Lymph node
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The large intestine is virtually the end of the digestive process. Before, well, you know. It removes water from bodily waste before the rest becomes feces.

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tongue
Shutterstock
Which "tasteful" organ is shown in this picture?
Bronchius
Kidney
Lens
Tongue
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yep, the tongue's an organ. A sense organ, to be exact, and one of the body's important "gatekeepers" in terms of food.

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gallbladder
Shutterstock
What is this funny-looking organ?
Alveolus
Gallbladder
Jejunum
Liver
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The gallbladder stores bile, which is important to the digestive process. Even so, you can have your gallbladder removed without too much inconvenience to your day-to-day life.

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brain
Shutterstock
Which organ is shown in this image? (No, it's not your "thinking cap"!)
Brain
Interstitium
Lens
Kidney
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The brain isn't the largest organ, but it's arguably the most important. It regulates the function of all other organs, whether autonomically (heartbeat) or deliberately (breathing).

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heart
Shutterstock
Which well-known organ, beloved by poets, is this?
Alveolus
Heart
Lens
Retina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

How did this tough, essential organ become synonymous with love and passion? We're not sure - it's essentially a big hydraulic pump.

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esophagus
Shutterstock
Which organ, a gateway to the digestive tract, is shown here?
Esophagus
Kidney
Lymph node
Thalamus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The esophagus is the long tract that carries food down to your stomach. Though it might seem like a passive "chute," it actually uses peristaltic contractions to move food along.

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pharynx
Shutterstock
Do you know what the arrow is pointing to?
Duodenum
Ovary
Pharnyx
Small intestine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The pharnyx is part of the digestive system, located in the throat. Aptly, its name is Greek for "throat."

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pancreas
Shutterstock
Which organ is this funny-looking little guy?
Cornea
Bone marrow
Pancreas
Retina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The pancreas is one of the better-known glands (a gland is an endocrine, or hormone-regulating, organ), thanks to its role in diabetes. When the pancreas does not produce enough insulin from very early in life, that's known as Type I Diabetes, as opposed to Type II, often brought on by excess weight and lack of exercise.

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ovary
Shutterstock
Which reproductive gland/organ is shown here?
Cornea
Hippocampus
Ovary
Retina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The ovary is a gland. Responsible for far more than fertility, it produces hormones essential to energy and well-being in women.

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liver
Shutterstock
What blood-filtering organ is this?
Alveolus
Bronchius
Liver
Thalamus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The liver, along with the kidneys, is the body's detoxification system. Together, they render those expensive "detox programs" largely unnecessary.

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eye
Shutterstock
Can you see which organ this is?
Ear
Eye
Lens
Pineal gland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The eye is a complex machine. Its diseases are treated by an ophthalmologist (not to be confused with an optometrist, who deals with vision and prescribes glasses or contacts).

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uterus
Shutterstock
Which reproductive organ is shown in this picture?
Cornea
Hypothalamus
Vagus nerve
Uterus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Far more than a passive storage chamber, the uterus is a reproductive organ. During intercourse, it directs blood flow to the vagina, which is an important part of sexual responsiveness.

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bladder
Shutterstock
We feel sometime-urgent signals from this organ daily. What is it?
Bladder
Cornea
Hypothalamus
Thalamus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Technically, we should call this the "urinary bladder" to differentiate it from the gallbladder. Or the swim bladder, which fish have.

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kidneys
Shutterstock
Which essential organs, with a function similar to the liver, are shown in this image?
Interstitium
Kidney
Adrenal gland
Spleen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kidneys are bean-shaped organs that filter and detoxify the blood. They're also among the most commonly donated organs.

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stomach
Shutterstock
What is this organ we sometimes blame for our unhealthy cravings?
Lymph node
Interstitium
Lens
Stomach
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The stomach is an organ that takes a lot of abuse. We don't appreciate its hard work until we begin to have problems with it, like acid reflux.

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tonsils
Klem via Wiki Commons
What are these, sometimes removed in childhood, called?
Dentae
Sagittae
Scapulae
Tonsils
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The tonsils, like the spleen, are something that humans can get along without. Some of us grew up hearing, jealously, about all the ice cream patients were allowed to eat post-operation (ice cream being gentle on the throat, the site of the surgery).

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skin
Shutterstock
What organ, the largest in the body, is this?
Bronchus
Hippocampus
Thymus gland
Skin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Though we don't always think of it this way, skin is the largest organ. It plays a vital role in protecting the body from pathogens and regulating body temperature.

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parotid gland
Blausen.com staff (2014) via Wiki Comons
Will you be so mad you could spit if you don't correctly guess this organ?
Cornea
Gallbladder
Parotid gland
Vagus nerve
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The parotid gland secretes saliva, which is important to digestion, as well as general comfort. Vaccination has led to a sharp decrease in infections causing swelling of the parotid glands - commonly known as "mumps."

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cornea
Shutterstock
Which organ, on the surface of a larger one, is shown in this image?
Cornea
Interstitium
Gallbladder
Pituitary gland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Okay, this is another "not quite an organ." Except it is, when it comes to transplantation - corneas are routinely recovered for re-use, like hearts and kidneys.

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testes
Shutterstock
Which male reproductive organs are shown in this picture?
Hippocampus
Interstitium
Lens
Testes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Stop giggling; this is science! The testis (plural "testes") is the analogue of the female ovary, creating sperm. It's an essential part of the reproductive system.

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thyroid
Shutterstock
What is this butterfly-like organ?
Bronchus
Pineal gland
Lymph node
Thyroid
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your throat. Problems with it are not uncommon, but treatable with hormones.

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prostate gland
Shutterstock
What organ, the site of a common late-in-life cancer, is this?
Alveolus
Gallbladder
Prostate gland
Thalamus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In healthy men, it's about the size of a walnut. Enlargement tends to occur with age.

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bone marrow
Shutterstock
What organ, important to blood-cell production, is this?
Bone marrow
Hypothalamus
Parathryoid gland
Skin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Okay, you could say bone marrow is just a "tissue," but it's very biologically active. It creates blood cells, and since white blood cells fight infection, bone marrow is also a key player in the immune system.

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spleen
Shutterstock
What organ, which you can live without, is seen here?
Bone marrow
Hippocampus
Parathryoid gland
Spleen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As part of the "four humours" theory of medicine, the Greeks thought that an overbalance of spleen fluids cause someone to get angry easily. This is why you'll still sometimes hear the phrase "vent your spleen" for "get something off your chest."

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larynx
Shutterstock
What exactly are you looking at here?
Alveolus
Bronchus
Larnyx
Pituitary gland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The larnyx is responsible for sound production, or more simply, voice. That's why larynx problems hit singers so hard.

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pineal gland copy
Shutterstock
What organ -- also a tiny-but-might gland -- is this?
Cornea
Interstitium
Pineal gland
Retina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The pineal gland, in the brain, produces melatonin, which regulates sleep. However, there's also a lot of pseudoscience about what the pineal gland does - including, supposedly, releasing a large amount of DMT at point of death. Proceed cautiously when analyzing such claims.

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ureters
Shutterstock
Which excretory organ are you looking at?
Interstitium
Hippocampus
Hypothalamus
Ureter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

These run from the kidneys down to the bladder. They're also a common site where kidney stones develop. Ouch!

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pituitary
Shutterstock
Which very important endocrine organ is shown here?
Dura mater
Gallbladder
Pituitary gland
Substantia nigra
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The pituitary gland is tiny but mighty. About the size of a pea, it's deep in the base of your brain and regulates the function of many other glands in the body.

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adrenals
Shutterstock
What "exciting" organ is seen here?
Adrenal gland
Hypothalamus
Gallbladder
Parathryoid gland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You probably know this gland because of the hormone "adrenalin," associated with excitement and stimulation. Technically, we should say "glands," as there's one atop each kidney.

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Fallopian Tubes
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
What are these, simply called "oviducts" in animals?
Ovarian tubes
Fallopian tubes
Ureters
Catheters
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Fallopian tubes carry egg cells from the ovaries to the uterus. They are named for an Italian scientist, Gabriele Fallopio, who thought they resembled tubas. (Okay, that's not very dignified!)

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lymph nodes
Shutterstock
Which organ, a player in immune response, is shown in this image?
Lens
Lymph node
Parathryoid gland
Liver
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The lymphatic system, including the lymph nodes, is part of the body's "acquired" immune system. They filter foreign bodies like cancer cells.

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duodenum
Shutterstock
Which digestive organ is shown here?
Duodenum
Hippocampus
Liver
Thalamus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

What? An organ can be part of another organ? It's true. The duodenum is the first segment of the small intestine, and the first place your food goes after the stomach.

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thymus
Shutterstock
Which organ is this little guy?
Brain
Hypothalamus
Retina
Thymus gland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The thymus. along with bone marrow, constitutes the body's immune system. That is, it produces antibodies that attack infectious agents.

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Jejunum
By Olek Remesz via Wikimedia Commons
What is this digestive organ called?
Ethereum
Jejunum
Alterium
Tezzerum
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The jejunum comes just after the duodenum in the small intestine. Sidenote: Bonus points if you recognized the other three names as adapted from cryptocurrencies. (Everyone likes an Easter egg once in a while)

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Vagus nerve
Vaguspower via Youtube
Which organ, important to emotional regulation, is shown in this image?
Substantia nigra
Gallbladder
Hypothalamus
Vagus nerve
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Okay, it's a nerve - but we're including it because the vagus nerve is so powerful in regulation of emotion. It secretes neurotransmitters and can cause, in moments of great stress, fainting or loss of bladder control.

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urethra
Shutterstock
Look closely -- what organ is shown in this picture?
Dura mater
Gallbladder
Hypothalamus
Urethra
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As the name implies, this narrow organ is used in urination. In males, it's also the conduit for semen.

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You Got:
/38
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