Description of the Concept of Aliens - Essay Example

Introduction

Regarding this paper, the central focus is on the extraterrestrial life, which in essence revolves around the kind of life that does not originate from planet earth. Thus, the concept of aliens as well as their operational environment will take center stage in this writing. As a point of departure, it is crucial to underscore that this paper will constitute three significant parts among others. The description of the alien, the planet, its environment as well as the various organ systems are ideally fundamental (Clark, 2015).

Description of my alien

It is interesting to note the alien under consideration goes by the name Luca. Luca’s physical appearance informs of a well-built, man-like creature whose height supersedes that of an average person. Similarly, the facial expression of Luca is indicative of bushy eyebrows with a larger than usual skull and cranial composition. The presence of a sloppy forehead, as well as deep-set eyes, are also among the outward characteristics that describe this alien. Moreover, on the part of the pelvic girdle, Luca’s girdle is more extensive than usual and bowl-like in shape to maintain the heavily-built creature upstanding, considering its weight and bipedal gait. The skin surface of this alien is covered with hair all along safe for the face, legs and the elongated tail. Ultimately, the protrusion of teeth from both its jaws and the presence of a firmer grip of the hands informs of an alien that has a broad spectrum of organ systems which play a pivotal role in its survival considering the kind of planet and environment in question. The alien conforms to an omnivorous mode of feeding (Clark, 2015).

Planet and the environment

It is noteworthy to understand that the planet where the alien operates in is known as Titan for the case of this paper. Titan is supportive of both simple life forms as well as complex life forms. A look and analysis of this planet provide plenty of information regarding its organic and inorganic constitution. A look at each of the environmental, climatic and topographical characteristics will provide the much-needed limelight for the advancement of this piece.

Organic constitution of Titan

The biological composition of Titan comprises of both plant and animal life. There are millions of both small plant species and multiple plant species that form the vegetation of planet Titan. The most common plants that are known to exist are fungi, algae, lichens, mosses and other grassland savannahs. Additionally, dwarf tree forms that are drought resistant also constitute the vegetative view of this planet. On the other hand, some of the animal life that is supported in Titan is also of varied nature ranging from small single-celled organisms to multicellular organisms (Khan, 2014). Mostly, the smaller microorganisms that are so far known to exist on this planet are in a constant state of motion in which case they are subdividing themselves regularly to give rise to more complex organisms through mutations and environmental adaptations. Some of these organisms include bacteria, archaea, and protozoa. Additionally, other organisms such as insects, birds, and reptiles are also known to reside on this planet. Of interest to note is the existence of other creatures that have a resemblance to man, in the name of alien organisms. These organisms exhibit characteristics of living organisms and therefore have developed unique organ systems to enable them to survive in the various environments which form part of Titan.

The inorganic constitution of Titan

The inorganic composition of this planet revolves around a multiplicity of issues such as the topographical appearance, the weather, and climatic conditions as well. It is essential to underscore the fact that the Titan comprise of gases, rocks, ice and some considerable amounts of water that appears to be emanating from its surface. Proportionately, the percentage of Titan that is covered by water and, ice, is approximately 22% while other components such as dry land and rocky elements taking a more significant portion. Similarly, the atmospheric composition of this planet is purely made of gases such as carbon IV oxide and oxygen (Clark, 2015). This explains why there the type of life that is supported here is unique in character, form, and morphology. Much of the advanced creatures on this lonely planet are the aliens whose survival is mainly dependent on the existence of both plant and some animal life. Thus, in essence, it is noteworthy to understand that aliens such as Luca are consumers of both animal and plants either simple or complex.

On matters of terrain, the Titan is characterized by nearly all the physical features that we know. Some of these physical characteristics revolve around great mountainous areas, plains, plateaus, erupting volcanoes, small streams of water, desert areas and so forth. A combination of the abovementioned features forms the topographical view of this planet.

Organ systems

Primarily, an organ system refers to a group of organs that are synchronized to form a functional unit. Thus, under the framework of this course, several organ systems operate in human beings, but only five will be analyzed for comparative purposes of this paper.

I) The digestive system

The digestive system refers to the group of organs that work in close collaboration to convert food materials into primary nutrients and energy that are needed for normal functioning of the body. The alimentary canal or the GIT is made up of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach small intestines as well as the large intestines. Apart from the abovementioned organs, there are also other auxiliary parts that are helpful to the digestive system thus cannot be excluded. They include among others, the teeth, tongue, glandular parts, liver, gall bladders and pancreas. Moreover, when these components of the digestive system work together, they achieve six functions notably: ingestion, mixing, and movement, digestion, absorption, secretion and excretion (Arnould, 2012).

II) The respiratory system

The respiratory system in humans comprise of the nasal cavities, throat areas as well as the lungs. It is charged with the responsibility of moving oxygen from the external environment to the internal. It also removes the exhaled gases, i.e., carbon IV oxide. Moreover, air is known to move from the pharynx to the larynx, which protects the tracheal opening. Therefore, the trachea serves as the primary passage to the lungs (Kamide, 2012). Ultimately, is also important to note that this system regulates the potential of hydrogen pH through the facilitation of movement of oxygen and carbon IV oxide.

III) Nervous system

This is the system that directs the functionality of the human body. It is vital in sending the signals throughout the entire body to regulate a variety of functions. It is made up of the brain, the spinal cord as well as the peripheral nervous segment. Besides, it facilitates faster responses to stimuli and also works in collaboration with the endocrine system to regulate metabolism among other functions.

IV) The skeletal organ system

The skeletal system is made up of several components which together provide form, support, body stability as well as movement. It comprises of the bones of the skeleton, ligaments, tendons, joints muscles and the connective material that binds all of them together (Khan, 2014). In addition to these functions, the skeletal organ system is also charged with the responsibility of mineral storage as well as providing body structure and rigidity.

V) The cardiovascular organ system

The cardiovascular organ system is also referred to as the circulatory system. Under the contextual framework of the course under review, this organ system consists of the heart, blood vessels as well as the blood. The blood is usually used in the transportation of nutrients, gases, waste materials, hormones among other substances. Besides, it is also responsible for the pumping of blood throughout the body and the maintenance of the body’s blood pressure.

Comparing and contrasting the organ systems between humans and the alien.

The five organ systems abovementioned are crucial for the survival of not only humans but also other organisms. For the case of the Luca alien, the environmental dictates in the planet mentioned above indicate that the only diet present in Titanic is fit for herbivores and omnivores. However since the alien is a consumer of both flesh and vegetation, then its organ systems work similarly as those of an omnivore (Kamide, 2012).

When comparing the human organ systems with those of the alien, it is critical to mention that the four of them are similar in structure and functionality. The respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, the nervous and the skeletal organ system are all functionally and structurally identical. The only exception being the digestive system in which case humans have large intestines that are wound around the inside of their bodies while the alien’s large intestine is balled (Tortora, 2011).

The use of organ systems in surviving the titanic environment

The alien abovementioned survives in a situation where water is scarce, and the available diet is purely flesh and vegetation. Consequently, the fact that it can feed on both, it has an added advantage of the universality of preying within its ecosystem. Secondly, the bowl-shaped pelvic girdle implies that its skeletal muscle is intact and stable for sustaining long hours of searching of prey and feeding as well (Tortora, 2011). Additionally, the cardiovascular organ system in the alien serves the function of replenishing oxygen supply in the body thorough circulation of blood (Khan, 2014). The system also allows the alien to get supply of the scarce nutrients across all body parts for purposes of survival in the relatively harsh environment. Equally, the respiratory system for the alien is crucial for promoting gaseous exchange and therefore made in a manner that it can balance lung-air volume appropriately. Ultimately, the nervous system is closely associated with the hormonal responses which give signals to the alien concerning the next course of action or activity. Therefore, it is a rapid response mechanism that makes it easier for enemies to be detected at far-sight areas (Arnould, 2012).

Novel organs of the alien

Since Titanic is a harsh planet with harsh environmental conditions, the alien has a way of multitasking its operations. For instance, regarding movement, the alien has two novel organs to aid in its survival. First, the existence of the elongated tail makes it able to hang on trees in case of an emerging threat. Secondly, the presence of a pair of wings makes the alien able to fly as quickly as possible in search of prey and also to escape in case of impending danger (Kamide, 2012).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the contextual framework of this paper reflects a detailed illustration of various biological and geographical facts whose combination forms a perfect creative work that can be used as a point of reference for future studies and research.