What is the largest organ of the human body?

Study for the Nassau County Tattoo and Body Piercing Certification Exam. Prepare with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your test!

Multiple Choice

What is the largest organ of the human body?

Explanation:
The largest is the skin. When size is measured by both surface area and weight, skin covers the entire body, typically about 1.5 to 2 square meters of surface area and weighs roughly 4.5 to 5 kilograms in an average adult. That combination makes it bigger than any internal organ. For comparison, the liver is around 1.5 kilograms, the heart about 0.3 kilograms, and the lungs—though they have a vast internal surface for gas exchange—together weigh less than the skin. So the skin stands out as the largest organ because of its extensive coverage and substantial mass.

The largest is the skin. When size is measured by both surface area and weight, skin covers the entire body, typically about 1.5 to 2 square meters of surface area and weighs roughly 4.5 to 5 kilograms in an average adult. That combination makes it bigger than any internal organ. For comparison, the liver is around 1.5 kilograms, the heart about 0.3 kilograms, and the lungs—though they have a vast internal surface for gas exchange—together weigh less than the skin. So the skin stands out as the largest organ because of its extensive coverage and substantial mass.

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