How many organs are in the human body?

Anatomists enumerate about 22 organs in the human body. Mainstream science designates five vital organs, including the brain, heart, kidneys, liver and lungs. Some educators raise the count of vital organs to ten, adding the pancreas, reproductive organs, stomach, small intestine and large intestine.

The skin is the largest organ, typically measuring about 20 square feet. The tongue, or mouth, is an organ, and so are the eyes. The human body can function without the small organs, such as the appendix and gall bladder. Some sources loosely define 78 organs in the human body, including the nose, anus, bones, spinal cord and various glands.