What is considered the body's largest organ?

The skin is considered the body's largest organ due to its extensive surface area and diverse functions. Covering the entire body, it is an integral part of the integumentary system. The skin serves multiple critical roles, including protecting internal organs, regulating body temperature, and providing sensory information. In adults, the skin can weigh approximately 8 to 10 pounds and cover around 22 square feet, demonstrating its size and importance.

Other organs, although vital to bodily functions—such as the heart, liver, and lungs—do not match the skin in terms of surface area. The heart is primarily composed of muscle tissue and is responsible for pumping blood. The liver plays a crucial role in metabolism and detoxification but is contained within the abdominal cavity and does not cover the body's external surface. The lungs are essential for respiration but are also internal organs that facilitate gas exchange. Thus, while all these organs are important, the skin's protective and regulatory capacities, along with its size, establish it as the largest organ of the body.