Depending how you count, there are at least 60 body parts or organs in the human body. There are far more if you count each bone and muscle. Clearly, some body parts are more important than others. Most people would agree that your heart and lungs are among those, since we obviously can't live without them.
When we think about body parts that define our identity, our eyes, nose, and lips, essential components of our face, are often thought of.
There are other body parts, that having but a glimpse, may instantly lead you to identify someone.
Many of us can identify the iconic legs of Tina Turner, the arms of Michelle Obama and the buttocks of Jennifer Lopez. But we don't think of those women as merely legs or arms or buttocks.
The saying that, the parts make up the whole, is true when we think about these three women.
The real identity of Tina Turner, the whole of her, is that of a singer, dancer and actress who has great legs; Michelle Obama is an attorney, author and the wife of President of the United States who has buff arms; and Jennifer Lopez is a singer, actress and dancer who has a curvaceous posterior.
There are organs that we almost never think about, and we don't give a second thought to loosing if illness strikes. The tonsils and appendix are clear examples of body parts that we do not see nor do we mind loosing.
There are organs, some visible and others invisible, that are said to define womanhood or femininity. The ovaries are examples of invisible organs and the breasts are the visible organs closely tied to womanhood.
These organs have the potential to become diseased particularly for women with one of two defective genes. In this case, a woman must decide how much of her womanhood, her core identity, these organs represent. She must decide if she will allow a body part to define her. If she does, that body part may very well kill her. If she sees it for what it really is, just a body part, she will not hesitate to have it removed and potentially save her life.
Angelina Jolie wrote in The New York Times, explaining how she feels after deciding to have a potentially life-saving double prophylactic mastectomy, "On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity."
Angelina Jolie Voight, Academy Award-winning actress, film director, screenwriter, world's "most beautiful" woman, and undoubtedly one of the smartest.