--Cardiovascular System, Blood Vessels
--Blood, Blood, & more Blood
--Microbes, Immunity
--HIV/AIDS
**Cardiovascular System**
The heart and its blood vessels make up the cardiovascular system, in a nutshell, of course. The heart's function is to take its power to distribute valuable nutrients and precious oxygen throughout the entire body. It does its crucially important task day in and day out through the use of its transporters--blood vessels. These transporters, or blood vessels, have three kinds: the arteries, the capillaries, and the veins. Arteries serve the important purpose of taking blood AWAY from the heart. They have thick walls that are able to hold the blood pressure quite easily. From the arteries to the capillaries, the blood is able to get rid of its extra baggage (waste products) and get an exchange for something the body needs (carbon dioxide for oxygen and vise versa). These small, invisible to the naked eye blood vessels continue on to connect to the veins. Veins are especially important, as they take the blood TOWARDS the heart. Their walls aren't nearly as thick as those of the arteries, which allows blood to continue flowing, naturally, in one direction.
The heart itself is the key to the body's functioning. It's so vital that it is even protected by THREE layers of muscle: the epicardium, pericardium, and myocardium. In the heart four chambers can be located: a left and a right atrium and a left and a right ventricle. Now, that we've discussed all the intricate little parts, here is how it does all its magic! When the atrium gets blood that lacks O2, it is taken to the ventricle, which takes it to the lungs. When the atrium receives blood that has plenty of O2 back from the lungs, it is shipped back through the body. The SA node is also a crucial element to the heart's work cycle. It makes the atria contract, creating our heart to begin beating. THere's also an AV node, which works on the ventricles, making them contract. That's how we get the heart beat that has two beats close together.
Parts of the cardiovascular system:
Pulse: This rate gives your heartbeat rate.
Blood Pressure is what gets blood to move in the arteries. It's the flow of the blood that is slowed down in the capillaries, while it is taking a stop for exchanges. That same flow continues into the veins and then is returned back to the heart.
The pulmonary circuit is very different from the systemic circuit. One exchanges gases and the other exchages with tissue fluid, respectively.
Currently, cardiovascular disease (heart disease) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Hypertension (high blood pressure) has many possible factors in its uprising, which may include age, gender, body weight, a family history of cardiovascular disease, a salt-rich diet, a lack of exercise, and alcohol consumption.
**BLOOD**
First of all, there's more than one type of blood. There's Type A, Type B, Type AB, Type O, and one that is not normally recognized--Agglutination. These are called the ABO blood groups. The type A blood has "type A surface antigens; plasma has anti-B antibodies", whereas type B blood has "type B surface antigens; plasma has anti-A antibodies." The AB blood has "both type a and b surface antigens; plasma has neither anti-A or -B antibodies," (Mader, 118). People with this rare blood type are referred to as universal recipients. Type O doesn't have any type a or type b surface antigens but it's plasma has both anti-A and -B antigens. A person with this type of blood is called a universal donor. Mader, of the human body, states, "contains about five liters of blood." (Mader, 106). All of which is pumped by our strong hearts.
The blood has several jobs it needs to do everyday. It can't call in sick and it needs to do its job completely every time. The blood has to: move hormones, oxygen, and nutrients to cells; transport carbon dioxide and other wastes from cells; fight against infections and other problems to the body (bruises); continue to maintain blood pressre (watch what you eat!); regulate body temperature; and control the body's PH levels.
The blood doesn't have nearly as many parts to it as the heart does. Three key elements are the red blood cells, white blood cells, and the platelets. As for plasma, it is composed of 9/10 water. It's proteins are found and created in the liver, and plasma itself keeps osmosis going and the pressure constant. It helps to control the PH levels of the body as well as moving molecules from place to place. The plasma proteins have three main purposes: to be the taxi and move things around, keep immunity, and help blood clotting function properly.
All about red blood cells: They don't have a nucleus but they have hemoglobin. The hemoglobin found in these red blood cells is used in combination with oxygen in the tissues. These blood cells are created due to the oxygen concentration of the blood itself. If the oxygen is lacking, the kidneys step in and produce more red blood cells with erythropoietin.
Here's more about blood cells, white ones. These are larger than the red blood cells and quite circular, like a ball. These have nuclei and they are see-through. A granular leukocytes, neutrophils, are plentiful and are the first to the rescue at the sight of infections. Monocytes, agranular leukocytes, are the biggest of the blood cells, and they get rid of extra cellular wastes, whereas the lymphocytes are used to preserve immunity. Two other white blood cells are eosinophil and basophil, both granular leukocytes.
**Microbes**
Microbes include bacteria. Overall, they are unfriendly neighbors that no one really cares to keep around. However, they do serve some purpose, plenty actually. Our food supply is in part made from bacteria, some of which are yogurt, beer, wine, and cheese. These bacteria can also be decomposers which get "eat" dead things, preserving our biosphere. In organisms, bacteria also has its bad side, and is reputable of it. The body's defenses are to create barriers and attempt to keep the bacteria out (skin, or the mucous in your throat and nose), first responders (the white blood cells are the Mr. Fix-Its), and by killing the actual disease. These microscopic organisms are everywhere! Unfortunately enough, you can contract the bad bacteria (pathogens) at any moment, may it be in the bathroom, or at the beach.
There are, like everything else, different kinds of microbes. There are some that produce the flu, the common cold, sore throats, and much more. Immunity is a relatively new subject, as the technology as increased so dramatically.
Immunization is meant to stop those viruses. However, there are some that just refuse to quite, such as the flu, which is known to mutate year to year. Immunization helps the body by building barriers and sending WBCs to "eat the pesky viruses. The B and T cells find the antigens, which are seen as unknowns by the immune system, and they attach them to the receptors. Antibody-Mediated Immunity refers to the defense system and copy-making of B cells. Cell-Mediated Immunity deals with gathering a group to fight the bad cell. the T cells. Types of T cells include: cytotoxic, helper and memory. Two kinds of acquired immunity are passive and active. The passive one is serves temporally from one person to the next. Active immuity refers to the vaccines that help the body find antigens--immunizations sought to keep a person "safe" from the virus for a particular amount of time.
**HIV/AIDS**
AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, damages and weakens the immune system and is cause by HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus. HIV is believed to have come from Africa. AIDS's damages to the immune system deplete the brain's production, forever killing off parts of the brain in as much as 15%. These tissues are used mostly in memory, movement and planning.
By being in direct contact with any blood or other bodily fluids, an individual is putting his/herself at risk of receiving this painful disease. Fevers, weakness, hot/cold flashes, rapid weight loss, and swollen glands are all characteristics fo the disease.
Unfortunately, there isn't a cure (but there are therapies to help ease this process) for this insanely deadly disease, YET, but there are many in support and in action to help prevent the further contracting of the disease.
WORKS CITED:
Mader, Sylvia S. Human Biology. Boston: McGrawHill Companies, Inc. 2008.
Quotes
Photograph of the blue man:
www.thewellingtoncardiacservices.com
Photograph of representing cardiovascular system:
www.besthealth.com
Photograph under cardiovascular diseases:
www.faqs.org
Photograph of blood composition:
codeblue.wikispaces.com
Photograph of needle with blood droplet:
www.cbc.ca
Blood Pressure Chart:
www.vaughns-1-pagers.com
Photograph of blood donors:
www.belfastcity.gov.uk
Photograph of a patient with AIDS--the mouth:
www.dentistry.leeds.ac.uk
Photograph representing the damage to the brain due to AIDS:
www.loni.ucla.edu
Photograph representing a prayer with a AIDS fight symbol:
dsc.discovery.com
Photograph of HIV budding:
upload.wikimedia.org
Photograph of nine microbes:
www.sdnhm.org
Photograph of silly microbes with their causes:
shop.advanceweb.com
Diagram of Immunity types:
faculty.ircc.edu
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