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Preventing Problems with the Human Circulatory System Essay

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Preventing Problems with the Human Circulatory System

Within a month of conception, the cluster of cells that will, in the course of time, become a human being begins throbbing, signaling the development of a primitive heart. Scarcely four weeks more pass before an intricate network of veins and arteries the size of a pea forms and subdivides into a tiny replica of the four chambers that will one day make up the adult heart. As the fetus grows, so does its vitally important circulatory system. Although most of the functions of the heart remain dependent upon the mother throughout the entire pregnancy, in the latter stages the organ becomes strong enough to beat on its own. Even so, until birth the baby is cared for and nourished …show more content…

Then the blood is pumped to the left side of the heart and sent via the aorta to the rest of the body.

To survive, each of the body's approximately 1 billion cells must be nourished. This is the job of the blood, with the heart and vessels acting as facilitators. After depositing the necessary nutrients with each of the cells, the blood returns to the heart, carrying with it waste products it has picked up along the way. These are eliminated through a filtering process in the lungs and kidneys.

By now the supply of oxygen within the blood is nearly exhausted, and it is time to restock its supplies and begin the journey again. Incredibly, the whole process has taken just 20 seconds.

During the course of an average life, the heart pumps tens of millions of gallons of blood. It is estimated that the amount would easily fill a
24-foot-wide cylinder to a height greater than the Empire State
Building.
Perhaps more impressively, the circulatory system has the computer-like ability to direct greater and lesser amounts of blood to various areas of the body according to their immediate needs. This explains why athletes often forego eating just prior to a match. During the process of digestion, the gastric organs require more blood to complete their work. As if that weren't enough, the heart is also wired through the nervous system to respond to a large variety of physical and emotional stimuli.

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