Cardiovascular System: Anatomy, Function, and Blood Flow

General Function of the Cardiovascular System

  • Components: Heart + blood vessels

  • Functions:

    • Transport blood throughout the body.

    • Deliver O2 and nutrients.

    • Remove CO2 and waste products.

    • Ensure adequate perfusion: delivery of blood per time per gram of tissue (mL/min/g).

    • Adequate perfusion is essential for cellular health, requiring a constantly pumping heart and open, healthy vessels.

Components of the Cardiovascular System

  • Blood Vessels:

    Arteries: Carry blood away from the heart; most carry oxygenated blood.

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Human Tissue Anatomy: A Comprehensive Review

Understanding Human Body Tissues

Tissue: A group of cells performing the same function, all originating from the same group of stem cells.

Types of Tissues:

  • Epithelial: Covers external and internal surfaces of the body.
  • Connective: Supports and connects organs and systems.
  • Muscle: Collaborates in the movement of our body and internal organs.
  • Nervous: Transmits nerve impulses and coordinates the functioning of all other body systems.

Epithelial Tissue

  • Epithelia cover the skin and the internal lining of many
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Human Body Defenses and Disease Classifications

Natural Body Defenses

Constitutive Defenses

  • Genetic Resistance: Our system lacks the specific receptors necessary for the entry of certain microorganisms.
  • Anatomical Barriers: Prevent the entry of pathogenic agents into the body.
  • Inflammatory Response: An increase in temperature induces an immune response, phagocytosis, and vasodilation, facilitating the arrival of defenses.
  • Phagocytic Defense: Phagocytes destroy pathogens.

Induced Defenses

These are specific defense responses triggered by the presence

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Understanding Iron Metabolism, Hemostasis, and Blood Clotting

Iron Metabolism (Fe)

Iron is constantly lost through urine, approximately 1 mg/day. Iron consumption can be in ferrous or ferric form. Only about 10% of consumed iron is absorbed, necessitating a daily intake of 10 mg. This minimum iron intake should be doubled or tripled during pregnancy or menstruation.

Total iron reserves in the body are between 4-5 grams. 70-75% of this iron is in the form of hemoglobin, 15-20% as transferrin, 5% as myoglobin, and 1% in various other forms.

Iron is consumed in

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Cellular Transport, Metabolism, Photosynthesis & Respiration

Cellular Energy and Material Exchange Processes

Cellular Transport

Cellular transport refers to the exchange of substances between the cell interior and the exterior environment through the plasma membrane, or the movement of molecules within the cell.

Metabolism: Catabolism and Anabolism

Catabolism

Catabolism is the part of metabolism involving the transformation of complex biomolecules into simpler molecules. This process releases chemical energy, which is stored in the phosphate bonds of ATP molecules.

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Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells: Structure, Function, and Medical Significance

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Endospore Formation

  • Spores formed many millions of years ago (mya) are still viable.
  • Looking for these is what that phase contrast microscope was for.

Endospore Formation

  • Stimuli for sporulation
    • Depletion of nutrients
    • Chemical signals
      • Are there a lot of me around?
      • Only a subset sporulate → rest wait it out (or try)
  • Vegetative cell → sporangium
  • Sporangium → endospore
  • Hardiest of all life forms
    • Withstand extremes in:
      • heat, drying, freezing, radiation, and chemicals
    • Regulated
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