The kidneys are in charge of maintaining the balance of water, salts, acids and bases, for our whole entire body. The kidneys do that by monitoring and maintaining the chemical make-up of the blood. Kidneys are also going to regulate the volume of blood. Another huge function is to get rid of toxin, normal metabolic wastes, excess water and ions from the body. Our main waste products (nitrogenous, contains nitrogen) are Urea (from the normal breakdown of amino acids, Uric acid (from the … [Read more...] about The Urinary System: Kidneys
Archives for December 2011
Blood Vessels
Three types of blood vessels that make up the entire system. Arteries carry blood away from the heart. Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels where molecules move between blood and interstitial fluid of the tissues. Veins carry blood toward the heart. Structure of Blood Vessels Of course these vessels are not simple tubes so let's break them down. On your left hand side is a artery, on the right we have a vein. And the capillary on the bottom. We will talk about the artery … [Read more...] about Blood Vessels
Video: This feeling of freedom is something you can’t describe.
My reaction to the video My friends reaction to the video A free man is someone who is true to himself. Who follows his dreams and puts them into reality. You have to put fear on one side, it will always be there... but you have to follow your path, it's all possible if you put enough energy into it. A free man, to me, is someone who tries to make his dream come true. … [Read more...] about Video: This feeling of freedom is something you can’t describe.
The Immune System
The immune system is a specific part of the system that's going to recognize anything that's foreign and try to get rid of it. The immune system becomes more efficient with the destruction with each subsequent exposure. Lymphocytes Our super most important cells are our lymphocytes which are a type of white blood cell. The lymphoid organs that contain lymphocytes are the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, tonsils, aggregated lymphoid nodules in small intestine, and the appendix. Three classes … [Read more...] about The Immune System
The Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system and immune system are very closely tied together. The lymphatic vessels are a network of vessels that are separate from but intertwine together with the blood vessels and return excess tissue fluid to the blood vascular system. The immune system is going to fight infection and foreign objects. Its main components are lymphocytes, lymphoid tissue and lymphoid organs (notice they all start with lymph). Lymphatic system As blood passes through the capillary beds, slightly … [Read more...] about The Lymphatic System
The Endocrine System
The endocrine system is all about hormones. So far the glands we've gone over, such as the liver, pancreas, etc, all have ducts that lead into openings. The endocrine glands don't have ducts and have a whole different process. This collection of small, ductless glands secrete messenger molecules called hormones directly into the bloodstream. By dumping the hormones straight into the blood stream, they could just circulate throughout the cardiovascular system and end up at a target organ. … [Read more...] about The Endocrine System
Yoga cat makes sure your asanas are done properly (Video and Pics)
An intriguing video to say the least, not only because the woman holds excellent form but because she has an adorable feline assistant. For those who were wonder what is the music in it, it's called "I Ching (Terre & Eau)." … [Read more...] about Yoga cat makes sure your asanas are done properly (Video and Pics)
Function of the Atrioventricular and Semilunar Valves
When we have blood coming in from the atria, an atrial contraction is going to try to really squeeze all the blood, including the last bit of it so that the ventricles are very, very full so that you could be more efficient. Over the course of a day this efficiency adds up. When the two ventricles are full, they are going to contract and the blood is going to go the only way it can, to the vessels above. When the blood goes up, the blood is going to try to push back down due to gravity but … [Read more...] about Function of the Atrioventricular and Semilunar Valves
Layers of the Pericardium, Heart Wall and Spiral Arrangement
In this picture above we've sliced the heart. All this red stuff is heart muscle called myocardium and then there's a membrane surrounding it and we call it the pericardium. The heart chamber is the space inside the heart and that's normally filled with blood. Of course the heart is inside of a cavity. So of course there is a membrane for that. Remember a serosal (serous) membrane is the type that doesn't lead to an opening and they contain parietal and visceral membranes. The myocardium … [Read more...] about Layers of the Pericardium, Heart Wall and Spiral Arrangement
The four corners of the heart
When we look at the surface of the heart, we could sort of imagine it like a square with four "corners." Why would we even try to define the four corners of the heart? Because each of those corners correspond to the best spot where you could put your stethoscope and hear each valve better than the other three. So if you put your stethoscope right over the mitral corner, you're going to hear the mitral valve stronger than all the other valves. You're still going to hear the other sounds, but … [Read more...] about The four corners of the heart