The heart is responsible for sending blood throughout the body. When deoxygenated blood enters the heart, it is sent to the lungs then back to the heart where it is sent into the rest of the body. It's a bit more complex than that though.
Some process right?!
- First, the deoxygenated blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava.
- Next, the blood goes into the right atrium.
- After the right atrium, the blood is forced past the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle.
- The blood then gets pushed passed the pulmonary semi-lunar valve into the pulmonary artery.
- Blood is then sent into the lungs to be oxygenated.
- After the blood has been oxygenated by the lungs, it leaves and travels back to the heart by the pulmonary veins.
- When it goes through the pulmonary veins, it ends up in the left atrium.
- Blood then goes past the bicuspid valve and enters the left ventricle.
- After which, the blood finally passes the aortic semi-lunar valve and enters the aorta where the oxygenated blood is transported to where it's needed.
Some process right?!
Blood Pressure
Have you ever gone into the doctor for your annual check up and had them check your blood pressure? Ever wonder what those strange numbers meant? Well I'm here to tell you that you'll finally find out the mystery of the strange numbers today!
What is Blood Pressure exactly? Well, blood pressure is the force that moves blood through our circulatory system. But what exactly is it that causes blood to exert a pressure in our arteries? Part of the answer is simple - the heart creates blood pressure by forcing out blood when it contracts with every heartbeat. Blood pressure, however, cannot be created solely by the pumping heart.
Blood pressure happens, because not only because the heart is pushing it, but also because the small blood vessels that the blood is going through is pushing the blood vessels outward. Think of it this way. As a kid, did you ever play with a water hose? Remember what happens when you constricted the hose down and the water sprayed out even harder? Well, that's whats happening in your own body!
Now, there are several different places to take your blood pressure, but the most common is on the arm. When doctors apply the arm pad and pump it up, they are trying to stop the flow so they can measure the systele or squeezing of the heart, because the heart is a pump. So when the blood is trying to go through that point where it's squeezed down, the number is going to rise from where you started. Soon, the heart starts to get used to it and starts to relax, so your blood pressure starts to fall. This process is called dyastele, and it's when the heart is filling back up with blood. So say you have a blood pressure reading of 120/80, that means your blood pressure is in the range of 120 down to 80.
Have you ever gone into the doctor for your annual check up and had them check your blood pressure? Ever wonder what those strange numbers meant? Well I'm here to tell you that you'll finally find out the mystery of the strange numbers today!
What is Blood Pressure exactly? Well, blood pressure is the force that moves blood through our circulatory system. But what exactly is it that causes blood to exert a pressure in our arteries? Part of the answer is simple - the heart creates blood pressure by forcing out blood when it contracts with every heartbeat. Blood pressure, however, cannot be created solely by the pumping heart.
Blood pressure happens, because not only because the heart is pushing it, but also because the small blood vessels that the blood is going through is pushing the blood vessels outward. Think of it this way. As a kid, did you ever play with a water hose? Remember what happens when you constricted the hose down and the water sprayed out even harder? Well, that's whats happening in your own body!
Now, there are several different places to take your blood pressure, but the most common is on the arm. When doctors apply the arm pad and pump it up, they are trying to stop the flow so they can measure the systele or squeezing of the heart, because the heart is a pump. So when the blood is trying to go through that point where it's squeezed down, the number is going to rise from where you started. Soon, the heart starts to get used to it and starts to relax, so your blood pressure starts to fall. This process is called dyastele, and it's when the heart is filling back up with blood. So say you have a blood pressure reading of 120/80, that means your blood pressure is in the range of 120 down to 80.