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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves .
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how does carbon dioxide go from liquid to gas in our lungs ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle .
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just a recap and clarification so basically at the end of the trip in the heart blood leaves the left side through the aorta once it leaves the rbc are there to pick up o2 and deliver to the body ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle .
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also oxygen is picked up by alveoli in the lungs once co2 enters the pulmonary veins ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) .
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i know these are some random questions , but what is the difference between anatomy and physiology , anyway ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) .
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and is there suck thing as a gene for obesity ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air .
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so in the article is it just saying that to fulfill the cells purpose it needs to have oxygen or to survive it needs oxygen ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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how can we measure our blood pressure ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) .
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we have to count the heartbeats and divides it by what ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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little bit off topic , but is it true that when you sneeze your heart stops for a millisecond ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process .
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if glucose comes from sugar and the cells need glucose to survive , how do they get it ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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so if a person has low hgb levels is their body also suffering from lack of oxygen ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs .
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-- -- -- -- -- -- - '' the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle '' and , why do we need the atriums anyway ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) .
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what does 25mmhg and 20mmhg mean ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ?
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does the right ventricle and the left ventricle contract and relax simultaneously ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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how come we even need a heart ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood .
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why ca n't our blood just absorb the oxygen without being pumped ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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but why then , if our blood is different shades of red , do our veins appear to be blue ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) .
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what does 02 stand for ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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how can the heart produce more blood for humn kinds ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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i know what arteries and veins are , but what are capillaries ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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and what do the top and bottom numbers of a blood pressure reading represent ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ?
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if the pressure in the right ventricle is 25mmhg and the pressure in the left ventricle is 120mmhg , do n't the two `` conflict '' ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body .
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how exactly does having a lower pressure in the pulmonary circulation speed up diffusion of oxygen ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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in the photo of the heart , is n't it a coronal section and not a cross section since we divided it into anterior and posterior parts ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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would n't a cross section of the heart be superior and inferior parts ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ?
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what if we have one ventricle heart between the lungs and the body ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ?
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does a ventricle pull blood in by relaxing ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood .
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is it just protein and cell lattices natural shape that are accommodating for the fluid and the pumping is it contracting ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase .
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about the last section , is there a reason why the lungs could n't be the last stop on the one-pump heart circulatory system ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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how 's the blood pressure on return to the heart ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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how does the blood get oxygenated ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ?
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what 's alveoli 's role in this process ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ?
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what is the rate of diffusion from alveoli to blood in our lungs ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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hi , what is a simple way of telling someone what there heart-rate reading means ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break !
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like how do you explain systolic and diastolic in 'laymans ' terms ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ?
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in the third and second last paragraph , what does mmhg stand for ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ?
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if our heart had 2 chambers one atrium and one ventricle , can the oxygenated blood be transported to the capillaries by the venous system and returned to the atrium of the heart also by the venous system ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart .
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what is the difference between arteries and arterioles ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ?
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also , what are alveoli ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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what would happen to the heart if our blood flow kept getting slower and slower and slower ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) .
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what does 140 mmhg mean ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood .
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what is a toe cell ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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how do you get low blood pressure and how is it dangerous to our health ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs .
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what happens when we hold our breath ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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does the blood vessel narrow ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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so pressure influence on amount of oxygene in blood ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase .
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the `` what if '' question made me wonder whether it could work if the lungs were not at the beginning of the circuit but at the end of it , right before the blood would enter the heart again ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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would n't that reduce the pressure to an acceptable level within the lungs and still work with one heart ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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so low pressure allows o2 to be diffused into the blood quickly and the high pressure to transport the blood to circulate around the body ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well .
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what does o2 and mmhg mean ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin .
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in the final paragraph , if the capillaries are part of your lungs , then how would they break ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin .
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is there any possibility of breaking capillaries from systemic circulation ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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how do blood vessels decrease the pressure from 120mmhg to 5mmhg ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) .
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what is the cardiac cycle ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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why are our veins blue , but our blood red ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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what is the difference between the types of blood pressure ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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which direction does blood flow ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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can i assume that the pulmonary arteries are more wide than the arteries that provide the blood to the body after being enriched with oxygen ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ?
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( because with my logic there should be leaving the same amount of blood to the lungs from the right ventricle as there is leaving blood from the left ventricle to the body ) or am i wrong , and if so , .. why ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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would it be possible ( or efficient ) for the body to have two pumps located in different parts of the body ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen .
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would it be more efficient to have one muscle pumping the blood while the other one collects waste ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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if the heart is around the main organ , like any other `` organ '' should n't heart also have a support which helps it work ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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if higher blood pressure means less time for oxygenation , does that mean that during exercise our body is less oxygenated ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 .
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in the 2nd to last paragraph it says 140mmhg , what does mmhg stand for ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood .
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is blood always red when it comes out of the body ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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when a heart transplant is being performed , how can the body survive between the time it takes the heart to be replaced ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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do the doctors hook up an artificial heart in the meantime ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off .
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once at a time in this article `` mmhg '' was mentioned , so can anyone please tell me what is that ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ?
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how come when people are overweight their heart pumps faster ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well .
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what does o2 stand for ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves .
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what actually happens in the process of hemodialysis ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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after blood from arteries transfers oxygen and other nutrients to cells , how does it get to veins ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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how veins and arteries are connected ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle .
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how many gallons or ounces of blood does the body have all together ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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in the sixth paragraph , what does hg stand for when referring to blood pressure ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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what is normal blood pressure ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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what is considered to low for someone blood pressure ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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why veins have valve but arteries dont ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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what would happen if there was no heart ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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other than being supplied blood from the coronary arteries , does the heart absorb some of the blood from the chambers as it pumps ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood .
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why is there no nucleus in the red blood corpuscells ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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is there any organ to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide when it reaches the different organs of the body ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle .
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why blood needs to go through the right atrium to right ventricle and left atrium to left ventricle ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ?
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is there any process happening in the ventricle before releasing it to the body ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) .
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what forces the blood from the capillary beds to move into the pulmonary veins and into the heart ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool .
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how does a oximeter work ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin .
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if the pressure in the veins were that high would the veins break ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules !
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why does the o2 in our blood combine with hemoglobin ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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how does the heart work ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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in the heart diagram they have tissue labeled chordae tendineae but i do n't remember them ever talking about it ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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is the tissue just used to keep the heart together or is it used for something else ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin .
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how do the lungs get rid of waste products ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase .
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i guess carbon dioxide could get breathed out in the lungs but what about everything else ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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where do the waste products from all the other parts of the body go ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process .
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in the 3rd paragraph : are the pulmonary veins in need of oxygen or any thing that our cells need ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 .
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if the heart causes the pressure how come people say that the highblood pressure is due to the sugar content of the blood ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ?
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in the second to last paragraph , what does the mmhg stand for ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 .
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i know it 's a measure of pressure , but what do the letters stand for ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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got a question ... how do we get high and low blood pressure , and why do we need high and low blood pressure ?
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the heart is a double pump what cells need to understand the critical importance of the heart requires taking a step back so we understand the needs of each cell in our body . remember that our body is composed of over 10 trillion cells that work together in remarkable unity ( a lesson in good governance ! ) . cells have basic needs , and at the top of the list would be these four things : 1 ) access to oxygen 2 ) a source of glucose 3 ) a balanced fluid environment with the right amount of water/electrolytes 4 ) removal of waste ( such as carbon dioxide ) consider how this compares to basic human needs : breathing air in and breathing out , eating food , drinking water , and getting rid of urine/stool . when you really stop and think about it , many of the things that we do can be traced back to our cellular needs . a breath of air now let ’ s follow a single breath of air . 21 % of the molecules in this breath are oxygen molecules , and as they race down into the lungs , they end up in the alveoli which are tiny air-filled sacs . the story could end there , if not for the remarkable nature of lungs . the lungs allow the oxygen molecules to continue their journey from the gas phase into a new liquid phase . meanwhile carbon dioxide molecules make the opposite trip from liquid to gas similar to what happens at the surface of a carbonated beverage . the oxygen diffuses ( think of the drop of ink in a pool of water ) into the fluid interstitial space of the lung , and is then absorbed into the blood stream , and then enters into the red blood cells themselves . this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ? could a single molecule of oxygen simply diffuse all the way there ? in theory , it could—but it would take a really long time ! by the time the oxygen arrived in your toes by simple diffusion , they would have died and fallen off . once the oxygen has gotten into the blood stream , there has to be a way to rapidly “ move ” the oxygen molecules from one place to another . this is where hemoglobin , a protein that uses iron to help bind to o2 molecules , comes to the rescue . each red blood cell is filled with ~250 million hemoglobin proteins , and each hemoglobin protein can bind to 4 o2 molecules ( the bound form is called “ oxyhemoglobin ” ) . that means that each red blood cell can bind ~1 billion oxygen molecules ! as a result , the vast majority ( & gt ; 97 % ) of the o2 molecules are actually bound to oxyhemoglobin ; with only a minority of o2 molecules floating freely in the blood . while air is going in and out of the lungs , the heart is busy working as well . blood enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava , which are the large veins that bring blood back from the top and bottom of the body respectively . then , the blood remains in the right atrium , which can be thought of as a waiting room for the right ventricle . the right ventricle ( pump # 1 ) has muscular walls that squeeze down and softly push the blood into the arteries , arterioles , and capillaries of the lungs . next , the oxygen diffuses from an area of high concentration ( alveoli ) to an area of low concentration ( blood ) , before the blood returns ( through pulmonary veins ) to the left of the heart . just like the right atrium , the left atrium can be thought of as a waiting room for the left ventricle . the left ventricle is a room with even stronger , thicker , and more muscular walls than the right ventricle . as a result , the left ventricle ( pump # 2 ) forcefully pushes the blood through the arteries and capillaries of the body to get to the trillions of cells in need of oxygen . for the return trip , blood travels through the veins of the body to get back to the right side of the heart and repeat the process . so there you have it – one heart – two pumps : the right ventricle and the left ventricle . why are there two ventricles ? now here ’ s a thought experiment : why not just have just one ventricle ( single pump ) that moves blood to the lungs and then onwards to the rest of the body ? it ’ s actually a great question , since at first glance it seems like it would be more efficient to just allow the blood to go out to the body instead of taking a return trip to the heart . think of it this way using numbers . pressure is needed to move blood through the resistance of a large network of blood vessels like arteries , capillaries , and veins . even if the right ventricle squeezes down and raises the pressure of the blood to about 25mmhg , after passing through the lungs , the blood pressure is back down to about 5mmhg ( a reduction of 20mmhg ) . it goes into the left ventricle where it gets a second squeeze causing the pressure to rise back up to about 120mmhg ( almost 5 times the pulmonary pressure ! ) . that ’ s enough pressure to make it through all of the organs in the body . getting the pressure right now , let ’ s say that the right ventricle raised the pressure up to 140mmhg , then you may be able to have the blood pressure drop 20mmhg and still be at 120mmhg . that sounds like a great solution , except for the fact : 1 . if exposed to those high pressures , fluid would get pushed right out of the capillaries and into the lungs ( some capillaries would actually break ! ) , and 2.at high pressures , blood would move past the alveoli so quickly that o2 molecules would n't have time to diffuse into the blood and bind to hemoglobin . this makes sense when you remember that none of the capillaries in the body are exposed to extremely high pressures ( 120-140mmhg ) , because by the time blood gets down to the capillaries it has already passed through arteries ( and arterioles ) , and the pressure has dramatically fallen . having lower pressures in the pulmonary circulation is particularly important given the large amount of o2 that needs to diffuse across from the alveoli to the capillaries—every extra millisecond helps ! that ’ s why the human body needs two pumps working at different pressures , high pressure to allow the blood to circulate around the body , and low pressure to allow for optimal gas exchange in the lungs without broken capillaries !
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this diffusion occurs in a fraction of a second because the distance between the alveoli and the red blood cell is so tiny . why you need your heart now let ’ s pause and ponder the following : what would happen if there was no heart ? well , diffusion of oxygen works wonders when the distances are very small , but what about large distances like the distance from your lungs to your feet ?
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what would be the disadvantage of having a heart that was just a single pump ?
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