Case Study 1: Atherosclerosis In order to survive the human body requires oxygen. Oxygen is obtained by inhalation or by drinking water. The oxygen obtained is absorbed by the blood stream in the lungs and the heart begins to circulate it to every organ, tissue, and cell in the body. The human heart pumps blood through veins, arteries, and capillaries all the time in order to stay alive. A heart attack occurs when cells in the heart cannot receive enough oxygen because not enough blood is being circulated.
The more time that passes without proper treatment in order to restore the flow of blood, the greater the risk a person has of damaging their heart and of dying. Atherosclerosis is the hardening and narrowing of the arteries and it is usually the cause of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral vascular disease. Atherosclerosis results in heart attacks because it narrows or clogs up the arteries, through which blood flows through. With less blood flowing through the body, the less oxygen it receives. If the heart continually fails to receive oxygen, the heart will begin to fail and blood cells begin to die.
Arties are blood vessels that carry the oxygenated blood away from the heart to other parts of the body. They keep the rest of the body alive. In the tissues of the organs are capillaries which are thin and connect arteries to veins. In the capillaries oxygen is converted to carbon dioxide. Veins are blood vessels that carry the blood back to the heart so it can begin repeat its cycle. Having a closed circulatory system means that blood is traveling though veins, arteries, and capillaries. In a closed circulatory system blood is always flowing through vessels. In an open circulatory system blood is not always flowing through vessels.
Some organs receive blood by “bathing” in blood that is dropped on them. The advantages of having a closed circulatory system are that it is more efficient because with the pressure it has thus blood can travel further throughout the body, and the pressure also allows blood to travel quicker. The lymphatic system is a system of vessels that returns surplus fluid and proteins to the blood and it also transports large molecules to the blood. The lymphatic system is associated with the circulatory system because when blood it flowing from arteries to the capillaries, the lymphatic system occurs.
And then that blood is brought back to the heart though veins. Lymphatic disease is a disease that affect the lymphatic vessels similarly to the way that arthrosclerosis affects the arteries. During lymphatic disease the lymphatic system is not working properly, so fluid builds in your tissues and causes swelling, called lymphedema. Other lymphatic system problems can include infection, blockage, and or cancer. References Arteries, Veins and Capillaries. (n. d. ). Health Massagers: Blood Circulating Massager, Blood Circulating Massager, Slimming Belts, Natural Supplements.
Retrieved August 14, 2011, from http://www. health-massagers. co. uk/gbu0-display/art. html Atherosclerosis: Causes, Symptoms, Tests, and Treatment – WebMD. (n. d. ). WebMD – Better information. Better health.. Retrieved August 14, 2011, from http://www. webmd. com/heart-disease/what-is-atherosclerosis Difference Between Open Circulatory System and Closed Circulatory System | Difference Between | Open Circulatory System vs Closed Circulatory System . (n. d. ). Difference Between | Clarify Yourself | Know the Difference. Retrieved August 14, 2011, from http://www. ifferencebetween. com/difference-between-open-circulatory-system-and-closed-circulatory-system/ Hall, C. C. (n. d. ). How Does Blood Circulate Through The Human Body? | eHow. com. eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More – Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | eHow. com. Retrieved August 14, 2011, from http://www. ehow. com/how-does_4587793_blood-circulate-through-human-body. html What Is A Heart Attack?. (n. d. ). National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Retrieved August 14, 2011, from http://www. nhlbi. nih. gov/actintime/aha/what. htm
