By: Christiane Canant, Kayla Ruth, Ally Mattingly Human Body Systems By: Christiane Canant, Kayla Ruth, Ally Mattingly

Endocrine System This one is downright gross! Did you know diabetes was once tested for by the tasting of one’s urine? The urine would be distinctly sweet as Greek physician Hippocrates put it… 19th century scientist Arnold Berthold once tried hormone replacement -he injected the hormones of guinea pigs into his blood- on himself as a 72 year old man claiming it rejuvenated him. His theory has been widely disproved though the years and was discounted as the placebo affect. Stress, for a short time, could actually be beneficial to your body’s health. In times of acute physical stress your endocrine system will ramp up production of growth hormones and up your metabolism; however prolonged stress on the system can lead to Graves’ disease and obesity. Unlike humans or other animals, plants can produce hormones without the use of an endocrine system. This knowledge has lead to the advancement of plant modification to help regulate the growth of certain plants. It was over 2 millennia ago that Chinese healers began utilizing endocrinology to treat certain disorders and diseases.

Endocrine System (cont.) Kidney, a major excretory organs, plays an important role in the natural purification of your blood by extracting the toxins in the form of urine that is later dispelled from the body. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that scientists began to realize that communication between the organs was taking place. Upon this realization a medical revelation occurred, leading to the advanced treatment of many diseases. Profound research taking place in the early 20th century lead to the coining of the term “hormone”. The pancreas has both the endocrine as well as exocrine functions, thus playing the role of a bridge between the two organ types. Light alcohol consumption has shown to be beneficial in decreasing the likelihood of heart disease or stroke but continues to be detrimental to the liver.

Cardiovascular System If you were to lay all the vessels in your body end to end they would wrap around the Earth about 2.5 times. The circumference of the Earth is about 25,000 miles. Sometimes red blood cells hit road bumps; such as when they are forced to distort in shape in order to squeeze through extremely tiny capillaries. When they aren’t elongated they are moving in a single file line in order to get through small vessels. Heart rate is directly related to body size. The larger the animal the slower the beat. A blue whale’s heart, for instance, only beats about 5 times per minute. Although this may sound eerie, your heart doesn’t need you! A heart can continue to beat without the body as it generates its own electrical impulses; so as long as it receives oxygen the heart can continue for a short amount of time. The earliest known mention of the heart and its’ relation to vessels can be dated back to the ancient Egyptians. Although they make no mention of red blood cells, they’re assumptions are mostly correct – despite being cardio centric.

Cardiovascular System (cont.) However for nearly 2000 years physicians followed the wrong diagram of the circulatory system for the human body. Though mostly correct, it was theorized that the heart sucked blood rather than pumping it. Every second around 8 million human blood cells die, the same number is born each second. It takes a total of 20 seconds for one red blood cell to circulate through the entire body. Your heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times in your lifetime given that you live the average lifespan. The average kitchen faucet would need to be on full blast for over 45 years to average the same amount of flow as the average human heart will pump in a lifetime.

5 Most Amazing Facts About the Cardiovascular System (we voted )

5 Most Fantablulous Facts It takes a total of 20 seconds for one red blood cell to circulate through the entire body. Although this may sound eerie, your heart doesn’t need you! A heart can continue to beat without the body as it generates its own electrical impulses; so as long as it receives oxygen the heart can continue for a short amount of time. The average kitchen faucet would need to be on full blast for over 45 years to average the same amount of flow as the average human heart will pump in a lifetime. Your heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times in your lifetime given that you live the average lifespan. Heart rate is directly related to body size. The larger the animal the slower the beat. A blue whale’s heart, for instance, only beats about 5 times per minute.

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