Total Questions: 33
There are two levels of blood pressure in the arteries. The first is called systolic pressure and the second is called diastolic pressure. Normally, the systolic pressure in human arteries is 120 mm Hg and the diastolic pressure is 80 mm Hg. It is measured by the Sphygmomanometer instrument.
Doctors use a stethoscope to examine internal organs, mainly the heart and lungs, to listen to the vibrations produced by them.
Red blood cells, most white blood cells, and platelets are produced in the bone marrow, the soft fatty tissue inside bone cavities.
Thrombin is a serine protease that plays a physiological role in regulating hemostasis and maintaining blood coagulation. Once converted from prothrombin, thrombin converts fibrinogen to fibrin, which forms a clot in combination with platelets from the blood.
Prothrombin is present in the bloodstream in an inactive form. It is released by blood platelets and converted to its active form, thrombin, in response to an injury by an enzyme complex called thrombokinase.
Regulation of blood glucose is largely done through the endocrine hormones of the pancreas, maintaining a balance through a negative feedback loop. The main hormones of the pancreas that affect blood glucose include insulin (formed in pancreatic beta cells) which lowers blood glucose levels, and glucagon (from pancreatic alpha cells) which elevates blood glucose levels.
Anticoagulants, such as heparin or warfarin (also called Coumadin), slow down the body's process of making clots. Antiplatelets, such as aspirin and clopidogrel, prevent blood cells called platelets from clumping together to form a clot.
When an air bubble enters a vein, it's called a venous air embolism. When an air bubble enters an artery, it's called an arterial air embolism. These air bubbles can travel to the brain, heart, or lungs, causing a heart attack, stroke, or respiratory failure.
