HumanBodySystems-Answers

//**All the information below is to guide interest and should NOT be used for any kind of medical decision.**//
ANSWERS //What happens if the a valve does not keep the blood from going back to where it came from (for example, if blood goes back into the right atrium from the right ventricle)?// Many things can happen to someone like this, it all depends on how bad the valve is malfunctioning. One common problem is that the person cannot exercise too hard without becoming fatigued (tired) quickly and can have a tough time breathing. This is because not enough blood is being moved through the body with each beat. Also, this can cause the heart to become too big. This happens because, like with all muscles, the more you work them the larger they can become. Since your heart has to work harder to get the same amount of blood through your body, it becomes bigger. Try a search for "heart valve disorders" to get more information and maybe find some pictures!

//Can a heart beat even if it's out of the body?// Amazingly enough, the heart can beat outside of the body! The heart beats because of signals sent to it by the nervous system (which we have not talked much about yet). This signal tells the atria to contract first, then the signal is passed along the heart to tell the ventricles to contract. The cool part is that part of that signal that tells the ventricles to contract is sent back to the atria to tell them to contract again (like a cycle!). However, this process does not last long without extra signals from the nervous system and the heart does eventually stop. When hearts are being moved from one place to another (to be transplanted to another person) doctors use electricity to pretend to be the nervous system to keep the heart working. For more information about the heart and related items, try http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/heart_SW.html or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart as a starting point.

//Why do people donate parts or all of their bodies to science?// Read the information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_transplants#Types_of_Donor for some ideas.

//Why would it be dangerous if a piece of food went down your trachea instead of your esophagus?// When something, like a piece of food, goes down into your trachea it blocks the path that allows air to go in and out of the lungs. This is what we call choking. When we are choking, we try to push the object back out of the trachea by coughing. This can be a serious condition because you can lose consciousness, have a heart attack, and possible die due to a lack of oxygen. When a person is coughing, that means they are still getting some air in and out of the lungs. Watch this person carefully! If they are unable to cough, they need help immediately! There are courses you can take, even in high school, about how to help people who are choking.

//If my neck hurts, does it mean my bones have gone bad?// Good question! It would make sense that if our neck hurts we might have problems with our bones because there are so many important ones around our neck and spinal column. However, usually pain in the neck area is related to a muscle or ligament problem! There are so many muscles and nerves around your neck and top of your shoulders that the smallest problem with any of them can be a real "pain in the neck!" (Ha! Ha! Ha!) Think about how the muscles have to hold your head up all the time, moving it left and right and up and down. They are some of our busiest muscles. There are also other reasons why your neck might hurt. Check out http://www.emedicinehealth.com/shoulder_and_neck_pain/article_em.htm to read about other reasons for neck pain.

//Our neck is the connection of brain and chest, arm, legs, etc. right? Then when you break your neck badly, does it mean your brain cannot send messages to your other body parts and you cannot move your body??// That is a correct observation. If there is damage to the neck, there could be damage to the spinal cord that would make it so a person's nervous system could not communicate with most of the body below the place of damage. However, the recent research is trying to find ways to overcome this problem. Try reading http://biomed.brown.edu/Courses/BI108/BI108_2001_Groups/Nerve_Regeneration/Introduction/Introduction.htm. It also has a link to the organization started by Christopher Reeves (from SUPERMAN movies) after he was paralyzed after a neck injury.

//Why does our heart beat faster when we are anxious or surprised?// As we have talked about in class, our brain is part of the central nervous system, the center of all the information about what is going on in our body. All emotions, including happiness and sadness, affect our heart rate (how fast our heart beats). Because of its importance (if it stops beating the brain dies), the heart is connected to the brain in many ways (including many receptors that tell the brain what is going on at the heart) and can have its (heart) rate changed very suddenly, depending on what is going on in the brain. Being surprised causes this increase in heart rate and muscle tension (many of your muscle contract) because of what we call a flight reflex. You sense danger and the body does those changes to prepare to escape (flight) that danger. This article talks about how emotions are connected to our heart ([|http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11023208/).] There is also a video link.

//When you burp, why does it smell bad?// Burping, also known as belching or eructation, is the release of gas from the digestive tract (mainly esophagus and stomach) through the mouth. It is often accompanied with a typical sound and sometimes an odor. It often smells bad because this gas is coming from the same place your food is being digested, so you usually will smell (and maybe even taste) the partly digested food when you burp!

//If you crack your back, can that break your bones at the place you had cracked it?// In most cases, when your back cracks it is okay. However, if you experience pain or discomfort when this happens you should stop. If the pain continues it is time to see a doctor!

//Is it normal when your heart hurts sometimes?// There can be several reasons why your heart seems to hurt. Some are related to the heart, some to emotions (like stress), and others are even related to the digestive system. For example, continuous stress can make your chest feel tight (like someone is sitting on it). Also, problems with gastric juices going back into the esophagus can cause pain that seems to be near the heart. One thing is sure, if you have frequent pain in the area of your heart you should go have a doctor check you out!

//Why does my stomach gurgle when im hungry?// Check out http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stomach-noise/NU00189 or http://healthcorner.walgreens.com/display/938.htm.

//Why does our heart beat a double beat instead of a single beat?// It is necessary for the atria to pump the blood into the ventricles before they contract so the most blood can be pushed out the heart. Also, while the ventricle are contracting the atria are relaxing and **allowing the blood to collect** before the atria contract again.

//Are problems with your kidneys (like kidney stones) or spinal problems (like scoliosis) genetic?// Kidneys-Some problems with your kidneys can be genetic. According to http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kidney-stones/DS00282/DSECTION=3, some of the types of kidney stones can be linked to genes. Also, often other kidney problems are related to diabetes (which also can be genetic).
 * Below, when saying something is "genetic," this means that if someone in your family has the problem then the possibility that you will have it is higher (but not necessarily 100%).

Scoliosis- There does seem to be some genetic connection in some scoliosis cases. If other family members have it, then your chances are greater. However, many times the cause of the scoliosis is unknown. Here are a few places to read about it: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/bone/scolio.html and http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/brochure/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=14 If you are interested, there are many places where those who have scoliosis share their experiences just do a search!