Categories: uncategorized
Date: 10 October 2006 11:11:59
Day two of cardiovascular. Yes. So we all have a heart. In some of us it is callous* and/or cold (either because we are cruel and nasty, or because we are dead). But anyway, we all have a heart. Hearts are important. Hearts are attached to blood vessels. These are also important, because without them, a) the heart would not receive any blood back from the body and b) even if the blood magically appeared in the heart, it would just spray out into the mediastinum (assuming that there was a mediastinum... in the absence of a heart, it seems unlikely).
The important bits about how blood circulates and is oxygenated have only been known for about 400 years. This is quite interesting really. Until then, Galen's ideas had authority in much of the medical world. Galen died in around 200AD so that's 1400 years of authority. Nothing to be sneezed at. Unfortunately it was fairly wrong. But that's ok. It was the best we had! If you're feeling like learning some medical history, I recommend a google search of Galen and circulation. Interesting reading.
*Callous is the adjective that means "callus-like", callus is the noun. Like mucous and mucus. Mucous membranes are not made of mucus.