Physiology of the Circulatory System Lab

Overview
In this lab, our objective was to use a sphygmomanometer to measure blood pressure. We used the sphygmomanometer to listen to the sounds of Korotkoff, and used them to measure systolic and diastolic blood pressure. After measuring the blood pressure, in part 10B, we tested ourselves for our overall fitness. Overall, I expected that with increased exercise, blood pressure would increase (delivering oxygen faster). In addition, I also expected the reclining pulse to be less than a standing pulse because a person would be more relaxed and at ease.

Procedure
Because I did the lab myself, I did not measure the blood pressure of any partner.
1. First, I attached the sphygmomanometer snugly to my upper arm, making sure to secure the wrist strap. In addition, I placed the stethoscope at my elbow.
2. Then, I started pumping air into the sphygmomanometer by squeezing it.
3. After the pressure on the gauge exceeded 200 mm hg, I slowly released air from the cuff.
4. At the same time, I was listening for a pulse. When I heard the first heart sounds, I took down the pressure on the gauge to get my systolic pressure.
5. I continued to release air. When I heard the last sounds, I noted the pressure on the gauge to get my diastolic pressure.
6. I repeated steps 1-5 two more times, and recorded all my data.

Data

Table 1: Blood Pressures
        Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average (rounded to closest whole #)
Systolic  111         96         86         98
Diastolic 56         64         60         60

Table 2: Reclining/Standing Blood Pressures
               Reclining     Standing  
Systolic   92                94
Diastolic 57                57
Fitness points = 2

Table 3: A Test of Fitness

Pulse after exercising = 76 (up 8 from 68)
Fitness points = 3

OVERALL FITNESS POINTS = 2+3+3+3+2+3 = 16 (good)

Analysis
Overall, I felt that this lab was extremely fun, as I had the opportunity to learn how to use a sphygmomanometer.  I thought that reading a sphygmomanometer to determine blood pressure was an interesting experience, and enjoyed listening to the sounds of Korotkoff.  In addition, I learned that blood pressure is really a result of the systolic and diastolic cycles of the heart. The heart's contractions cause blood to be pushed into arteries and delivered into various parts of the body, and it is in arteries that you can feel your pulse.  However, I was surprised at my overall fitness. I expected to only be "fair" on the scale for fitness, but ended up earning enough points to score "good."

Answers to Questions

1. Explain why blood pressure and heart rate differ when measured in a reclining position and a standing position.
When measured in a reclining position, a person is much more at ease and feels more relaxed. Therefore, his or her blood pressure is lower than it is compared to standing. When a person stands up, the heart needs to pump harder to support the weight of the person as he is standing up. In addition, standing up requires more energy than normally reclining, which makes the heart pump faster.

2. Explain why high blood pressure is a health concern.
High blood pressure is a health concern because if your blood pressure is too high, it can damage your arteries. For example, a stroke is caused when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted. Therefore, the lack of oxygen means that the brain's function is disrupted, leading to inability to move in most cases. In addition, other parts of the body such as the kidneys, which filter blood, could be damaged if blood does not reach it, which is a grave health concern.

3. Explain why an athlete must exercise harder or longer to achieve a maximum heart rate than a person who is not physically fit.
An athlete must exercise harder to achieve a maximum heart rate because his or her heart is more efficient at pumping blood and distributing oxygen than the heart of a person who is not physically fit. This means that because their heart is used to having exertion, it will take longer for it to pump faster.

4. Research and explain why smoking causes a rise in blood pressure.
Smoking causes a rise in blood pressure because of the active ingredient in tobacco, nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant that causes the nervous system of humans to go into overdrive. With this, more adrenaline is released by the brain. This causes an increased blood pressure.

Phyla Exam

For this exam, I chose to classify the Otachi Kaiju under the new order repitiliata (reptiles + alata, Latin word for winged), which in itself is under class reptilia.

Taxonomy of the Otachi Kaiju:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Reptiliata
Family: Kaiju
Genus: Quatuor (latin word for 4, because Otachi is a Category IV Kaiju)
Species: Otachi


Characteristics of the Otachi Kaiju:

• four legs (tetrapod)
• four-digit wings that can be used to fly
• spine
• powerful jaw
• unique structure: structure on the tongue that is bioluminescent which it uses as a sensory organ
• sac that can be used to spit a corrosive blue substance
• tail with three prehensile pincers

The first trait I looked at was that the Otachi has a spine. Therefore, I immediately could classify it as a vertebrate under the phylum Chordata. This is reinforced by the fact that it also possesses a jaw . Because the Otachi is four-legged, I immediately thought of tetrapods. Therefore, I sought to classify the Otachi as a reptile, since reptiles are tetrapods who are also chordates. However, the Otachi kaiju also has wings which it uses to fly. These wings are on the end of four digits, with the fifth digit unfolding the wing when it is in use. Now, I had a dilemma to choose from either reptiles or birds as a class to classify it!

Therefore, I went to a tiebreaker trait. I looked at the unique structure of the Otachi, a structure on the tongue that was bioluminescent and which it seemed to use as a sensory organ. In addition, the Otachi has a sac that can spit a blue acid, similar to the poison of snakes. Therefore, I chose to classify otachi under class reptilia. In addition, beacuse they are tetrapods, I did not choose to classify them as birds. 

For further classification, I created the new order reptiliata (combination of reptilia + ata, Latin for winged). I did this because the kaiju would not solely fit under any existing orders under reptilia, such as the testudines or even squamata, which contain snakes. The family is Kaiju, and because it is a Category IV kaiju, its genus is quatuor (Latin for 4). Finally, its species is simply Otachi. 

The new order reptiliata is meant to consist of reptiles who possess poison or acid glands, and another feature is  heavy wings that allow them to fly. In addition, reptiliata possess a unique tail with three pincers that allow for defense. Howevr, the most important structure of reptiliata is an advanced version of the reptilian tongue that is bioluminescent and allows reptiliata to sense their way, as well as to devour things.

Phylogeny

The main difference that reptiliata have from other orders of reptiles are their wings, and their unique tongue. In this section, I will be exploring the possibilities of evolution for reptiliata.

My theory is that otachi evolved from salamanders.

Wings

The wings of Otachi are located actually on their forearms, which allow it to fly. Therefore, the 

forearms of the Otachi are extremely pronounced. One theory that I can come up with to support the evolution of these wings are that a single Otachi was previously a normal salamander, but due to the excess radiation of the sun, once obtained a mutation that made his arms more fleshy than that of other Otachi and obtained a pouch of flesh near his arms. By stretching the flesh around its arms, it was eventually able to survive better than the Otachi who didn't have the flesh around its arms--beacuse the flesh allowed it to have a thick layer of defense against predators. Therefore, by natural selection, the Otachi who had stretchy flesh developed into wings, survived, and reproduced.
Wings:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://dreager1.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/otachi_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://dreager1.com/2013/07/&h=720&w=1280&tbnid=Y90W5pe2B93kUM:&zoom=1&docid=mq1Ql8_K0iXW1M&ei=GRxDU8D6GqLhygGi4YBo&tbm=isch&ved=0CDsQhBwwAQ

Tongue

Otachi has a bioluminescent structure on its tongue, that serves as a sensory organ. This tongue probably evolved from the vomeronasal structure found in salamanders, which served the same function and structure (accessory sensory organ). This vomeronasal structure allowed the salamander to have an enhanced sense of smell. However, I believe that radiation from the sun had another effect on this structure. A salamander mutated and had a bioluminescent vomeronasal structure. This allowed it to have more fitness because it could now hunt in the dark better by activating the bioluminescence on will. Therefore, by natural selection, bioluminescent vomeronasal structures were passed on in generations. 

References

http://pacificrim.wikia.com/wiki/Otachi