Hepatic Portal System
- The veins draining the digestive
viscera empty into the hepatic portal vein. This vein carries
the blood into the liver’s specialized capillaries, called sinusoids
.
- In the liver, bacteria, toxins
and other "nasties" are removed. Some nutrients are removed for usage in the
liver, while others are "packaged" or "modified" before being released to
the rest of the circulatory system through the hepatic veins
- The hepatic veins enter the
inferior vena cava.
Shock
- Hypovolemic
: the most common type, due to large scale blood loss or loss of blood volume.
The heart rate increases (resulting in a weak pulse), intense vasoconstriction
occurs, and pressure usually decreases, but only if volume loss continues.
- Vascular :
blood volume is normal and constant, but poor circulation arises due to extreme
vasodilation. Rapidly falling blood pressure is the main symptom. Septicemia
is the most common cause (hence the alternative name, septic shock
), though it can also be caused by autonomic failure or disruption (
neurogenic shock).
- Anaphylactic shock
is a type of vascular shock brought on by an acute allergic reaction.
- Cardiogenic
: pump failure. The heart is very weak.
- Orthostatic
: astronauts returning to Earth experience this. Zero g allows an
upward shift of body fluids, but a return to atmosphere results in a sudden
pooling. The face and eyes get puffy and the legs "shrink." The uneven blood
pressure triggers baroreceptors and hastens fluid loss resulting in diarrhea.