ok. bloggie. help me study.

THE JOURNEY OF A RED BLOOD CELL IN THE DOUBLE CLOSED TRANSPORT SYSTEM OF A MAMMAL

Deprived of oxygen after it's tiresome journey around the body, the red blood cell enters the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava into the right upper chamber of the heart, the right atrium. The tricuspid valves (aided by the contraction of the papillary muscles which pull down on the cordae tendonae) open, and the blood cells fill the right ventricle. The bicuspid valve closes, and the red blood cells move up past the semi-lunar valves into the two pulmonary arteries. The arteries lead to the lungs, where the blood cells are oxygenated through the diffusion of oxygen in the alveoli across to the fine network of capilleries which surround them. Haemoglobin, a respiratory pigment, is often present on the red blood cells, to enhance their carrying capacity of oxygen, thus increasing the efficiency of respiration. The red blood cell then enters the heart on the left side to the left atrium through the pulmonary veins. Bipassing the bicuspid valves, it enters the left ventricle, which pumps the blood on its body (systemic) circuit via the semi-lunar valves, and through the aorta (major artery). The cardiac muscle is much thicker on this side, as it needs to be a great deal stronger to push the blood around the body as opposed to only the lungs, which are in much closer proximity. The pressure of the blood entering the heart from the systemic circuit is a lot lower than the pressure of the blood leaving for it.

COOL FACT: A blue whale's aorta (major artery coming form the heart carrying oxygenated blood) is SO HUGE THAT YOU COULD DRIVE A MINI THROUGH IT.
Crikey!!! Imagine the size of it's heart for god's sake!!! It would be bigger than a Hooverville!! But then, hoovervilles, or shanty houses weren't very big at all. American's struck by the effects of the Depression were forced to live in them, as they lost their houses because they could no longer pay the mortgage or rent. poor people.

jesus. 20 000. Why aren't i crying? Why isn't everyone wailing, screaming? It could have been here. In another life, i could have lost a brother, a lover, a friend.
A quote just came to mind.
Medic Wade, saving private ryan.
"Just give him a fucking chance you son of a bitch! Son of a fucking bitch!"
Where the 'him' is the world, and the 'son of a bitch' is fate.

It's so sad learning about the Depression. haha, sounds obvious from the title, eh? Funny- i've suddenly realised this unit has focussed a lot on economics...and i detest economics...and the only reason i liked this study course is because it was wearing the disguse of a different name. how deceitful. how fortunate.

I'm nervous about lit. Very nervous. It just doesn't sink in, you know? All the stuff i've learnt in the text...My teacher gave us practice quesitons today. I took one look at them and thought 'bloody hell! i can't answer these!" There is such a high expectation for a complexity of ideas, a concise and discerning method of answering. i may be able to throw in a pretty word every now and again, but seriously...essays ELUDE ME. i don't even know if that makes sense. blimey.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: (trying to remember 'shall i compare thee to a summer's day: shakespeare)

"shall i compare thee to a summer's day?
thou art more lovely and more temperate
rough winds do shake the darling buds of may
and summer's lease has all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines
and oft is his golden complexion dimmed
and every fair from fair sometimes declines
by chance, or natures changing course untrimmed
but thy eternal summer shall not fade
nor lose possession of that fair that thou owest
nor death brag thou wandrest in his shade
when in eternal lines to time thou growest
so long as men can breathe and eyes can see
so long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

phew.