Let’s Build a Human Being

By Suzannah Stacey

‘Let’s Build a Human Being’ is a fun physiology book with a difference. Whilst textbooks inform you about each of the organs of the body and their functions, this straight forward book goes one step further by looking at the reasons behind the intricate design and biological processes that are present in the human species. Written in a lighthearted style, the book examines the structure and function of the human form by starting from the design board and exploring the issues that arise when designing and creating each of the component parts that contribute to a functional human being. By examining the issues that arise during this process, the reader gains a clearer understanding of the reasons why the physiology of the human body is organized as it is.

The chapters within ‘Let’s Build a Human Being’ cover an understanding of how and why we breathe, how we digest our food, the purpose of the blood and circulatory system, the structure of movement and how we have achieved the means to reproduce. The complex subject of nerves and nerve function is explained using analogies and a problem solving approach, giving the reader a more intuitive feel for this complex topic. The workings of each of the major organs, including the liver, kidneys, and of course, the skin are included in the book, which outlines the adaptive processes that streamline each body organ to work smoothly within the united structure that comprises a human body.
The book is an enjoyable beginning in the study of physiology, laying an excellent foundation in the study and understanding of how the body works. It is ideal reading for those about to undertake academic study, or who wish to understand a health issue, or simply for those who would enjoy reaching a greater understanding of how we function.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The New Curiosity Shop
• Release date: Feb 2, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466195004

Suzannah Stacey

My study and love of physiology began when I became a member of the veterinary profession, manning the reception in a practice in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. I discover such a joy in learning about structure, form and function, as well as what can go wrong during disease processes, that I progressed from receptionist to studying as a vet nurse, and then to qualifying as a veterinary surgeon from the Dick Vet School in Edinburgh in 2002. Human and Veterinary anatomy and physiology share many interesting similarities and differences, and whilst at Edinburgh University, I was granted the funding to help study the physiology of neurons and how they adapt to Parkinson’s disease in people. I have been writing professionally for some years, my portfolio including technical manuals in the study of anatomy and physiology and general nursing care for the UK Equine Veterinary Nursing syllabus, as well as regular magazine and newsletter articles that are published nationally and online. My Animal First Aid course, provided by the New Curiosity Shop of online learning has been running for some time now and has become a popular source of information for pet owners and those with a career in looking after other people’s animals. I live in Sussex, treating animals based at my own practice, which is an RCVS registered specialist practice in Veterinary Acupuncture, and share my sofa with a rescue lurcher called ‘Ollie’, who regularly features in much of my writing these days.

Book preview

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Let’s Build a Human Being

Having fun with physiology

Suzannah Stacey

© Suzannah Stacey 2011

Published by The New Curiosity Shop at Smashwords

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Published by The New Curiosity Shop

www.newcurioshop.com

Edition 1.0

© Suzannah Stacey 2011

Suzannah Stacey has asserted her rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Chapter 1: Breathing

Chapter 2: Pipes and Plumbing

Chapter 3: Digestion

Chapter 4: The Liver

Chapter 5: The Kidney

Chapter 6: Getting Moving

Chapter 7: The Central Control Unit

Chapter 8: Replication

Chapter 9: The Final Touches

References

About the Author

Curious About the New Curiosity Shop

Chapter 1: Breathing

Welcome to ‘The ultimate guide to building a human body’; your nine step problem solving guide to understanding what the human body contains and how these organs work.

This book is our clipboard of ideas, notes and suggestions on a shared project to build a human being from scratch. Starting with a little knowledge of the world around us, we can think through some of the problems and possible solutions that the human body solves every day.

Perhaps the most pertinent thing to start thinking about is how we are going to make our human being cheap to run during the century or so he might be operational? functioning. Let’s find a way to use something freely available at all times ... what about the air all around us? The oxygen content of air is about 20%, and this gas molecule could easily be included to help with the chemical reaction that could provide the energy needed for a functioning body. If we do our chemistry well, we can make the waste product of the process carbon dioxide, another gas which can leave the body by the same means as the oxygen comes into it. So far, we are off to a great start with some efficient and inventive ideas.

Now we have decided to use oxygen to help fuel our human being, we need to look at how we can make this process work efficiently. A large, thin walled balloon would permit good collection of oxygen, but there might be some problems associated with having to make our human being 20 feet tall and just as wide to fit the balloon inside the body. We need some ideas on how to get a large surface area into a small fixed space such as within a protective cage of ribs. Perhaps, if we start with one solid tube, we could branch this many times (at least 23 times, for example) and attach sections of our balloon at the ends of the last branch. This gives us numerous sacs of balloon with walls thin enough to allow gases to move quickly across the surface and the whole set of branching tubes and sacs (or alveoli) can be fitted into a relatively compact space. Hurrah, job done? Not quite yet.

As you know from looking at a large inflatable balloon lying on the ground, some effort is going to be needed to get air into the balloon – it’s not going to spontaneously fill itself. Hmm ... how about creating a pressure gradient to encourage the movement of air in and out of the air sacs? We might need some muscle groups to pull this off – how about a diaphragm stowed safely below the ribs and some muscles in between each rib too which can pull the ribs together or apart, depending on which way the air is going to flow. Pulling the ribs apart and extending the diaphragm away from the ribs creates a force to pull air into our sacs.

There might be a snag if the ribs