Questions | 5 |
Topics | Health Benefits of Vitamins & Minerals, Light Waves, Medulla, Pulmonary Artery & Vein, Veins |
Vitamin / Mineral | Sources | Health Benefits |
---|---|---|
Calcium | Dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), spinach. | Aids bone growth and repair, muscle function. |
Iron | Red meat, beans, whole grains. | Allows red blood cells to transfer oxygen to body tissues. |
Magnesium | Nuts, whole grains, green leafy vegetables. | Muscle, nerve, and enzyme function. |
Potassium | Bananas, nuts, seeds. | Helps balance fluid levels in the body. |
Vitamin A | Liver, milk, eggs, carrots. | Vision, immune system, cell growth. |
Vitamin C | Green and red peppers, citrus fruits, broccoli. | Collagen formation, immune system function, antioxidant (helps protect cells from damage). |
Vitamin D | Exposure to sunlight. | Helps calcium strengthen bones, muscle, nerve, and immune system function. |
Unlike mechanical sound waves that require a physical medium for propagation, light waves are electromagnetic and can travel through empty space. Light waves are also much faster, travelling at 186,000 m/s vs. 343 m/s for sound waves.
Part of the brainstem, the medulla is the connection between the brain and the spinal cord. It controls involuntary actions like breathing, swallowing, and heartbeat.
The two largest veins in the body, the venae cavae, pass blood to the right ventricle which pumps the blood to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. Blood picks up oxygen in the lungs and returns it to the left atrium via the pulmonary vein.
Veins carry blood back to the heart from the body. While arteries are thick-walled because they carry oxygenated blood at high pressure, veins are comparatively thin-walled as they carry low-pressure deoxygenated blood. Like the heart, veins contain valves to prevent blood backflow.