Question

Blood pressure is usually reported in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or the height of a column of mercury producing the same pressure value. Typical values for an adult human are 130/80; the first value is the systolic pressure, during the contraction of the ventricles of the heart, and the second is the diastolic pressure, during the contraction of the auricles of the heart. The head of an adult male giraffe is 6.2 m above the ground; the giraffe's heart is 2.3 m above the ground. What is the minimum systolic pressure (in mmHg) required at the heart to drive blood to the head (neglect the additional pressure required to overcome the effects of viscosity)? The density of giraffe blood is 1.00 g/cm3, and that of mercury is 13.6 g/cm3.

Answer 1

Height(head)-height(heart)x1000/13.6