Page 10 - Fatigue

cannot reach the cells at the rate they need.

Supply can no longer keep up with demand and

now the body works less and less efficiently.

One of the additional roles of the

circulatory system is to remove carbon dioxide,

a waste product of making ATP. If carbon

dioxide is not removed, the blood becomes

more acidic. This is a potentially fatal problem.

Many times you will see a person with a

cardivascular problem breathing heavily. This

is not necessarily due to a problem in the lungs

causing shortness of breath. It may be due to

the fact that the cells are not receiving enough

oxygen due to a circulatory problem. The body,

however, may not be able to make the heart

work as it is supposed to so it tries to

compensate by making the lungs work harder, a

compensatory mechanism which is not very

effective.

The Gastrointestinal System

The body needs food for many reasons. To

provide raw materials and an energy source are