Page 74 - The Miracle of the Blood and Heart

THE MIRACLE OF THE
BLOOD AND HEART

after the period of discomfort when you climbed the slopes of
a mountain and felt yourself short of breath and even about to
faint, your body decides to make permanent adaptive mea-
sures for its new environment. A hormone known as erythro-
poietin starts to be secreted by the kidneys, and partly by the
liver. This hormone stimulates the bone marrow to produce
more red blood cells. New cells, or the support forces, will enter
the bloodstream in 3 to 5 days. But after 15 days, the produc-
tion of erythropoietin decreases, because your body has
adapted to the new high-altitude environment and is no
longer in a state of emergency. 34
This adaptation is really astonishing. People living
between sea level and altitudes of 1,800 meters (5,900 feet)
above sea level have around 5 million red blood cells in one
drop of their blood; whereas those living at higher altitudes,
for example at 4,200 meters (13,780 feet), have some 7 million.
As altitude increases, the red blood cells in the body
undergo various chemical changes that enable them to carry
more hemoglobin than before. Furthermore, the hemoglobin
in the red blood cells begins to be produced in such a way as
to load and deposit oxygen more quickly. The other organs
and tissues adapt to these most rational precautions in line
with the altitude. In order to reduce the level of oxygen carried
to the muscles as much as possible, there is a perceptible con-
traction in muscle size. Thanks to this impeccable system, you
adapt to the new environment 15 to 20 days after first feeling
a light headache. Your pulse returns to normal and there is no
longer any need to take deep breaths to feel comfort-
able. 35

Harun
Yahya

72