Page 52 - The Cell in 40 Topics

he moment blood pressure falls, a flawless system in your
body goes into action. In the same way that smoke detectors
are specially designed to recognize the particles emitted by
fire, this "alarm" system goes into operation only when there is a drop in
blood pressure.
Low blood pressure may give rise to a very dangerous state of affairs.
Therefore, the moment such a drop is detected, a series of measures need to
be taken in order to raise it back up again. These measures can be detailed
as follows:
1. Blood vessels must be constricted. (This, in turn, will raise blood pres-
sure, in rather the same way that water emerges under higher pressure
when a garden house is squeezed.)
2. More water must be absorbed from the kidneys and released into the blood-
stream.
3. The individual must be made to drink water as quickly as possible.
But how does all this happen? Yet another matchless system has been
located in the depths of the human body.

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