Physics of the cardiovascular system: An intrinsic control mechanism of the human heart

Differential equations for the cardiovascular system are derived by applying the continuity equation of fluid mechanics to the rate of blood flow and variation of blood volume in different parts of the system. The equations are used to explain the Frank–Starling mechanism, which plays an important r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of physics 2003-04, Vol.71 (4), p.338-344
Main Authors: Uehara, Mituo, Sakane, Kumiko K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cardiology
Heart
Physics
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Summary:Differential equations for the cardiovascular system are derived by applying the continuity equation of fluid mechanics to the rate of blood flow and variation of blood volume in different parts of the system. The equations are used to explain the Frank–Starling mechanism, which plays an important role in the maintenance of the stability of the distribution of blood in the system. This treatment can be easily understood by undergraduate physics students with no previous knowledge of human physiology.
ISSN:0002-9505
1943-2909
DOI:10.1119/1.1533053