MC 100: HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

1. What is the main component of interstitial fluid?

The interstitial fluid is the fluid found in the tissue spaces wherein the cells of the body are
suspended into. It primarily consists of water in which nutrients hormones, gases mainly carbon dioxide,
wastes, and small proteins from blood are dissolved. This allows for the exchange of materials between
capillary blood and nearby cells to happen.

2. What is the role of the dendritic cell in infection by HIV?

In HIV infection, the dendritic cells capture the virus (HIV), that has penetrated the skin, and
transports it into a lymph node where the immune response to the HIV occurs. It serves as a part of the
immune response of the immune system, wherein it recognizes the foreign organism and serves as a
messenger as it brings it to the lymphocytes in the lymph nodes.

3. What are the three changes that occur inside the airways during an asthma attack?
Asthma attacks causes the person to experience breathlessness accompanied by wheezing,
panting, and coughing. This shortness of breath is because of the inflammation, overproduction of mucus, and
bronchial constriction that blocks the airway making it difficult to breathe. The bronchioles of the lungs, which
are normally relaxed in order to allow the inhaled air to enter, becomes inflamed and constricts caused by
certain irritants thus, producing the condition called asthma attack.

4. How does this change in consistency facilitate your gaining nutrients from food?
The bolus produced from the chewing and hydrolysis of food in the mouth is small enough to
be swallowed into the esophagus. The esophagus transports the then bolus into the stomach through
peristalsis. The bolus then melts into a fluid called chyme in the stomach to pass it through the intestines
where the absorption starts. The chyme provides easy hydrolysis and absorption of the nutrients contained by
the food as it is a liquid-like-substance, it then moves into the large intestine. The large intestine absorbs the
water, salts, and any residue left from the food and passes it through the rectum. Rectum stores the food until
it is ready to expel the food out the anus.

5. What is the function of these rugae?

Rugae are the gastric folds or the wrinkled stomach lining that assists in digestion. These help
during churning and hydrolysis of the food wherein it grasps and moves the bolus through the processes to
change it into chyme. These also allows the stomach to expand and store the chyme before it is passed
through the duodenum and into the small intestine.