• Question: How does the blood vessels have a connection with metabolism?

    Asked by Leylla to Majid on 9 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Majid Ahmed

      Majid Ahmed answered on 9 Mar 2016:


      Hi Leylla,

      This is a very good question and the answer is not so obvious. In a few of my answers I have written that the heart and blood vessels work so hard every minute of everyday for every year of your entire life (at least in healthy people).

      So why do they have to work so hard and never get a break? Well that is because the heart and blood vessels are what allow blood to be transported all around the body. The blood contains many useful cells such as red blood cells (which carry oxygen), white blood cells (which fight infections and other harmful organisms/toxins), platelets (which help your blood to clot when you have a bleed) and other nutrients. Most living cells need a constant supply of blood to deliver oxygen and other nutrients, fight infection and keep our bodies healthy. The blood is also important for removing the waste products from cells and allowing these to be released from the body.

      Metabolism is basically all the reactions/processes that occur within a cell that are important for the cells to grow and function healthily. Metabolism often requires oxygen and sugars for the cells to produce energy which fuel the reactions/processes that need to take place. The production of energy within the cell and the reactions/processes taking place often produce waste products such as carbon dioxide and water which need to be removed. The blood, which is supplied by the blood vessels and the heart, allow oxygen, sugars and other nutrients to be delivered to the cells and the waste products to be taken away.

      If the blood supply is compromised because the blood vessels aren’t working properly, then this will have a negative effect on metabolism.

      So I hope my answer helps you to see how blood vessels are very important for normal metabolism.

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