Purpose:
The purpose of this experiment is to compare blood pressure as related to gender and athletic status.
Hypothesis:
I predict that males have a higher blood pressure than women and athletes have a higher blood pressure than non athletes
Background Info:
Blood pressure is the amount of force that blood pushes against the inside walls of blood vessels as it passes through. This pressure is initially produced by the contracting heart and is necessary to push blood along to all organs in the body. Doctors can take a blood pressure by using a sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff). The idea behind this instrument is that the …show more content…
I wouldn't have liked to conduct the experiment in a different way. I believe finding each other's blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer/blood pressure cuff is the only and best way to compare blood pressure as related to gender and athletic status. Also I don't believe we were limited by the kind or amount of equipment.
b) My conclusion relates to the larger picture of what we are …show more content…
Athletes have a blood pressure of 123.7/80.2 torr, while non athletes have a blood pressure of 111.2/70.2 torr. This obviously relates to blood pressure which is the amount of force that blood pushes against the inside walls of blood vessels as it passes through and is initially produced by the contracting heart and is necessary to push blood along to all organs in the body. The fall in BP from 100 torr in the arterial system to 2 torr in the venous system is mainly explained by resistance to blood flow. The blood, after leaving the heart, passes into vessels of smaller and smaller diameter. This slows the flow. Also, there is the friction on the blood by the blood vessel walls. Both of these forces, are called peripheral resistance. Peripheral resistance can be increased if arteriole diameters are reduced as by the formation of fatty deposits on the walls of the blood vessel. Blood trying to squeeze through such a small diameter pushes harder against the walls of the blood vessel, increasing the BP. This can lead to high blood pressure, called hypertension. Risk factors for this condition are heredity, a diet high in fats, smoking, and lack of