Roses are Red, Blood Cells Blue
❤ The heart is a symbol of love, and on this Mother’s Day, let’s consider the cardiovascular changes in a pregnant mother. As the sole provider of nourishment to the baby, the mother’s cardiac output (blood volume) increases by 50% during pregnancy…that’s an extra liter and half. Her heart will enlarge and beat faster, by about 15 beats/min. The growing fetus pushes her heart upwards and to the left. She will need more red blood cells to carry extra oxygen, although the increased numbers do not keep up with the blood volume. The higher requirement for iron and the dilution of red cells in blood can make mama-to-be tired and anemic.
❤ A pregnant woman is hypercoagulable: more likely to form clots. This is thought to be an evolutionary precaution against hemorrhaging after delivery, but it puts the mother at risk for dangerous embolisms. In scanning electron microscope images of blood smears from non-pregnant and pregnant women, clot-forming platelets were never associated with red cells in non-pregnant women (A) but invariably found attached to red cells through early (B) and late (C) pregnancy and 6-8 week postpartum (D). These platelets developed long processes (pseudopodia) that link the red cells together, making it easier to form clots.
❤ A Biologist’s Mother’s Day Song
Just like two strands of DNA are spirally entwined
Your nature and your nurture are inspiringly combined
Scientists remind me and I find that it is true
Slightly more than half of everything I am is thanks to you
Image source ▶ http://goo.gl/QrFOV
Pregnancy and Cardiovascular Changes ▶ http://goo.gl/Quj1t
#ScienceSunday #MothersDay
madame scientist's not-so-mad musings 
Very nice post
You’re welcome, don’t miss listening to the A Biologist’s Mother’s Day Song …it’s funny and sweet 🙂
And to think, she did all this for ME!!
Fascinating!
I’m glad she did, Jeffrey J Davis 😉
Me Too! for both of us!!
Thanks, Shaker Cherukuri 🙂
_हैप्पी मातृ दिवस, Rajini Rao!
That’s wonderful, William McGarvey ! In true Hinglish, the first word is English haippy and the second Hindi (matre for mother 🙂 Thank you!
The day of the happy mother. Wonder what she does with the brats this day . . .
She loves them this day as every other day, of course 😉
no one can replace a mother
Awesome and very true
Everything is beautiful
Beautiful
mother day ki shubh kamna
.
.
good to see ur profile
aap dehradun ki hae
jankar khushi hue.
kuldeep rawat , dhanyawad. I lived in Dehradun when I was a young girl 🙂
Hai
Great pictures 😀 … now I understand when they say the big heart of a mother :D)
Clever friend 😉
Happy mother day
Great Post Ms Rajini!
Happy Mothers Day!
LOL, Mistress Erica , you must be a riot with the Punjabi 🙂 Yes, indeed cardiac cells will spontaneously beat (contract) in a petri dish. I have a lovely gif of them that I should post sometime.
And a verse
This one is true, this one is true and we all do indeed surely thank you.
Happy Mothers Day Rajini Rao
Incradible…The God is nowhere else…nice post Rajani….
Rajini Rao very informative – thanks for sharing
Proof a mother’s heart grows on you. Happy Mothers Day.
hi kinda
Happy Mother’s Day Rajini Rao ~ excellent post. Hematology is fascinating and I always love learning more about the blood.
This is nice…
Thx for sharing this info on mothers day.
thanks Rajini Rao – happy mother’s day
Thanks so much, JoEllen Donahue Hermes , and my best to you as well.
hiiii
Rajini Rao haiiii
Looking forward to pictures of Rome, Ali Adelstein 🙂
very nice rajini,keep it up
Great images to go with the post.
So cool. Cheers!
very fine
Fascinating indeed. Thanks Rajini Rao
fascinating
Happy Mother’s Day +Rajini Ma’am ….. 🙂
thanks for the post! Makes me tears in… It’s because my Mom passed away some years now. I find it is so interesting about heart’s size and heart beat of a pregnant woman.
Léa Jay , I’m so glad you liked the post. I was trying to convey some of the little “behind the scenes” discomforts that mothers go through, which I thought were touching and poignant.
Stunning photos! It’s hard to believe this is inside our body.
I’m actually torn between buying a telescope or a microscope for my 4 Y.O daughter. She naturally wants both of them and the good ones of either are so expensive!
And there are so many cool things to see both ways. The advantage with the Microscope would be to use it on cloudy days as well! 🙂
I like your awesome timeliness and sharp focus on the amazing aspects of life that educate and inspire… Thanks for sharing your insights
Anuj Velankar , your 4 year old has many years ahead of her to finagle both microscope and telescope from you 😉
John Christopher , how kind! Thank you for your compliment 🙂
Superb
nice
Superb
Good
very nice post.keep it up
Amigps
Rajini Rao
Do you have Knowledge Hub ?
great !!!!!
Mom works 24/7 w no Pto or Vac. Days!! Mom ur awesome love u dearly.