Question

Imagine that you are standing upright. When blood flows up toward your head, the blood pressure in your head is ________ compared to at the level of your heart; when blood flows down toward your feet, the blood pressure in your feet is ________ compared to at the level of your heart.

1) Higher; lower
2) Higher; higher
3) Lower; higher
4) Lower; lower

Answer 1

Blood pressure in the head is lower than at the heart level when standing upright because the blood is moving against gravity, while blood pressure is higher in the feet due to gravity's assistance.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you are standing upright, if blood flows up toward your head, the blood pressure in your head is lower compared to at the level of your heart; when blood flows down toward your feet, the blood pressure in your feet is higher compared to the level of your heart. This is due to the effects of gravity on the blood in your body. When blood travels to the head, it is moving against the pull of gravity, which causes a decrease in pressure. Conversely, when blood moves down toward your feet, it has the pull of gravity aiding it, increasing the blood pressure in the lower extremities.