The study of the normal function of living organisms and the means by which it is achieved.
15
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the mechanism behind “acquired” alcohol tolerance?
I can understand natural variation in alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in a population leading to variation in rate of inebriation (after controlling for other variables -- e.g., mass, food consumption, ...
6
votes
1answer
122 views
Can oxygen diffuse out through the lungs?
Let's say you accidentally walk into a room pressurized with pure nitrogen (or you're jettisoned into space). Within a couple of seconds, the partial pressure of oxygen within your lungs drops to 0. ...
9
votes
1answer
280 views
Is trembling an advantageous response during periods of anxiety?
I originally had planned to ask about whether there was any biological truth in the popular phrase "shivering with fright". However, after doing a fair bit of googling it seems that there is a lot ...
3
votes
1answer
93 views
Are ectopic beats considered sinus rhythm for pNN50 purposes?
One quantification of the heart rate variability of an ECG is pNNx, i.e. the proportion of consecutive NN distances that differ by at least 50 ms. When a premature beat occurs, the preceding and ...
4
votes
1answer
96 views
Is a raised baseline between T and QRS normal in any ECG lead?
Here are excerpts from an unknown ECG lead. I find it weird that the "baseline" changes after the T wave and doesn't return until after the following QRS complex. Is that normal/expected for any lead?
...
7
votes
1answer
80 views
Are cerebellar basket and stellate neurons actually different cell types?
The title more or less says it all, but to contextualise a bit:
Cerebellar molecular layer interneurons have been classified, probably since Cajal, into the basket cells, which synapse onto the soma ...
9
votes
1answer
128 views
Does the oxygen concentration equilibrate between red blood cells in the liver sinusoids?
In the sinusoids of the liver, venous blood from the hepatic portal system mixes with arterial blood from the hepatic arteries.
Do oxygen molecules move between oxygenated RBCs and non-oxygenated ...
