The Human Circulatory System Case Study

The human circulatory system is arguable the most complex of all organ systems. One of the crucial components of the circulatory system is blood. Blood is the medium the body uses to fight invading bodies, deliver elements needed for cellular reproduction, eliminate cellular waste products and carry out the process of coagulation. Blood is composed of plasma, white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Of the four components of blood red blood cells or erythrocytes compose the majority of bloods volume. The function of red blood cells is to deliver oxygen to cells and recover cellular waste products for transportation to sites of excretion. When red blood cells do not function properly all organ systems are affected. The most prevalent

Any condition that affects the blood can produce systemic effects in all the bodies systems. These effects can produce a host of symptoms that can make diagnosing the primary underlying condition very difficult. This difficulty is illustrated by the nearly two hundred thousand deaths globally each year from iron deficient anemia alone (Collaborates, 2015). However, more than base mortality rates have to be considered when assessing the true impact of anemia on public health. For those with prolonged undiagnosed cases of mild to moderate anemia the long term effects to their health are hard to calculate. New understanding of the mechanisms of cellular systems has led to advancements in identification and treatment of anemia. Each advancement is another step in understand a condition that was first identified in humans over four thousand year ago (Biology & University of Otago Medical School, 1996). With over one billion people affected by anemia worldwide it is understandable how the prevalence of this condition could be viewed as an epidemic that affects the overall prolonged health of all societies (Lancet,