The heart, lungs, brain these are well-known organs, but an organ that is rarely mentioned in everyday conversation is

“The spleen”

Many do not even know where it is.
We don’t know what they are doing, even less so.

Spleen is my favorite organ. lol
Today I’d like to share with you the little known works of the spleen!

First, where it is.

When you suddenly started running a marathon, you felt a pain in the upper part of your left side. Do you have such a memory of running while holding it with your arm?
That place is the spleen.

The spleen on the left kidney is
10cm x 7cm x 4cm it’s a so-so large size.

Now, the blood vessels in our body are arteries, veins and of various thicknesses, and when connected in a single line, they are said to be 90,000 km long.
More than 2 laps of the earth’s equator!

The blood makes 36 rotations per day along this long vascular pathway.
That’s amazing!！3,240,000 km!！

So the speed at blood flows through the blood vessels is not an easygoing speed.

Boom, boom! ! Blood is flowing as fast as a Formula 1 racer passing in front of you.

The reason for the blood cells (red blood cells and white blood cells) that flow in this blood are round in shape is they flow through blood vessels at great speed to prevent damage to the walls of important blood vessels.

Our bodies are really well made!

99% of blood cells are red blood cells.
Red blood cells are made of hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin is composed of iron, called heme iron and
protein called globin.

At “heme iron,” it transports oxygen and delivers it to every cell in every nook and cranny.
That’s what keeps us alive today, isn’t it!
Plus, heme iron recovers unwanted carbon dioxide.
What a wonderful job!

For this to work, it’s very important that red blood cells flow smoothly through 90,000 kilometers of blood vessels.

90% of the 90,000 km of blood vessels are “capillaries”.
As the name implies, blood vessels as thin as hair.
In some locations, some vessels have a diameter smaller than that of a red blood cell.

In order for red blood cells to pass through it one by one
red blood cells which look like white dumplings with a concave center, must be able to stretch and elasticity to be able to stretch and bend itself.

The life span of a red blood cell is about 120 days. As they approach the end of their life span, they gradually elasticity and become harder and harder.
When hard red blood cells flow through blood vessels, they cannot pass through small blood vessels and become clogged and cannot transport oxygen to the destination.

The spleen! !

that captures these hard old red blood cells before they travel throughout the body.

The spleen has a very fine filter and
if red blood cells cannot stretch or fold, they cannot pass through.
Hardened red blood cells are caught in this filter.

Old red blood cells that are trapped are broken down and
processed by macrophages.

That’s why our whole body is always full of squishy and starchy red blood cells and
they can travel smoothly and energetically! !

Spleen and secret has a same spirit in word.

The word secret has a meaning
“to show little to the public, but to take good care of and nurture.”

Please feel the importance of your spleen, which has not been well known so far from now on!

My secret spleen, thanks for another day! ! lol

Author ; Mayumi Inoue