The Manga Guide to Physiology

255 Pages·2015·30.46 MB·English

by  Etsuro Tanaka

The Manga Guide™ to comics
PRaise for the manga guide™ series
inside!
“Highly Recommended.” — Choice Magazine
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“Stimulus for the next generation of scientists.” — Scientific computing H
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at passing her makeup test. Lucky for her, macrophages Y
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for the campus marathon. You’ll learn all You’ll also gain insight into medical Y
about: procedures like electrocardiograms,
blood pressure tests, spirograms,
How the digestive system and the Citric
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Praise for the Manga Guide series
“Highly recommended.”
—choice magazine on the manga guide to databases
“The Manga Guides definitely have a place on my bookshelf.”
—smithsonian magazine
“The art is charming and the humor engaging. A fun and fairly painless lesson on what
many consider to be a less-than-thrilling subject.”
—school library journal on the manga guide to statistics
“Stimulus for the next generation of scientists.”
—scientific computing on the manga guide to molecular biology
“The series is consistently good. A great way to introduce kids to the wonder and vastness of
the cosmos.”
—discovery.com
“Absolutely amazing for teaching complex ideas and
theories . . . excellent primers for serious study of physics
topics.”
—physics today on the manga guide to physics
Wow!
“A great fit of form and subject. Recommended.”
—otaku usa magazine on the manga guide to physics
“I found the cartoon approach of this book so compelling
and its story so endearing that I recommend that every
teacher of introductory physics, in both high school and
college, consider using it.”
—american journal of physics on the manga guide to physics
“This is really what a good math text should be like. Unlike
the majority of books on subjects like statistics, it doesn’t
just present the material as a dry series of pointless-
seeming formulas. It presents statistics as something fun
and something enlightening.”
—good math, bad math on the manga guide to statistics
“A single tortured cry will escape the lips of every thirty-
something biochem major who sees The Manga Guide to
Molecular Biology: ‘Why, oh why couldn’t this have been
written when I was in college?’”
—the san francisco examiner
“A lot of fun to read. The interactions between the characters are lighthearted, and the
whole setting has a sort of quirkiness about it that makes you keep reading just for the joy
of it.”
—hackaday on the manga guide to electricity
“The Manga Guide to Databases was the most enjoyable tech book I’ve ever read.”
—rikki kite, linux pro magazine
“The Manga Guide to Electricity makes accessible a very intimidating subject, letting the
reader have fun while still delivering the goods.”
—geekdad
“If you want to introduce a subject that kids wouldn’t normally be very interested in, give it
an amusing storyline and wrap it in cartoons.”
—make on the manga guide to statistics
“A clever blend that makes relativity easier to think about—even if you’re no Einstein.”
—stardate, university of texas, on the manga guide to relativity
“This book does exactly what it is supposed to: offer a fun, interesting way to learn calculus
concepts that would otherwise be extremely bland to memorize.”
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“Scientifically solid . . . entertainingly bizarre.”
—chad orzel, scienceblogs, on the manga guide to relativity
“Makes it possible for a 10-year-old to develop a decent working knowledge of a subject
that sends most college students running for the hills.”
—skepticblog on the manga guide to molecular biology
“The Manga Guide to the Universe does an excellent job of addressing some of the biggest
science questions out there, exploring both the history of cosmology and the main riddles
that still challenge physicists today.”
—about.com
“The Manga Guide to Calculus is an entertaining comic with colorful characters and a fun
strategy to teach its readers calculus.”
—dr. dobb’s
The Manga Guide™ to Physiology

The Manga Guide™ to
PhysioloGy
Etsuro Tanaka,
Keiko Koyama, and
Becom Co., ltd.
The Manga Guide to Physiology.
Copyright © 2016 by Etsuro Tanaka, Keiko Koyama, and BeCom Co., Ltd.
The Manga Guide to Physiology is a translation of the Japanese original, Manga de wakaru kisoseirigaku, published by Ohmsha,
Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan, © 2011 by Etsuro Tanaka, Keiko Koyama, and BeCom Co., Ltd.
This English edition is co-published by No Starch Press, Inc. and Ohmsha, Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechani-
cal, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of
the copyright owner and the publisher.
Printed in USA
First printing
19 18 17 16 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
ISBN-10: 1-59327-440-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-59327-440-5
Publisher: William Pollock
Production Editor: Laurel Chun
Author: Etsuro Tanaka
Illustrator: Keiko Koyama
Producer: BeCom Co., Ltd.
Developmental Editors: Liz Chadwick, Seph Kramer, and Tyler Ortman
Translator: Arnie Rusoff
Technical Reviewers: Alisha Lacewell, Dan-Vinh Nguyen, and Kevin Seitz
Copyeditor: Fleming Editorial Services
Compositor: Laurel Chun
Proofreaders: Kate Blackham and Serena Yang
Indexer: BIM Indexing & Proofreading Services
Opener illustrations for Chapters 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 10 designed by Freepik.
For information on distribution, translations, or bulk sales, please contact No Starch Press, Inc. directly:
No Starch Press, Inc.
245 8th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
phone: [phone]; [email protected]; http://www.nostarch.com/
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tanaka, Etsuro.
[Manga de wakaru kisoseirigaku. English]
The manga guide to physiology / by Etsuro Tanaka, Keiko Koyama, and BeCom Co., Ltd.
pages cm
Includes index.
Summary: “A guide to human physiology that combines Japanese-style manga cartoons with educational content. Topics
include the circulatory system, respiratory organs, digestive system, and the brain and nervous system, as well as concepts like
genes, reproduction, and the endocrine system”-- Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-1-59327-440-5 -- ISBN 1-59327-440-8
1. Human physiology--Comic books, strips, etc. 2. Graphic novels. I. Koyama, Keiko. II. BeCom Co. III. Title.
QP34.5.T36318 2016
612--dc23
2015030911
No Starch Press and the No Starch Press logo are registered trademarks of No Starch Press, Inc. Other product and company
names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every
occurrence of a trademarked name, we are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark
owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.
The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in
the preparation of this work, neither the authors nor No Starch Press, Inc. shall have any liability to any person or entity with
respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in it.
All characters in this publication are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Contents
Preface................................................................... xi
Prologue
What Do you Mean i Have to take Physiology 101? ...................1
1
The Circulatory system .................................................7
The Electrical Conduction System of the Heart........................................8
Heart Movements and Waveforms................................................ 18
Even More About the Circulatory System! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Electrical Activity in the Heart................................................ 22
How an Electrocardiogram Works............................................. 23
How the Nervous System Affects the Circulatory System .......................... 24
The Coronary Arteries...................................................... 25
Blood Circulation.......................................................... 26
Blood Pressure........................................................... 29
Measuring Blood Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
The Lymphatic System..................................................... 31
2
the respiratory system............................................... 33
Respiration’s Job.............................................................. 33
How Ventilation Works ......................................................... 37
Controlling Respiration......................................................... 42
Even More About the Respiratory System! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
External and Internal Respiration............................................. 46
Partial Pressures of Gases in the Blood........................................ 48
Acidosis and Alkalosis...................................................... 50
How the Lungs Work ...................................................... 52
3
The Digestive system .................................................. 55
The Alimentary Canal ......................................................... 56
The Esophagus and the Stomach................................................. 59
The Duodenum and the Pancreas ................................................ 61
The Small and Large Intestines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The Three Major Nutrients...................................................... 65
Even More About the Digestive System! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
The Digestive System in Action .............................................. 72
ATP and the Citric Acid Cycle ................................................ 74
Digestive Fluids and Digestive Enzymes........................................ 76
The Liver’s Role in Metabolism and Digestion ................................... 78
4
the Kidneys and the Renal system ................................... 81
Filtering the Blood ............................................................ 83
Reabsorbing Water and Nutrients ................................................ 87
Disposing of Urine ............................................................ 90
Even More About the Kidneys! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Urine and Homeostasis in the Body .......................................... 92
The Process of Urination ................................................... 93
Monitoring Blood in the Kidneys.............................................. 95
When the Kidneys Stop Working ............................................. 97
5
Body Fluids ............................................................. 99
Humans Are 60 Percent Water.................................................. 101
Osmotic Pressure ............................................................ 106
Even More about Body Fluids and the Blood! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Keeping Hydrated........................................................ 110
What’s in Blood?......................................................... 111
6
The Brain and Nervous system ....................................... 119
Neurons ................................................................... 121
The Nervous System ......................................................... 123
Even More About the Nervous System! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Parts of the Brain........................................................ 130
Structure of the Brain..................................................... 131
Brain Injuries ........................................................... 133
The Spinal Cord ......................................................... 134
Pathways Through the Body................................................ 135
Cranial and Spinal Nerves ................................................. 137
The Autonomic Nervous System ............................................ 138
7
The sensory Nervous system........................................ 143
Types of Sensations .......................................................... 147
Thresholds and Sensory Adaption ............................................... 152
Even More About the Sensory Nervous System! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Sight and the Eye........................................................ 156
Hearing and the Ear...................................................... 159
Balance and the Inner Ear ................................................. 161
Smell and the Nose ...................................................... 162
Taste and the Tongue ..................................................... 164
viii Contents
8
The Musculoskeletal system........................................ 167
Muscle Fibers ............................................................... 168
Joints ..................................................................... 173
Even More About Muscles and Bones! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Regulating Body Temperature............................................... 178
Bones and Bone Metabolism ............................................... 180
9
Cells, Genes, and Reproduction..................................... 185
Basic Structure of the Cell ..................................................... 187
Genes and DNA ............................................................. 191
Even More About Cells, Genes, and Reproduction! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Cell Division............................................................. 196
Sexual Reproduction...................................................... 198
10
The Endocrine system ................................................ 203
What Is the Endocrine System?................................................. 204
Balancing Hormone Levels..................................................... 207
Even More About the Endocrine System! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
The Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
The Thyroid and Parathyroid ............................................... 213
The Adrenal Glands....................................................... 215
The Pancreas ........................................................... 217
Sex Hormones .......................................................... 219
Epilogue ............................................................... 223
Afterword
Creating This Book.................................................... 227
index ................................................................... 229
Contents ix