Under Graduate Life Science I was wondering how giraffes manage to keep a constant blood flow to their brain, considering the large distance between the brain and the heart.
Giraffes have long amazed scientists with their cardiovascular system.
Scientists found that the giraffe's heart is an enormously large organ, with very thick muscular walls. The secret of the giraffes' physiological equanimity lies in its blood vessels. Special valves in the blood vessels of a giraffe's neck help to regulate the blood supply to its head when the animal is reaching up to browse on high branches or bending down to drink at ground level.