The Giraffe’s “Wonder Net”

Job 9:10
“Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.”

Did you ever stand up a little too quickly and get dizzy? It can happen because by standing, you may have temporarily lowered the blood pressure in your brain. Can you imagine what might happen when the giraffe swings its head from the ground to a treetop?

The giraffe’s heart and the rest of its cardiovascular system is very different from ours and most other creatures. The giraffe’s heart pumps at twice the pressure expected for a creature of its size in order to get the blood all the way up that long neck. However, since the giraffe’s brain is very sensitive to high blood pressure, there is a special structure that has been called the “wonder net” where the blood supply enters its brain.

Even if the giraffe quickly drops its head from treetop to ground level, the wonder net keeps the blood pressure in its head exactly where it should be. Furthermore, to prevent used blood from draining back into its brain when he lowers its head, the giraffe has a special set of one-way check valves in its neck.

When we talk about our Creator, we need not be afraid that some people will think we are talking about worthless things. Truly, the wonders that the Creator has made are great and worthy to be told to people far and wide!

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, give us the conviction we need to boldly tell others what You have done – from our creation to our salvation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Notes:
Photo: Courtesy of Steve Garvie. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.