The Giraffe’s Wonder Net

Job 9:10
“He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number.”

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

The giraffe’s heart and the rest of his cardiovascular system are very different from ours – and from most other creatures. If it weren’t different, there wouldn’t be any giraffes! In order to get his blood all the way from his heart up that long neck to his brain, the giraffe’s heart must produce twice as much blood pressure as would be expected in an animal his height.

But the giraffe’s brain is very sensitive to high blood pressure. So giraffes have been given a special structure that’s been called the “wonder net”, where the blood supply enters his brain. This wonder net keeps the blood pressure in the giraffe’s brain just where it should be. Even if the giraffe drops his head quickly – say, from nibbling a treetop to take a drink of water – the blood pressure in his head remains safe. The wonder net can quickly control such rapid changes. And to prevent used blood from draining back into his brain when he lowers his head, the giraffe has a special set of one way check valves in his 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 the Creator has made are great and worthy to be told to people far and wide!

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

Notes:
“Sticking out his neck.” Creation Science Report (Creation Science Research Center, San Diego, CA), July 1974.