I learned a whole bunch of interesting things today, but am absolutely exhausted, so here's one to tide you over and hopefully I can make up for it tomorrow.
TIL: Swelling is always found near stressed tissues for a couple reasons: First, if there is physical damage to cells (like after a cut or splinter), the cellular contents spill into the extracellular space and trigger the innate immune system which makes the nearby blood vessels leaky so that white blood cells can get access to the area. The additional fluid flood the area, resulting in swelling of the tissue.
A second mechanism causes swelling of the cells themselves and is due to one of the first outwardly noticeable effects of cellular stress. Biochemical respiration is disrupted, leading to less energy in the form of ATP. The sodium-potassium pump (NaK pump) is one of the most energy-hungry enzymes in the cell and stops to function quickly without full ATP production. Without the pumps, the electrochemical balance of the cell gets wonky and salt builds up in the cells, pulling fluid across the cell membrane, causing the cells to swell.
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