A Giraffe's heart, which can weigh up to 24 lb (10 kg), has to generate around double the normal blood pressure for a large mammal in order to maintain blood flow to the brain against gravity.
Background. Bacterial overgrowth syndrome (BOS) is a term that describes clinical manifestations that occur when the normally low number of bacteria that inhabit the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and proximal ileum significantly increases or becomes overtaken by other pathogens.
Cultures grown from patients with bacterial overgrowth syndrome reveal abnormally large numbers of anaerobic bacteria in addition to normal flora. Several protective factors stabilize the number and type of bacteria that colonize the upper GI tract. Abnormalities in these mechanisms predispose to bacterial overgrowth.