👉 The Frankfurt fluid, also known as the Frank-Starling mechanism, is a physiological principle describing how the heart adjusts its contractility in response to changes in venous return, or the amount of blood returning to the heart. When more blood fills the ventricles, stretching the cardiac muscle fibers, the heart contracts more forcefully during each beat. This intrinsic property ensures that the heart pumps out as much blood as it receives, maintaining cardiac output and optimizing oxygen delivery to tissues. Essentially, the Frank-Starling mechanism links the volume of blood returning to the heart (preload) to the heart's pumping efficiency, highlighting the heart's ability to self-regulate its output based on physiological demands.
