12.10a Mass Transport in Humans Flashcards
Function of the heart
Pumps blood around the body
Define closed double circulatory system.
- Closed- the blood remains within the blood vessels.
- Double circulatory system- the blood passes through the heart twice in each circuit. There is one circuit that delivers deoxygenated blood to the lungs and the other delivers oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.
Veins- towards or away from the heart?
Towards the heart.
Arteries- towards or away from the heart?
Away from the heart.
Define pulmonary circulation.
Blood passes through the heart and is pumped to the lungs, returning to the heart.
Define systematic circulation
The blood passes through the heart a second time (and is repressurised) and it pumped around the body organs, before returning to the heart.
Which are the highest, high, lowest and low pressure arteries/veins?
Highest pressure- Aorta (Heart to Body)
High pressure- Pulmonary Artery (Heart to Lungs)
Lowest pressure- Vena Cava (Body to Heart)
Low pressure- Pulmonary Vein (Lungs to Heart)
Explain mass flow.
- The bulk movement of blood due to a pressure difference.
- Essential for efficient transport of blood around the body.
- Easier to generate and maintain a pressure gradient.
- Blood moves due to the pressure difference in the heart (high) & in the blood vessels (low)
What is the wall of the heart made of and what are the heart cells called?
- Wall is made of cardiac muscle which is myogenic (can contract/relax without nervous/hormonal stimulation)
- Cells are cardiomyocytes.
Explain the movement of blood in the heart.
- Deoxygenated blood returns from the body in the vena cava and enters the right atrium.
- The blood then passes into the right ventricle via an atrioventricular valve.
- Then passes out into the pulmonary artery via a semi-lunar valve.
- The blood now passes through the lungs and returns to the left atrium via the pulmonary vein.
- The blood passes through the second atrioventricular valve into the left ventricle.
- Then passes through the semi-lunar valve into the aorta and then to body tissue.
Why are the walls of the left ventricle much thicker than the right ventricle?
- The right ventricle is pumping blood through pulmonary arteries only.
- Left ventricle is pumping blood through a larger number of capillaries (which branch off from the aorta) around the body.
- Left ventricle requires more pressure.
Why does pressure change in each of the heart chambers?
Due to changes in the volume of blood and contractions of the heart muscle.
Explain the cardiac cycle in terms of pressure and volume changes and associated valve movements, to maintain a unidirectional flow of blood.
- When blood enters the atrium, blood volume increases, and pressure increases in atrium. The pressure in the atrium is greater than in the ventricle so the atrioventricular valve opens.
- The atrium muscles systole (contract), so the remaining blood is forced into the ventricle from the atrium.
- When the blood enters the ventricle, the pressure increases in the ventricle due to volume of blood. The pressure in the ventricle is now greater than in the atrium, so the atrioventricular valve closes.
- The ventricle muscles systole, atrial muscles diastole (relaxes) which further increases pressure in ventricle until it is greater than in the aorta/pulmonary artery. The semi-lunar valve opens.
- Blood will then enter the aorta/pulmonary artery and is either pumped to the body (left) or to the lungs (right).
- Ventricle muscles diastole and the pressure in the ventricle is less than in the aorta/pulmonary artery, so the semi-lunar valve now closes.
- The process happens again for the other side of the heart.
Function of the heart valves
- Atrio-ventricular valves and semi-lunar valves ensure the blood flows in one direction through the heart.
- The valves will only open in one direction, and open and close due to pressure differences on either side of the valve.
When do atrioventricular valves open and close in terms of pressure?
- Open- greater pressure in atria than ventricles.
- Close- greater pressure in ventricles than atria.