2.3a adaptations for transport in animals Flashcards
what does a closed circulatory system mean?
the blood pumped by the heart is contained within blood vessels
- blood doesn’t come into direct contact with the cells
- red blood cells contain haemoglobin which transport oxygen within the circulatory system
what are some examples of organisms that have a closed circulatory system?
- fish
- earthworms
- mammals
what does an open circulatory system mean?
the blood is not contained within vessels, but moves freely + comes into direct contact with the cells
- blood is called haemolymph
- no red blood cells
- oxygen delivered directly to the tissues by the trachea
- haemolymph found in fluid-filled space around the organs called a haemocoel
what is the blood in an open circulation system called?
haemolymph
and is in the body cavity or haemocoel
what type of organisms have an open circulatory system?
- arthropods
do organisms that have an open circulation system have red blood cells?
no - there are no red blood cells to transport oxygen
- oxygen is delivered directly to the tissues by the tracheae
do organisms that have an open circulation system have a heart?
many animals with an open circulation do have a heart that pumps the haemolytic from one area of the haemocoel to another
- the blood returns to the heart without the aid of blood vessels
closed circulation systems deliver blood (quickly/slowly) to tissues under pressure?
quickly
red blood cells contain haemoglobin which transports oxygen within the circulatory system. what has enabled the evolution of larger size in animals?
the rapidity of transport
what happens in a single circulation?
blood passes through the heart once in each circulation / per complete circuit
e.g fish
what is a disadvantage of single circulation?
the blood loses pressure around the circuit, resulting in slower circulation
what is a double circulation?
when the blood passes through the heart twice in one circulation of the system / per complete circuit)
e.g mammals/humans
the right side of the heart in humans pumps blood to the ____?
lungs for gas exchange
(pulmonary circulation)
the blood returns to the heart and is pumped out to the tissues from the ___ side?
left
systematic circulation
what are some advantages of a double circulation?
- maintains blood pressure around the whole body
- uptake of oxygen is more efficient
- delivery of oxygen and nutrients is more efficient
- blood pressure can differ in pulmonary and systemic circuits
-the blood is repressurised when it leaves the gas exchange surface, giving a faster and more efficient circulation to the tissues
(systemic/pulmonary) circulation takes blood to and from the lungs
pulmonary
_____ circulation takes deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs and oxygenated blood back to the heart
pulmonary
_____ circulation takes oxygenated blood to the body tissues and deoxygenated blood back to the heart
systemic
what is the pattern that circulation in both the systemic and pulmonary circuits follow? (through blood vessels)
blood moves from the heart to:
artery —> arteriole —> capillary —> venule —> vein —> back to the heart
Arteries take blood Away from the heart
veINs take blood INto the heart
what are capillaries?
- the site of gas exchange and tissue fluid formation
- the single layer of flattened cells (endothelial cells) which give a small diffusion path
- are a tissue rather than an organ
- capillary beds are extensive and have a massive surface area for diffusion
- form a vast network that penetrates all the tissues and organs of the body
arteries, arterioles, venules and veins are what?
organs of the circulatory system consisting of different tissues
the outermost tissue layer is the ___?
tunica externa
what does tunica externa consist of?
- collagen rich connective tissue; this resits stretching of the blood vessel due to the hydrostatic pressure of the boood
what is the middle tissue layer?
the tunica media
what does the tunica media contain?
- elastic fibres and muscle tissue
- elastic fibres allow the blood vessel to expand to accommodate the blood flow
what is the innermost tissue layer?
a single layer of endothelium cells which provide a smooth surface with little friction and resistance to blood flow
- the endothelium is surrounded by the tunica intima
- blood flows from the heart to arteries
- then to arterioles
- then through a capillary network at the tissues
- which drain into venules
- which drain into veins
- which return blood to the heart
what is the use of the heart?
the heart is a pump that generates pressure
how have arteries been adapted?
to carry blood at high pressures
- they have a thick tunica externa containing collagen fibres, to resist overstretching under pressure
- the layer of muscle and elastic tissue is thick to provide elastic recoil aiding propulsion of blood and maintaining blood pressure
- the lumen of the arteries is relatively small to maintain the pressure of the blood
how are the structure of arterioles different from the structure of arteries?
- arterioles are similar in structure to arteries
- but have more muscle
- this is because they constrict and dilate to control the flow of blood to capillaries
are capillaires an organ?
no they are considered a tissue
why does as blood passes through capillaries, the pressure is lowered? what is this good for?
- bc a capillary bed has a much greater cross sectional area than the arteriole feeding into it
- capillaries are narrow so resistance to blood flow is greater and blood flow slows down
- this is good for gas exchange as the slower flow gives more time for diffusion
- the capillaries have a slightly smaller diameter than a red blood cell, so the red blood cells have to bend to squeeze through
capillaries reduce the pressure of the blood and drain into small veins called?
venules
many venules join larger veins
veins appearence:
- have a large lumen providing little resistance to the blood which is flowing through at low pressure
- the tunica media and externa are far thinner than in arteries as the blood is under much lower pressure and less resistance to pressure is needed
how is blood kept flowing up to the heart from the lower body?
by skeletal muscles squeezing on the veins pushing the blood
how is backflow of the blood prevented?
by valves at intervals along the veins
what is the eyepiece graticule?
it is in the eyepiece of the microscope and is not magnified when the objective lens is altered
- this means that the measurements taken with the eye-piece graticule will change if the objective lens is changed
(you should always calibrate the eyepiece graticule using the objective lens you have made your measurements with)
how is the eyepiece graticule calibrated?
using a stage micromere
(a side and is magnified by the objective lens used)
line up the two scales and count the number of eyepiece units (epu) and the number of stage micrometer units between the two overlaps
e.g 80 epu = same as 20 stage micrometer units
if each stage micrometer unit = 0.1mm, the length of 80 eyepiece units = 0.1x20=2mm
one eyepiece unit = 2/80 = 0.025mm
0.025 mm = __ µm
25
the pressure in the circulatory system is generated by what?
contractions of the ventricles in the heart
- the pressure in the main arteries leaving the heart is at its highest
- blood entering the main artery on the left side (the aorta) has the highest pressure as the left ventricle muscle is thicker and generates most pressure
- as blood enters the aorta (and other smaller arteries), the vessel expands until it reaches a maximum and recoils, pushing the blood forwards
- where arteries pass close under the skin, this expansion and recoil is felt as a pulse
- the flow in the aorta, arteries and arterioles is described as pulsatile; the pressure goes up when the ventricles contract and drops when the ventricles relax
- pressure drops from the aorta to the arteries to the arterioles, this is because the total cross-sectional area of smaller vessels is larger than that of larger vessels
- narrower vessels have more resistance to the flow of blood
- capillaries are small and numerous and very narrow, so blood loses pressure rapidly
- without elastic fibres in the walls there can be no pulsatile flow, the flow becomes laminar
- blood drains into venules, veins and the vena cava ; as the vessels get wider, the pressure drops further
- the same pattern i seen in the pulmonary circulation, but the pressures are much lower as the right ventricle has a much thinner muscle than the left
what does it mean that the heart is a double pump?
it is divided in two by an internal septum making the right and left sides separate
- the two sides contract and relax simultaneously, but the right side pumps blood to the lungs and the left pumps blood to the body
the top two chambers of the heart are the ___?
atria
which are small
(the bulk of the heart is the ventricles)
what does the pulmonary artery do?
takes blood to the lungs
what do the (superior and inferior) vena cava do?
return blood to the heart from the head and body respectively
what does the pulmonary vein do?
return blood from the lungs
what does the coronary artery do?
supply the heart MUSCLE with oxygen and glucose
the aorta loops round, forming ____
an aortic arch
the heart is separated into right and left sides by the ___?
septum
- the ‘walls’ of each chamber are made of cardiac muscle, a specialised skeletal muscle that is resistant to tiring
structure of the heart + process:
- atria at the top of the heart, ventricles at the bottom
- between the ventricles and atria are valves to prevent backflow
- these valves are the atrioventricular valves, the right one is the tricuspid, left bicuspid
- blood enters the heart from the vena cave and pulmonary veins into the atria and then is pushed through the ventricles as the atria contact
- when the ventricles contract, the atria are relaxed
- the blood is pushed out through the aorta and pulmonary arteries at the top of the heart
- the atrioventricular valves are forced to shut to prevent backflow to the atria and the chordae tendineae (heart strings) prevent the valves turning inside out
- at the base of the two arteries are semi lunar valves, the aortic valve at the base of the aorta and the pulmonary valve at the base of the pulmonary artery
- when the ventricle relaxes, the semi-lunar valves fill with blood and close preventing backflow from the arteries to the ventricles
what valves are found between the ventricles and atria?
atrioventricular valves
- right = tricuspid (LEARN we always ‘tri’ to be right)
- left = bicuspid
what prevent the valves turning inside out when they shut?
chordae tendineae (heart strings)
what valves are found at the base of the two arteries?
semi-lunar valves
- aortic valve at the base of the aorta
- pulmonary valve at the base of the pulmonary artery
in what order does blood always flow through in the heart?
vein —> atrium —> ventricle —> artery
the left ventricle wall is (less/more) muscular than the right?
more
the aorta leaves the left (atrium/ventricle)?
ventricle
pressure changes in the heart:
- conventionally, the blood flow is described as starting with the atria contracting - atrial systole
- when the atria contract the pressure in the atria is higher than that in the ventricles and blood is pushed through the open atrioventricular valves into the ventricles. at this point, the ventricles are relaxed (in diastole)
- when the ventricles are full, they contract from the apex upwards. the pressure in the ventricles increases rapidly and quickly exceeds that of the atria, pushing the atrioventricular valves shut
- the pressure is raised above that of the arteries and the semi-lunar valves are forced open. blood is pushed upwards and into the arteries
- as the ventricles relax, the pressure falls below that in the arteries. the semi-lunar valves fill with blood and close, preventing blood flowing backwards into the ventricles. the pressure in the ventricles continue to drop until it is below that of the atria, blood flows from the veins through the atria and the ventricles start to fill. the heart is in diastole
- the atria contract … and the whole process starts again
blood flows from atria to ventricles and then to arteries because of pressure generated by contractions of the heart muscle
pressure in the arteries doesn’t drop to 0 because of ____?
the semi-lunar valves closing
contraction is called (systole/diastole)?
relaxation is called (systole/diastole)?
contraction = systole
relaxation = diastole
(DIastole = when you DIe you are very relaxed)
semi-lunar valves close when the pressure in the arteries is (higher/lower) than that in the ventricles?
higher
what does it mean that the heart is myogenic?
the heart is stimulated to beat from within its muscle wall (capable of contracting without nervous impulse)
- if the heart is isolated from its nerve supplies, it will continue to beat, but irregularly
- heart rate is regulated by nerve impulses from the medulla oblongata in the brain
- the heartbeat is initiated within the cardiac muscle itself and is not dependent upon external stimulation
what is the sinoatrial node (SAN)?
- pacemaker
- group of cells in the right atrium
- sends out a wave of excitation (depolarisation of muscle cells) across the muscle of the atria
- the muscle responds by contracting (atrial systole)
(when the cells depolarise, they contract; when they relax, they are repolarized)
how is the wave of excitation sent out by the SAN prevented from passing to the ventricles?
by fibrous tissue between the atria and ventricles
what happens to the wave of excitation after it is sent out by the SAN?
passes to the atrioventricular node (AVN), located in the septum at the atrioventricular junction
what does the AVN do with the wave of excitation sent out by the SAN?
delays it, allowing the atria to complete contraction (fully emptying blood) and the ventricles to fill, ensuring that the ventricles contract after the atria
- then the AVN lasses the wave of excitation to the bundle of His in the septum
what happens once the wave of excitation reaches the bundle of His?
- it is passed through the bundle of His to the apex of the heart
this is important as the ventricles will contract from the apex upwards so that the blood will be pushed up to the arteries
- from the bundle of His, the wave of excitation passed through Purkinje fibres in the muscles of the ventricles. the spread is upwards through the ventricle walls, so the contraction begins at the apex
what is ECG an abbreviation for?
electrocardiogram
what is an ECG?
- a graph showing the electrical activity in the heart during the cardiac cycle
what does the P wave on an ECG represent?
- SAN generates electrical signals
- causes depolarisation of the atria during atria systole
- electrical activity during atrial systole
what does the QRS complex on an ECG represent?
- the depolarisation of the ventricles during ventricular systole
- electrical activity during ventricular systole
what does the T wave on an ECG represent?
- the repolarisation of the ventricles during ventricular diastole
- causes ventricular diastole
what is on the x-axis of an ECG?
time
(so an ECG trace can be used to calculate heart rate)
what do you term an ECG where the trace shows no pattern at all, waves of excitation are passing over the ventricles randomly?
what does it indicate?
ventricular fibrillation
- indicates that the person is having a heart attack
what do you term an ECG where the trace shows QRS complexes, but the P waves before are showing that electrical activity is happening randomly across the atria?
atrial fibrillation
the QRS complexes are not evenly spaced, the heart is ‘missing a beat’
what do you term an ECG where the trace shows that there are three waves between the QRS complex (indicates that some P waves are not followed by QRS)
heart block
- the atria are contracting but the wave is not passing to the ventricles
- there are different degrees of heart block - the treatment is to install a pacemaker in the AVN which takes over the transmission to the bundle fibres
- heart block may also manifest as longer than usual P-Q intervals or almost flat lines between the QRS complexes, which are often wider than usual
what is a slow heart rate on an ECG termed?
bradycardia
(<50bpm)
what is a rapid heart rate on an ECG termed?
tachycardia
(>100bpm)
what is the shape of rbc?
adaptions?
biconcave disc
- as provides a large surface area to maximise diffusion of oxygen into cells
- disc shape minimised the diffusion pathway for oxygen
- the thinner central section allows the rbc the flexibility to squeeze through capillaries
- rbc have no nucleus or organelles - giving more space to maximise the no. of haemoglobin molecules
- lack of mitrochondria means thst oxygen is not used up in aerobic respiration while the oxygen is transported
why is a lack of mitochondria an advantage to rbc?
- means that oxygen isn’t used up in aerobic respiration while the oxygen is transported
what does haemoglobin consist of?
- quaternary structure protein consisting of 4 polypeptide chains, two alpha chains and two beta chains
- also a prosthetic group containing an iron ion (Fe2+)
each haemoglobin molecule can carry ___ oxygen molecules?
4 oxygen molecules
(eight atoms of oxygen)
when haemoglobin is attached to oxygen, what is it termed?
oxyhaemoglobin (HbO8)
can rbc replicate by mitosis?
no as they lack a nucleus
when blood enters the lung capillaries from the pulmonary arteries, it has (high/low) oxygen and (high/low) carbon dioxide?
low oxygen
high carbon dioxide