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Biology > B4 Circulatory system > Flashcards

B4 Circulatory system Flashcards

(61 cards)

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1
Q

What is blood

A

A tissue made up of platelets, WBCs & RBCs in plasma

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2
Q

What do platelets do

A

Responsible for triggering blood clotting at the sites of wounds

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3
Q

What are platelets made up of

A

Small cell fragments

They have no nucleus

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4
Q

What do RBCs do

A

Transport oxygen from lungs to all body cells

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5
Q

Function of haemoglobin in RBCs

A

Binds with oxygen in the lungs

Carries oxygen and releases it, delivering it to body cells for respiration

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6
Q

Function of RBC’s lack of nucleus

A

Frees up more space for haemoglobin

Maximises the amount of oxygen they can carry

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7
Q

Function of RBC’s biconcave shape

A

Creates a large surface area

Allows for rapid diffusion of oxygen

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8
Q

Function of RBC’s small size

A

Allows RBCs to pass through capillaries

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9
Q

What do WBCs do

A

Defends against infections

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10
Q

Function of WBC’s ability to change shape

A

Allows them to move through the blood vessels into body tissues

Allows them to engulf harmful microorganisms

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11
Q

Types of blood vessels

A

Capillaries

Veins

Arteries

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12
Q

Function of arteries

A

Transport blood from the hear to organs

Carry oxygenated blood (apart from pulmonary artery)

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13
Q

Function of elastic fibres in arteries

A

Allows them to stretch and recoil

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14
Q

Function of thick muscle wall in arteries

A

Strengthens them, enabling them to cope with the high pressure at which blood is pumped out by the heart

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15
Q

What are capillaries

A

Smaller vessels (one cell thick), branched off of arteries

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16
Q

What do capillaries do

A

Exchange food and oxygen into cells from the blood

Move waste products, e.g C02, into the blood from cells

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17
Q

Function of capillaries’ thin walls and proximity to body cells

A

Allows the efficient exchange of food, oxygen and waste products through diffusion

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18
Q

What are veins

A

Vessels formed from joined up capillaries that have passed through the body

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19
Q

What do veins do

A

Transport deoxygenated blood from organs back to the heart (apart from pulmonary vein)

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20
Q

Function of thin walls (in comparison to arteries) in veins

A

Veins carry blood at a lower pressure than veins

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21
Q

Function of wide cross-section (lumen) in veins

A

Low blood pressure hinders blood

Veins have a wider lumen through which blood can flow to counteract this

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22
Q

Function of valves in veins

A

Prevents back flow of blood

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23
Q

What does the pulmonary artery do

A

Transports de-oxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs

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24
Q

What does the pulmonary vein do

A

Transports oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart

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25
What is the aorta
The artery that leaves the heart from the left ventricle and carries oxygenated blood to the body
26
What are atria
The upper chambers of the heart
27
What are coronary arteries
The blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle
28
What is the double circulatory system
The circulation of blood from the heart to the lungs is separate from the circulation of blood from the heart to the rest of the body
29
What does epidermal mean
Cells that make up the epidermis or outer later of an organism
30
What is plasma
The clear yellow-liquid part of the blood that carries dissolved substances and blood cells around the body
31
What is the pulmonary artery
The large blood vessel that takes deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs
32
What is the pulmonary vein
The large blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart
33
What is the ven cava
The large vein that brings deoxygenated blood from the body into the heart
34
What are ventricles
The lower chambers of the heart that contract to force blood out of the heart
35
What are white blood cells
Blood cells involved with the immune system
36
What do phagocytes do
Kill microorganisms Surround and engulf microorganisms Kill by enzymic digestion
37
What do lymphocytes do
Produce antibodies Produce antitoxins
38
What do antibodies do
Bind to pathogens, killing them or binding them together Pathogens clumped by antibodies are easy for phagocytes to engulf
39
What do antitoxins do
Neutralise toxins produced by microorganisms
40
What is the sino-atrial node do
In the top of the right atrium Sends electrical pulses, carried through the atria, causing them to attract The impulse travels to the atrioventricular node
41
What is the atrioventricular node
In the bottom corner of the right atrium Receives electrical pulses from the sino-atrial node Redirects impulses through conducting fibres in the septum When the impulse reaches the apex, it travels up the ventricle walls, causing them to contract from the bottom up
42
What is diastole
The phase of a heartbeat when the heart muscle relaxes and allows the chambers to fill with blood Occurs in the delay between the impulse from the sino-atrial node reaching the atrioventricular node
43
What is systole
The phase of a heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood from the chambers into the arteries Occurs when impulses reach the apex of the septum and travel up the ventricle walls
44
What is arrhythmia
Problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat
45
What is tachycardia
Heart beating too fast
46
What is bradycardia
heart beating too slow
47
What is atrial fibrillation
Irregular or fast beat leading to palpitations
48
What are palpitations
Rapid, strong, or irregular heartbeats due to agitation, exertion or illness
49
What is a stent
A wire-mesh inserted into a vessel Allows blood to move more freely through a previously blocked or narrowed coronary artery
50
What does having a stent involve
Stents are carried out under local anaesthetic- this is safer than general anaesthetic, rarely involves complications and only requires a short hospital stay In rare cases, stents can cause blood clots and lead to a heart attack
51
What can be done if a stent is not appropriate for a patient
A heart bypass where the affected artery is replaced This is expensive, invasive, high risk and requires general anaesthetic
52
What are statins
Medicines that help to lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood by reducing its production in the liver High levels of LDL cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease
53
What is atherosclerosis
The hardening and narrowing of arteries
54
What is cardiovascular disease
A disease of the heart or arteries Mainly: Coronary heart disease- restricted blood supply to the heart Angina- Sharp chest pain Heart attack- sudden block of blood supply to the heart Stroke- Block of blood supply to the brain
55
What are the risks of statin use
Can interact with other medicines, increasing the risk of side effects, such as muscle damage May cause side effects May negatively interact with grapefruit juice.
56
What are the top chambers of the heart called
Atria
57
What are the bottom chamber of the heart called
Ventricles
58
What is the thorax
The top part of your body Separated from the bottom half of the body by the diaphragm
59
How does air travel through the lungs
``` Enters through the mouth/nose Through the trachea Splits into the bronchi Splits into bronchioles Arrives as alveoli where gas exchange takes place ```
60
What happens in the alveoli
The blood in capillaries running past the alveoli contains a lot of CO2 This allows CO2 to transfer out of the blood and O2 to transfer into the blood as the concentration gradient is high
61
How does blood travel through the body
Blood flows into the two atria from the vena cava and the pulmonary vein The atria contract, pushing the blood into the ventricles The ventricles contract, forcing blood into the aorta and the pulmonary artery, out of the heart The blood then flow through arteries to the organs then though veins to the heart

Biology (6 decks)

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