b4 - organising animals and plants Flashcards
what does the human circulatory system consist of?
the blood, blood vessels and heart
what does liquid plasma contain?
red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets
give three examples of substances blood transports
- carbon dioxide from organs to lungs
- soluble products of digestions from small intestine to other organs
define red blood cells structure
- biconcave discs
- no nucleus
- contain red pigment: haemoglobin
define red blood cells function?
- use their haemoglobin to combine with oxygen, which forms oxyhaemoglobin in the lungs
- carry the oxygen to all organs, where the oxyhaemoglobin splits back into haemoglobin and oxygen
define white blood cells structure
- have a nucleus
- form part of body’s defence system against microorganisms
define white blood cells function?
- some produce antibodies
- some produce antitoxins
- some engulf microorganisms
define platelets structure
- small fragments of cells
- do not have a nucleus
define platelets function
help the blood to clot at the site of a wound
define blood clotting
series of enzyme controlled reactions
what does the final reaction of blood clotting cause?
- causes fibrinogen to change into fibrin
- fibrin forms a network of fibres that trap blood cells and form a clot
- the clot dries and forms a scab
define arteries function and structure
- carry blood away from heart
- have thick walls containing muscle and elastic tissue
define veins function and structure
- carry blood towards heart
- have thinner walls that arteries
- have valves along their length to prevent backflow of blood
define capillaries
- narrow, thin-walled vessels
- carry blood through organs
- allow exchange of substances with all the living cells in the body
define double circulation
- in humans and other mammals
- one transport system carries blood from your heart to your lungs and back again
- the other transport system carries blood from your heart to all other organs of your body and back again
define the structure of the heart
- muscular organ made up of two pumps held together
- has four chambers left atrium, right atrium, left ventricle, right ventricle
- atria are separated from ventricles by valves
what are the four main blood vessels that enter and leave the heart?
1) vena cava brings in deoxygenated blood from the body
2) blood then passes from heart to lungs (where it collects oxygen) in pulmonary artery
3) oxygenated blood passes from lungs to heart in pulmonary vein
4) blood then pumped from heart to body in aorta
define pattern of blood flow through the heart
- first blood enters left atrium then right atrium
- atria contract and blood forced into ventricles
- ventricles contract and force blood out of heart
- valves stop backflow of blood into atria when ventricles contract
why does the left side of the heart have a thicker muscular wall than the right side?
left ventricle pumps blood around entire body so needs to provide greater force, right ventricle only pumps blood to lungs
how does coronary heart disease occur?
when coronary arteries become blocked or narrower due to buildup of fatty material inside
what do coronary arteries do?
heart muscles provided with deoxygenated blood via coronary arteries
what does a stent do?
opens up arteries, allowing blood to deliver nutrients and oxygen to heart muscle again
what is bypass surgery?
used to replace damaged coronary arteries with lengths of vein