B7 Flashcards
What do red blood cells do?
They transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. They don’t have a nucleus so they can be packed full with haemoglobin – a substance that binds with oxygen. They have a biconcave shape to give them a large surface area for exchanging oxygen.
What is plasma?
The liquid that carries nutrients (e.g. glucose and amino acids), antibodies, hormones and waste (e.g. carbon dioxide and urea).
What do white blood cells do?
They help to fight infection by protecting your body against attack from microorganisms.
What are platelets?
Small fragments of cells that help blood to clot at the site of a wound.
Humans have a double circulatory system, what does each circuit do?
The first pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs to take in oxygen. The blood then returns to the heart. The second one pumps oxygenated blood around the body. The blood gives up its oxygen at the body cells and the deoxygenated blood returns to the heart to be pumped out to the lungs again.
What does the right atrium of the heart do and where does the blood go after that?
It’s receives deoxygenated blood from the body (through the vena cava). The deoxygenated blood then moves through the right ventricle, which pumps it to the lungs via the pulmonary artery.
What does the left atrium do and where does the blood go after that?
Receives oxygenated blood from the lungs (through the pulmonary vein). The oxygenated blood then moves through the left ventricle, which pumps it out round the whole body (via the aorta).
What do the valves in the heart and veins do?
Prevent the back flow of blood.
What do the two coronary arteries do?
Supply the heart muscle cells with blood.
Why is the left ventricle wall thicker than the right ventricle wall?
The left ventricle has to pump blood all the way around the body, the right only pumps to the lungs.
Why do the atria have thin walls?
They only pump blood to the ventricles.
What is blood made up of?
Cells, platelets and plasma
What are chemicals exchanged between?
Cells and capillaries
Arteries branch into capillaries, what are capillaries?
Really tiny blood vessels. They have permeable walls, so substances can diffuse in and out. Networks of capillaries in tissue are called capillary beds.
What exchanges between the cells and capillaries?
As blood passes through capillary beds small molecules (e.g. water, glucose and oxygen) are forced out of the capillaries to form the tissue fluid, which surrounds the cells. These substances can then diffuse out of the tissue fluid into the cells. Waste chemicals (e.g. carbon dioxide and urea) diffuse out of the cells into the tissue fluid, then into the capillaries.
What does tissue fluid do?
It allows cells to get the substances they need and to get rid of waste without a capillary supplying every single cell.
What is the job of a skeleton?
To support the body and allow it to move – as well as protect vital organs.
What do joints do?
Allow the bones to move.
The bones at a joint are held together by ligaments. Describe a ligament
They have high tensile strength but they are also slightly elastic – this means that they help to stabilise joints but still allow movement.
The ends of bones are covered with a smooth layer of cartilage, what is the purpose of this?
To reduce friction between bones. Also cartilage can be slightly compressed so it acts as a shock absorber, like a cushion between bones.
What do the membranes at some joints do?
They release oily synovial fluid to lubricate the joints, allowing them to move more easily by reducing friction.
What are bones attached to?
Tendons (which also attach muscles to other muscles).
How do muscles move bones at a joint?
By contracting (becoming shorter).
Tendons can’t stretch much, why is this?
So when a muscle contracts a tendon pulls on the bone, transmitting the force from the muscle to the bone.
Why do muscles usually come in antagonistic pairs?
Muscles can only pull on bones to move the joint – they can’t push.
What information is needed to develop the right exercise regime?
Essential background information such as: health problems, current medication, previous fitness treatments, other lifestyle factors (e.g. smoking or drinking), family medical history and current physical activity.