Bio - The Heart Flashcards
What is the purpose of the circulatory system?
To carry food and oxygen to every cell in the body
Which ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood through the heart?
Right (on the left)
What are the walls of the heart made up of?
Muscle tissue
What is the purpose of the heart valves
To make sure blood flows in the right direction
How many chambers are there in the heart
Four
What are pacemaker cells
Cells which send out small electrical signals to the heart keeping it at an even pace - artificial pacemakers also exist
What are arteries
Blood vessels which carry blood away from the heart - high pressure so thick walls
What are capillaries
Tiny blood vessels involved in the exchange of materials
What are veins
Blood vessels carrying blood to the heart - lower pressure so thinner walls
What is the centre hollow part of a blood vessel called?
The lumen
What is the purpose of the red blood cell
To carry oxygen through the blood
Why are red blood cells shaped as a concave disc
To give them a large surface area for absorbing oxygen
Why are red blood cells red
They have a red pigment called haemoglobin
What is the purpose of white blood cells
To defend against infection
What is the purpose of platelets
To make the blood clot at a wound