Cardiovascular System Flashcards
What 4 compentents make up the circulatory system?
- Heart
- Lungs
- Blood vessels
- Blood
What 4 components does blood contain?
- Plasma
- Red blood cells
- White blood cells
- Platelets
Name the 3 different types of blood vessel
- Arteries
- Veins
- Capillaries
Describe the function and characteristics of arteries
Function - Transport oxygenated blood away from the heart at a high pressure
Characteristics - Thick, muscular wall. Narrow lumen. Elasticated.
arteries = away
Describe the function and characteristics of veins
Function - Carry deoxygenated blood to the heart at a low pressure
Characteristics - Thin walls and wide lumen. Contain valves to prevent the backflow of blood.
veins = into the heart
veins containt valves
Describe the function and characteristics of capillaries
Function - Diffusion of food and oxygen and removal of waste products from cells
Characteristics - Millions of capllaries around the bodies tissues. One cell thick for efficient gaseous exchange.
Describe the function and characteristics of red blood cells
Function - Transport oxygen to working muscles, remove carbon dioxide from working muscles
Characteristics - bi-concave shape to increase surface area for O2 exchange, made in the bone marrow, contains haemoglobin to carry oxygen
Describe the function and characteristics of white blood cells
Function - Move around the body fighting infection and disease
Characteristics - 3x bigger than red blood cell, made in bone marrow
Describe the function and characteristics of platelets
Function - Produce blood clots when a vessel is damaged
Characteristics - Stick together easily, made in the bone marrow
Describe the function and characteristics of plasma
Function - Transport of substances like salt, nutrients, hormones and waste products
Characteristics - Watery liquid, pale yellow colour
Describe the function of haemoglobin
Iron based substance carried in red blood cells
Carries oxygen from the lungs to different parts of the body
Binds with oxygen to form oxyhaemoglobin
Transports carbon dioxide from parts of the body to the lungs
What are the benefits of Altitude Training? (4)
- Less oxygen at altitude
- Therefore the body has to produce more red blood cells and haemoglobin to carry oxygen
- When athlete returns to sea level, they will have more red blood cells which allows them to carry more oxygen
- As a result, during exercise they can perform for longer without tiring
- Altitude training improves cardiovascular endurance
State some characteristics of the heart
- Cardiac muscle is involuntary - it does not tire
- Size of a clenched fist
- Contains 4 chambers
- Double pump structure
Using a whiteboard or paper, list the following in the correct order for the pathway of blood around the body. Note changes to oxygenated/ deoxygenated blood.
(Start with: 1. Right atrium)
- Right atrium
- Right ventricle
- Left atrium
- Left ventricle
- Tricuspid valve
- Bicuspid valve
- Aorta
- Pulmonary vein
- Pulmonary artery
- Vena cava
- Semi-lunar valves
- Arteries
- Veins
- Capillaries at the lungs
- Capillaries at the muscles
- Right atrium (Deoxygenated)
- Tricuspid valve
- Right ventricle
- Semi lunar valve
- Pulmonary artery
- Capillaries at the lungs (Deoxygenated -> Oxygenated)
- Pulmonary vein
- Left atrium
- Bicuspid valve
- Left ventricle
- Semi lunar valve
- Aorta
- Arteries
- Capillaries at the muscles (Oxygenated -> Deoxygenated)
- Veins
- Vena cava
- Define heart rate
- State the average resting heart rate for adults
- Calculate your maximum heart rate
- The amount of times the heart beats per minute (bpm)
- Resting heart rate is 60-80 bpm
- Max heart rate: 220 - 14 or 15 = 205 or 206 bpm
* Don’t forget your units in the exam, might be worth a mark!
How can we take measurements of heart rate?
Finding and recording pulse over 60 seconds.
Radial pulse (Wrist), Carotid pulse (neck), Brachial pulse (elbow)
- Define stroke volume
- State the average stroke volume
- The volume of blood pumped out of each ventricle in one beat (ml)
- Person of average fitness has a stroke volume of 70ml
- Define cardiac output
- State the equation and units of cardiac output
- Calculate the cardiac output of someone with a heart rate of 70bpm and stroke volume of 70ml
- The volume of blood leaving the left ventricle per minute
- Heart Rate x Stroke Volume = Cardiac Output Units: L/min
- 70 (bpm) x 70 (ml) = 4900 ml/min → 4.9 L/min ~ 5 L/min
* Remember to check and convert the units of the question, the values the question may be expressed as ml/min, however the answer box may look like _____L/min.
State the short term effects of exercise on the circulatory system (6)
- Heart rate increase
- Stroke volume increase
- Cardiac output increase
- Blood pressure increase
- Vasodilation of capillaries at the working muscles
- Incease in blood flow at the skin to cool
State the long term effects of exercise on the circulatory system (6)
- Decrease in resting heart rate
- Hypertrophy of the heart (heart muscle becomes bigger and stronger)
- Stroke volume increase
- Cardiac output increase
- Red blood cell increase
- Capillarisation (increase in capillaries at muscles and alveoli)
What is vasodilation? Give examples of when and where it might occur.
The dilation of capillaries to increase blood flow
- Too hot - vasodilation occurs at the skin to help the body cool, this is why we go red when we are exercising.
- Increase in exercise - vasodialtion of capillaries at the working muscles occurs, inreasing the blood flow which in turn increases the amount of O2 delivered.
What is vasoconstriction? Give examples of when and where it might occur.
The constriction of capillaries to decrease blood flow
- Too cold - vasoconstriction occurs at the skin and extremities to help the bodies core maintain heat, this is why we go pale/blue at our fingers and skin when its cold.
- Increase in exercise - vasocontriction of capillaries at the digestive system occurs, decreasing the blood flow which in turn provides a greater blood supply to the working muscles.
What separates the two sides of the heart?
Septum
How to veins prevent the backflow of blood? (2)
- Contain pocket valves
- Muscle massage to help the flow of blood back to heart
What are smaller versions of arteries and veins called? (2)
- Arterioles
- Venules
What is the double circulation process and what does each part include? (4)
- Pulmonary Circulation = blood from the heart, to the lungs, back to the heart
- Systemic Circulation = blood from the heart, to the body, back to the heart
