Cardiovascular System Flashcards
What does the Cardiovascular System consist of?
- The Heart (Pumps Bloody Around the Body)
- Blood (Transports Gasses, Blood Cells and Nutrients)
- Blood Vessels (Carry the Blood)
What are the functions of the Cardiovascular System?
- Transport of Nutrients
- Transport of Oxygen
- Transport of Carbon Dioxide
- Clotting of Open Wounds
- Regulation of Body Temperature
What does it mean when ‘Transport of Nutrients’ is said?
- Nutrients we eat are Broken Down from the Food we eat and Transported to the Body in the Blood
What does it mean when ‘Transport of Oxygen’ is said?
- It Transports Oxygen Around the Body in the Blood
- Oxygen is Needed to Provide Energy to the Working Muscles during Aerobic Exercise
What does it mean when ‘Transport of Carbon Dioxide’ is said?
- Carbon Dioxide is Produced as a By-Product during Energy Production
- It takes Carbon Dioxide away from the Muscles to the Lungs and Exhaled
What does it mean when ‘Clotting of Open Wounds’ is said?
- Blood Contains Blood Cells called Platelets
- They are Transported in the Blood
- They Help to Clot Wounds by Performing a Plug to Prevent Blood Loss
What does it mean when ‘Regulation of Body Temperature’ is said?
- Blood Vessels can Help Regulate Body Temperature
- When we get, Hot Blood Vessels Near the Skin get Bigger (Vasodilation) This will Increase Blood Flow so Heat can Radiate from the Skin
- When we get Cold, Blood Vessels Near the Skin get Smaller (Vasoconstriction) This will Decrease Blood Flow so Less Heat is Lost Through Radiation
What is Vascular Shunting?
- When we Exercise Blood is Redistributed
- The Working Muscles need more Oxygen than other Inactive Areas of the Body such as the Stomach
- Blood is Diverted Away from Inactive Areas to the Working Muscles
What is Vasoconstriction?
- Blood Vessels Constrict to make them Smaller
- Chemical Changes Signal the Nervous System to Constrict Blood Vessels to Inactive Areas
What is Vasodilation?
- The Blood Vessels Dilate to make them Bigger
- Chemical Changes Signal the Nervous System to Dilate Blood Vessels that Supply Active Areas
What does the Septum do?
- Separates the Right and Left Sides of the Heart
What do Valves do?
- Prevents the Backflow of the Blood
What do Veins do?
- Takes Blood Towards the Heart
What do Arteries do?
- Takes Blood Away from the Heart
What does the Pulmonary Artery do?
- Takes Blood to the Lungs
What does the Pulmonary Vein do?
- Takes Blood From the Lungs back to the Heart
What does the Aorta do?
- Delivers Oxygenated Blood to the Body
What is the Structure of an Artery?
- Thick Muscular Walls
- Thick Elastic Walls
- Small Lumen (Internal Diameter)
- Carry Blood at High Pressure
- Carries Blood away from the Heart
- Usually carries Oxygenates Blood (Except the Pulmonary Artery)
What is the structure of a Vein?
- Thin Walls
- Large Lumen (Internal Diameter)
- Carries Blood at Low Pressure
- Contains Valves
- Mainly Carry Deoxygenates Blood (Except the Pulmonary Vein)
What is the structure of a Capillary?
- Very Thin Walls
- Small Lumen (Internal Diameter)
- Link Smaller Arteries with Small Veins
- Allow Gaseous Exchange
What are the Components/Functions of Blood?
- Red Blood Cells
- White Blood Cells
- Platelets
- Plasma
What do Red Blood Cells do?
- Carry Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
- Oxygen Binds with Haemoglobin in the Blood. It’s then Transported to Working Muscles by the Plasma
- Waste Product Carbon Dioxide is also Transported by Red Blood Cells, it is also Carries by the Plasma
What do White Blood Cells do?
- Fight Infection and Disease
- When Playing Sport, they Prevent Infection if we get Cut or Scratched
- Keep us Healthy so we are Fit to Train and do Physical Activity
What do Platelets do?
- Help Prevent Bleeding by Clotting (Sticking Together) and Forming a Plug
- It allows Performers such as Boxers to Stop the Bleeding if they get a Cut, Allowing them to Continue Performing
What does Plasma do?
- Liquid of the Blood
- Acts as a Transport System that Transports the Blood Cells, Platelets and Nutrients to Different Parts of the Body
What are the Short Term Effects of Exercise on the Cardiovascular System?
- Blood Pressure Increases
- Heart Rate Increases
- Stroke Volume Increases
- Cardiac Output Increases
What is Heart Rate?
Number of times the heart beats per minute
What is Stroke Volume?
Amount of blood pumped out of the heart per beat
What is Blood Pressure?
Pressure of blood against the walls of the blood vessels
What is Cardiac Output?
Amount of blood pumped out of the heart per minute
HR x SV = CO
What are the Long Term Effects of Exercise on the Cardiovascular System?
- Increase elasticity of walls of veins and arteries
- Increase in size and strength of heart
- Increase in resting stroke volume
- Regular exercise causes the cardiovascular system to work efficiently
- Lower resting heart rate
- Increased maximum cardiac output during exercise
- More capillaries
- More red blood cells
What are the Benefits of Increase Elasticity of Walls of Veins and Arteries?
- Decrease resting blood pressure
- Reduces CHD
What are the Benefits of Increase in Size and Strength of Heart?
- Increases SV and CO so more blood leaves the heart with less beats
What are the Benefits of Increase in Resting Stroke Volume?
- More blood leaves the heart in less beats
- Decreases resting BP
What are the Benefits of the Cardiovascular System Working more Efficiently?
- Reduces chances of stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes
