Cardiovascular System And Disease Flashcards
What is the role of the heart?
To pump oxygenated blood around the body to allow for aerobic respiration?
What is the heart made of and why is it useful for the heart?
- Cardiac muscle
- Can contract continuously without tiring
How is nutrients supplied to the heart?
Via coronary arteries
Label the heart
Um idk look in your notebook page 3 of year 10 bio
What is the acronym for the route blood takes through the heart?
Vava Vava
Vena Cava
Atrium (right)
Ventricle (right)
Artery (Pulmonary)
-Oxygenated in lungs-
Vein (pulmonary)
Atrium (left)
Ventricle (left)
Aorta
Why is left ventricle muscles thicker than right?
Needs to push blood all around the body rather than just to the lungs, so stronger and bigger muscle
Why do we need valves?
To prevent backflow, maximising amount of oxygenated blood reaching tissues
How does a double circulatory system work?
- pulmonary circuit pumps deoxygenated blood to lungs and oxygenated back to heart
- systemic pumps oxygenated around the body and back to heart
Advantages of a double circulatory system?
Separates oxygenated and deoxygenated blood
Allows for higher pressure in systemic circuit, increasing rate of 0² delivery
What is Plasma?
The fluid in your blood
-Makes up ~55% of blood volume
-Transports hormones, nutrients, antibodies, C0² and other waste around body
-Distributes heat
What are platelets?
Cell fragments (not whole cells)
- essential for blood clotting
- produce enzymes for blood clotting
What are RBCs (Red blood cells)?
Oxygen carrying cells in blood
- small and flexible with no nucleus
- contain haemoglobin to bind to O²
- biconcave shape for large SA for gases to diffuse
What are WBCs (White blood cells)?
Large cells that defend against pathogens
- large nucleus
- lots of mitochondria
- Lymphocytes produce antibodies to neutralise pathogens
- Phagocytes ingest and destroy invading microorganisms
What do antitoxins do?
Neutralise toxins produced by pathogens
How is O² carried in our blood?
- binds to the red pigment haemoglobin in RBCs
- is a weak and reversible binding to form oxyhaemoglobin
- Oxygen + haemoglobin <=> oxyhaemoglobin
How is CO² carried in our blood?
- dissolves into plasma to form carbonic acid
- a small amount of CO² can also bind to haemoglobin
Features of arteries and their purpose?
- small lumen to maintain high pressure
- thick muscle walls containing elastic fibres
- carry blood away from heart to organs
- when blood passes through, they can stretch and then return to original shape
Features of veins and their purpose?
- large lumen
- thinner walls than arteries
- have valves to prevent backflow
- carry blood away from organs towards heart
Features of capillaries and their purpose?
- narrow
- very thin 1 cell thick walls to let substances easily diffuse between blood and cells and vice versa
- form a huge network of tiny vessels linking arteries and veins
Define cardiovascular disease
Any disease in heart or cardiovascular system
What is coronary heart disease?
When coronary arteries become narrowed by fatty deposits building up.
Can stop blood from flowing to heart, potentially causing a heart attack
What is HDL?
High density lipoprotein
Has a positive effect, taking excess cholesterol to liver to be disposed of
What is LDL?
Low density lipoprotein
Levels are raised by consuming too much saturated fats
Increases risk of heart disease and stroke
What are risk factors for coronary heart disease?
- diet high in saturated fats
- lack of exercise
- obesity
- stress
- alcohol
- nicotine
- genetics
