Circulation Flashcards
How long (blood vessels) is the human circulatory system?
96,000km
Who proved that blood was of limited volume and that it is recirculated in the circulatory system and is pumped by the heart in one direction?
William Harvey
What is the blood volume of a human?
5L; entire volume is pumped every minute
What are the five things the circulatory system does?
- Carries oxygen and nutrients to cells
- Carries CO2 and waste away from cells
- Carries hormones to target organs
- Distributes heat throughout the body
- Helps defence of invading micro-organisms
What do arteries do?
Carry blood away from the heart (Red)
What are arteries composed of?
Three distinct elastic layers give them thick walls
How do arteries work?
Each time the heart pumps the arteries stretch to accommodate the rush of blood
What are arterioles?
Smaller arteries (Red)
What is the middle layer of arterioles composed of?
Elastic fibres and smooth muscle
What are arterioles able to do?
Contract and relax, controlling the flow of blood to different parts of the body
What is vasoconstriction?
The narrowing of blood vessels, decreasing flow to the tissues
What is vasodilation?
The widening/relaxation of blood vessels, increasing flow to the tissues
What are capillaries?
Tiny blood vessels composed of a single layer of cells; this is the site of fluid and gas exchange between cells and the body tissues (Blue and Red/Purple)
What is the blood pressure of arteries?
High BP
Because pressure is high in the capillaries, what is increased?
The risk of rupturing and causing a bruise
What are venules?
Smaller blood vessels that form as capillaries merge (Blue)
What are venules lined with?
Smooth muscle; ensures that blood continues to flow back towards the heart
What are veins?
Larger blood vessels that result as venules merge, take blood back to the heart (Blue)
What do veins also serve as?
Blood reservoirs, hold up to 65% of the total blood volume
What is the blood pressure of veins?
Low BP
Because veins have low BP, what do they have to ensure the one way flow of blood?
Uni-directional valves
What else helps aid venous flow?
Skeletal muscles; venous pressure increases when skeletal muscles contract and push on the vein, forcing blood upwards
What is the path of systemic blood flow?
- Artery
- Arteriole
- Capillary
- Venule
- Vein
What is an aneurysm?
A bulge or weakening in the wall of a blood vessel
What is atherosclerosis?
Degeneration of blood vessels caused by the accumulation of fat deposits (plaque) in the inner wall
What is bruising?
Rupture of capillary beds causing blood to leak into the extra-cellular space
What is varicose veins?
Damage to the one-way valves in veins causing blood to pool and the veins to bulge
What type of pumps does the heart consist of?
Two parallel pumps
What does the right pump do?
Connects to blood vessels that circulate blood to the lungs, for oxygenation, and back to the heart (Pulmonary circulatory system)
What does the left pump do?
Connects blood vessels to the body and circulates blood to the body tissues (Systemic circulatory system)
What maintains one way blood flow?
Uni-directional valves in the heart and in the blood vessels
What is the name of the third blood flow?
Coronary blood flow
What is the pericardium?
A lubricated sac that the heart sits in
What is an atria?
Top chamber of the heart that contracts to push blood into the bottom ventricular chamber