Circulatory System Flashcards
What is the circulatory system made up of?
Heart, blood vessels and blood
What does the right ventricle pump and to where?
Deoxygenated blood to the lungs
What does the left ventricle pump and where to?
Oxygenated blood around the body
What do valves do?
Make sure the blood flows in the right direction, prevents the back flow of blood
What is your resting heart rate controlled by?
A group of cells in the right atrium that cat as a pacemaker
What do the cells that cat as a pacemaker release?
Electrical impulses that make muscles contract
Why would a patient need an artificial pacemaker?
If their heartbeat is irregular
What do arteries do?
Carry blood away from the heart
What do veins do?
Carry blood to the heart
What are features of the capillaries and why?
Strong and elastic artery walls as the heart pumps blood out at a high pressure
What do arteries branch into?
Capillaries
What do capillaries do?
Carry blood very close to other cells to exchange substances with them
Why do capillaries have permeable walls?
So that substances can defuse in and out
What do capillaries also do?
Supply oxygen and food and take away waste eg. Co2
How do you calculate rate of blood flow?
Volume of blood/ number of minutes
What shape are red blood cells and why?
Biconcave shape in order to have a large surface area for absorbing oxygen
What does haemoglobin do?
Bindes oxygen
What do white blood cells do?
Defend against infection
What do platelets prevent?
Excessive bleeding and bruising
What do plasma carry?
Anything in blood eg. Proteins
