Circulatory System - Blood Flashcards
What is the job of the red blood cells?
to carry oxygen from the lungs to all the cells in the body
Why are the red blood cells shaped the way they are?
They are shaped like a biconcave disc as they have a large surface area for absorbing oxygen
Why do red blood cells not have a nucleus?
To carry more oxygen
What is haemoglobin?
A red pigment that binds to oxygen in the lungs to become oxyhemoglobin, in body tissue the reverse happens it splits up into haemoglobin and oxygen to release oxygen into the cells
What do white blood cells do?
defend against infection
What is phagocytosis?
When white blood cells change shape and gobble up microorganisms
What is produced by white blood cells?
antibodies to fight microorganisms and antitoxins to neutralise toxins
What do white blood cells have that red blood cells don’t?
a nucleus
What do platelets do?
they help the blood to clot.
What are platelets?
small fragments of cells which have no nucleus
What can a lack of platelets cause?
excessive bleeding and bruising
What is plasma?
a pale straw coloured liquid that carries just about everything. such as blood cells glucose carbon dioxide urea hormones proteins and antibodies.
