Circulatory System - The Blood

Question 1

What do red blood cells carry and what features do they have that allow them to do this?

Answer 1

Red blood cells carry oxygen, they have a large surface area, no nucleus and contain a pigment called haemoglobin.

Question 2

What do white blood cells do?

Answer 2

They change shape to ingest microorganisms, they produce antibodies to fight microorganisms as well as antitoxins to neutralise any toxins produced.

Question 3

What do platelets do and what are they?

Answer 3

Platelets help clot cells, they are small fragments of cells.

Question 4

What can a lack of platelets cause?

Answer 4

Excessive bleeding and bruising.

Question 5

What is plasma and what does it do?

Answer 5

The liquid that carries everything in the blood:

1) red and white blood cells and platelets
2) nutrients such as glucose and amino acids
3) carbon dioxide from the organs to the lungs
4) urea from the liver to the kidneys
5) hormones
6) antibodies and antitoxins produced by the white blood cells