Functional Anatomy - Circulatory System

Question 1

Characteristics of the Heart

Answer 1

• Hollow muscular structure
• Walls contract and relax about 60-80 times per minute.
• Contains four chambers:
  - Two atria
  - Two ventricles

Question 2

Atria

Answer 2

• The two upper chambers of the heart.

Question 3

Ventricles

Answer 3

• The two lower chambers of the heart.

Question 4

Systole

Answer 4

• The contraction of the atria and ventricles

Question 5

Diastole

Answer 5

• The relaxation of the atria and ventricles

Question 6

Blood Pressure

Answer 6

• The pressure within the arteries that is caused by the pumping action of the heart.

Question 7

Arteriole

Answer 7

• Small blood vessel that carries blood to various parts of the body.

Question 8

Capillaries

Answer 8

• Microscopic blood vessels with extremely thin walls

- Link arterioles to venules

Question 9

Characteristics of Arteries

Answer 9

• Strong, elastic walls.
• Have a pulse
• Carry bright red, oxygenated blood.

Question 10

Characteristics of Veins

Answer 10

• Thin, less elastic walls
• No pulse
• Carry blood reddish-blue in colour, deoxygenated.

Question 11

Blood

Answer 11

• Made of blood cells (45%) and blood plasma (55%).

Question 12

Red Blood Cells

Answer 12

• Iron-rich cells that carry oxygen around the body

Question 13

White Blood Cells

Answer 13

• The body’s defence system, fighting infection and building up the body’s immunity.

Question 14

Platelets

Answer 14

• Cells that help form blood clots to stop bleeding; produced in bone marrow.

Question 15

Path of blood around body:

Answer 15

1. Blood gets oxygenated at lungs.
2. Enters heart through left atrium
3. Leaves heart from left ventricle
4. Goes through aorta and distributes around body.
5. Once oxygen used used, blood travels back to heart.
6. Enters through right atrium.
7. Exits to lungs through right ventricle.