GCSE B.4 Flashcards
How have red blood cells adapted
- biconcave discs gives them a larger surface area
- haemoglobin makes oxygen stick to them
- have no nucleus which means more room for haemoglobin
White blood cells
- have a nuclease
- bigger than red blood cells
- kill bacteria to protect your body
Platelets
- small and have no nucleus
- Allow your blood to clot by converting fibrinogen into fibrin
Plasma
- Transports all the substances and cells in your blood stream around your body
- is yellow in colour
- soluble substances pass into your plasma from your intestine and get transported around the body
Which side of the heart deals with deoxygenated blood
The right side
Which side of the heart deals with oxygenated blood
Left side
How many times does blood pass through the heart in one complete circuit
Twice
What are the coronary arteries
The coronary arteries supply the blood and oxygen to your heart. These can get easily blocked due to fat build up which can cause coronary heart disease
How can we solve coronary heart disease
With a stent
How to stents work
A stent is rapped around a small balloon and placed into the artery. As the balloon inflates, the stent expands and keeps the arteries wide open allowing blood to pass through. The balloon is eventually deflated and removed but the stent stays there
How to statins work
Stents don’t work well in mIn arteries because the pressure is so high. Statins are drugs that lower cholesterol levels which slows the rate fatty substances are sent to the coronary arteries
What are leaky valves
Heart valves have to withstand lots of pressure and over time may become leaky.
To solve this, titanium or polymers can be used to replace the valves or biological heart valves such as ones from pigs and human donors
What are the pros and cons to using titanium or polymer heart valves
Pros:
They last a very long time and wont get damaged
Cons:
Patient has to take medication for the rest of their life to prevent blood from clotting around it
What are the pros and cons for using biological heart valves
Pros:
No medication needed and work just as well as normal heart valves
Cons:
Don’t last a very long time (12-15 years)
How does an artificial pacemaker work
An artificial pacemaker works by sending strong rhythmic electrical pulses to your heart that encourage it to beat in time with it. These are very clever as they only send impulses when they detect something is wrong with tour heartbeat.
