Mass Transport In Animals Flashcards
Which 4 blood vessels do we need to be aware of?
Arteries
Arterioles
Vein
Capillary
What is the main purpose of arteries?
Carry blood away from the heart
What are the structural features if an artery?
Thick muscular walls
Elastic tissue fibres
Folded endothelium
No valves
How do the structural features if an artery relate to its function?
Thick muscular walls - maintain high pressure to supply cells with oxygenated blood for aerobic respiration
Elastic tissue fibres - stretch and recoil as the heart beats to maintain blood pressure
Folded endothelium - allows the artery to stretch to maintain high pressure
No valves due to small lumen and high pressure preventing back flow of blood
How do the thick muscular walls of an artery relate to their/its function?
Maintains high pressure to supply cells with oxygenated blood
How do elastic tissue fibres in arteries aids their function?
Allows the artery to stretch and recoil as the heart beats ( maintain high pressure)
How does the folded endothelium in arteries aids its function?
Allows the artery to stretch to maintain pressure
What are arterioles?
A narrower branch of artery (blood vessels) which transports blood into capillaries
Describe the structure of arterioles?
Form a network
Involuntary smooth muscle
How do arterioles structure relate to its function?
Form a network - allows blood to be directed to different areas of demand within the body
Involuntary smooth muscle - contracts to cause vasoconstriction and reducing if the lumen to minimise blood flow to a specific area ( regulate blood flow to capillaries)
Why do arterioles forming a network aid their function?
allows blood to be directed to different areas of demand within the body
How does involuntary smooth muscle in arterioles aids its function?
Involuntary smooth muscle - contracts to cause vasoconstriction and reducing if the lumen to minimise blood flow to a specific area ( regulate blood flow to capillaries)
What is the purpose of a vein?
Carries deoxygenated blood towards the heart
What are the structural features of a vein?
Wide lumen
Thin layer of muscle and elastic fibres
Contain valves
How do structural features of a vein impact its function
Wider lumen - low blood pressure so don’t need to withstand high pressure
Thin layer of elastic and muscle tissue - carry more blood back to the heart
Valves - prevent the back flow of blood due to low pressure.
How does a wide lumen and thin layer of muscle and elastic fibres aid veins function?
Wider lumen - low blood pressure so don’t need to withstand high pressure
Thin layer of elastic and muscle tissue - carry more blood back to the heart
How do valves aid the function of veins?
Prevent backflow of blood due to low pressure (and blood pooling)
What are capillary?
They are networks which link/connect veins and arteries
(Networks are known as capillary beds)
What are the structural features of a capillary?
Narrow lumen (7um - size of red blood cell)
Highly branched and numerous capillary beds
Single layer of endothelial cells
How do the structural features of a capillary aids its function?
Narrow lumen - short diffusion distance for gas exchange and force blood to travel more slowly
Highly branched and numerous - increases surface area for gas exchange to cells for aerobic respiration
Single layer of endothelial cells Reduces diffusion distance between blood and tissues
Why is the hydrostatic pressure in arteries high?
The pumping/contraction of the heart
What happens to hydrostatic pressure as you get further away from the heart?
It drops/reduces
Why does hydrostatic pressure in capillaries drop?
The pressure drops due to a leakage of water from plasma in capillaries to surrounding tissues to form tissue fluid
What is a closed system?
blood is pumped around the body and is always contained within a network of blood vessels
Why do mammals require a circulatory system?
We have a low surface area to volume ratio so requiem a mass transport system to carry raw materials from specialised exchange organs to their body cells
What is the cardiac cycle?
The process which occurs to make up one heart beat
What are the three stages of the cardiac cycle?
Atrial systole
Ventricular systole
Diastole
Describe the process which occurs during ATRIAL SYSTOLE?
Atria contract and ventricles relax
Blood moves from the right and left atrium into the ventricles
The atrioventricular valve (AV valve) opens and the semi-lunar valve is closed as the pressure in the atria is greater than the pressure in the ventricles
Describe the process which occurs during VENTRICULAR SYSTOLE?
Ventricles contract and the atria relax
Blood moves from ventricles into the aorta or pulmonary artery
The AV valve closes to prevent backflow of blood but the semi lunar valve opens because the pressure in the arteries is lower than that of the ventricles
Describe the process which occurs during DIASTOLE?
Both atria and ventricles relax
The higher pressure in the pulmonary artery and aorta cause the semi lunar valves to close
Blood enter the atria due to high pressure of vena cava and pulmonary vein
This increases pressure in the atria causing the AV valve to open - allows blood to passively flow into ventricles
Why do atria have thinner muscular walls than the ventricles?
Atria have thinner walls as it pumps blood a shorter distance
Ventricles require a stronger muscular contraction due to larger pumping distance
What is the equation for cardiac output?
Cardiac output = stroke volume x heart rate