P2 2h blood / transport in humans Flashcards by orna tighe

what does blood consist of?

red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma

over half of the volume of blood is made of plasma
other is majority of red blood cells

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what is plasma like?

straw coloured liquid

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what are platelets like?

fragments of cells

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what are white blood cells like?

large cells containing a big nucleus

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what are red blood cells like?

discs with a concave, doesn’t have a nucleus, but lots of the protein haemoglobin

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what is the shape of red blood cells described as?

biconcave discs

- gives large surface area to volume ratio

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what is plasma important for?

the transport of many substances

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what are the substances that plasma transport?

carbon dioxide 
digested food and mineral ions
urea
hormones
heat energy

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what do platelets do?

involved in helping the blood clot

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how do platelets work?

when the skin is broken platelets arrive to stop the bleeding
a series of reactions occur within the blood plasma
platelets release chemicals that cause soluble fibrinogen proteins to convert into insoluble fibrin and form an insoluble mesh across the wound
forming a clot
it will eventually dry up and will develop a scab

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what is the importance of blood clotting?

prevents continued / significant blood loss

scab formation seals the wound, prevents entry of micro-organisms

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what are white blood cells for?

defence against pathogenic microorganisms

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what are the two main types of white blood cells?

phagocytes

lymphocytes

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what do phagocytes do?

carry out phagocytosis by engulfing and digestion pathogens

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how do phagocytes work?

have a sensitive cell surface membrane that detects chemical produced by pathogenic cells

once they encounter the pathogenic cell they engulf it and realise digestive enzymes to digest it
non specific immune response

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what are lymphocytes?

produce antibiotics

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how do lymphocytes work?

antibodies are Y-shaped and that is specific to the antigens on the surface of the pathogen
- specific type of immune response

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what is immunity?

when an organism has sufficient levels of antibodies to protects it from a particular disease

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what is an antigen?

molecule found on the surface of a cell

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what is an antibody?

protein made by lymphocytes

what is an antitoxin?

protein the neutralises the toxins produce by bacteria

what are the stages of a response to infection?

pathogen enter blood stream and multiplies
release of toxins and infection of body cells causes symptoms in the patient
phagocytes engulf and digest pathogenic cell
pathogen encounters lymphocyte starts to produce specific antibodies to combat pathogen
lymphocytes clones it self producing antibodies
antibodies cause agglutination
phagocytes engulf and digest
after recovery, body retains antibodies

why does the body retain antibodies and memory cells?

memory cells are lymphocytes that recognise the pathogen
- so if the patient encounters the same pathogen it will trigger a secondary immune response, would happen in a shorter time and memory cells produce much larger quantities of the antibody

what are vaccines used for?

induce immunity to infectious diseases

what is in a vaccine?

harmless versions of a pathogen

how do scientists ensure vaccines contain harmless pathogens?

by killing it making the pathogen unable to grow or divide using fragments of pathogens rather then whole cells

how can vaccines be administered?

orally, nasal and via injection

how do vaccines work?

- lymphocytes recognise the antigens in the bloodstream - the activated lymphocytes produce antibodies specific to the antigen encountered - memory cells and antibodies subsequently remain circulating the bloodstream

what are the importances of vaccines?

- protect individual - reduce likelihood that na infected individual will spread the pathogen (spread of the disease) - reduce cases can eradicate them

what are the disadvantages of vaccinations?

- mutations in the pathogens DNA/RNA can result in significant changes to the antigen so lymphocytes no longer recognise the pathogen - side effects such as swelling or rash even seizures

where does oxygenated blood enter the heart?

enters from the left side of the heart to be pumped to the rest of the body

what is special about the left ventricle and why?

has thicker muscle wall than the right ventricle | - this is because it had to pump blood at high pressure around the entire body

where does deoxygenated blood enter the heart?

enters from the right and is pumped to the lungs

what is the muscle that separates the two side of the heart?

septum

where is blood pumped?

toward the heart in veins and away from the heart in arteries

what do the coronary arteries supply?

cardiac muscle tissue of the heart with oxygenated blood

what are valves for?

prevent blood flowing backward

how is the pathway of blood through the heart?

- deoxygenated blood flows through the vena cave and into the right atrium - atrium contracts and blood is forced through the tricuspid valve and into the right ventricle - the ventricle contract and the blood is pushed through the the semilunar valve - blood travels to the lungs where gas exchange takes place - oxygenated blood returns via the pulmonary vein to the left atrium - the atrium contracts and forces the blood via the bicuspid valve into the left ventricle - the ventricle then contracts and blood is forced through the semilunar valve and out through the aorta

what does buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries do?

looses elasticity restricted blood flow = cause angina complete blockage = cause heart attack all leads to coronary heart disease

what are the risk factor of coronary heart disease?

- obesity - high blood pressure - high cholesterol - smoking

what are the three main types of blood vessels?

arteries veins capillaries

what are the arteries key features?

carry blood at high pressure away from the heart - carry oxygenated blood - thick muscular walls - narrow lumen - fast rate of blood flow

what are some of the adapted features of arteries?

- thick walls with elastic fibres to withstand the high pressure and maintain the blood pressure - narrow lumen to help maintain high pressure

what are the key features of veins?

carry blood at low pressure toward the heart - carry deoxygenated blood - thin walls - large lumen - contain valves - blood flow at a slow rate

what are the adapted features of veins?

large lumen reduces resistant to blood flow under low pressure valves prevent back flow of blood (low pressure)

what are the main features of capillaries?

- low pressure carries blood - carries both oxygenated and deoxygenated blood - walls are one cells thick - slow speed

what are the adapted features of capillaries?

one cells tick to substances can easily diffuse | leaky walls allow blood plasma to leak out and form tissue fluid

what vessels of the heart, lung and kidney carry blood toward the organ?

heart - vena cava, pulmonary veins lung - pulmonary artery kidney - renal artery

what vessels of the heart, lung and kidney carry blood away from the organ?

heart - aorta, pulmonary artery lung - pulmonary vein kidney - renal vein