Soc 15-Structure Of Heart Flashcards
What are the 3 main functions of the cardiovascular system
To transport oxygen,carbon dioxide,nutrients and water
To clot blood
Controls body’s temperature
What is vascular shunting
Process that involves increasing blood flow to active areas during exercise by diverting blood away from inactive areas,achieved by vasodilation and vasoconstriction
What is vasodilation
When veins swell up or dilate-Widens internal diameter (lumen) of the blood vessel to allow for increased blood flow
What is Vasoconstriction
When veins shrink down,Narrows internal diameter of blood vessels to decrease blood flow
What are the characteristics of arteries
Take oxygenated blood away from heart
Thick muscular walls and are more elastic than veins
Carry blood at a higher pressure than veins
Narrow lumen compared to veins
What are the characteristics of veins
Have much thinner walls,less elastic and carry blood at a lower pressure
Contain many valves that help deoxygenated blood flow to the heart due to it being not as pressurised to prevent backflow of blood
What is the cardiovascular system
The cardiovascular system is formed by our heart and blood vessels,Cardio means the heart and vascular means the blood vessels
What are capillaries
Capillaries are microscopic vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the muscles,at the other end they carry the deoxygenated blood into the veins,They are where gaseous exchanges take place
What is the systolic phase
This is where blood is pumped from both atria into the ventricles (lub),then both ventricles contract (dub),This pushes deoxygenated blood to leave the right ventricle to the lungs via the pulmonary artery,Oxygenated blood in the left ventricle leaves via the aorta to the body.
The second phase is known diastolic phase
This is when the heart is relaxing and refilling with the atria with blood
What is blood pressure
Its a measure of the force that your heart uses to pump the blood around your body,higher blood pressure can indicate a higher risk of health problems
Why are red blood cells important
Red blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to the body’s cells,and carbon dioxide from the cells to the lungs.They contain haemoglobin which stores oxygen and carbon dioxide,this is important to a long distance runner as their working muscles need more oxygen when running
Why are white blood cells important
They are the defense system of the body and come in two ways phagocytes and lymphocytes.They produce antibodies to fight against infection and diseases.If an athlete has a disease or infection,they may not be able to train or perform
Why are platelets important
They are tiny fragments formed in the bone marrow that clump together and become sticky in order to clot blood and act as a plug helping to not allow for infection and repair a wound.This happens when a performer gets a skin abrasion/cut,the platelets stop the bleeding.
What is the importance of plasma
The main role of plasma is to take nutrients,hormones and proteins to the parts of the body that need it.Cells also put their waste products into the plasma.The plasma then helps remove this waste from the body.It also carries red blood cells around the body
