Soc 15 - The Structure Of The Heart Flashcards
What is the cardio-respiratory system
The interaction of the heart and lungs
to supply oxygen to muscles
during exercise.
What does cardiovascular mean
To do with the heart, blood and blood vessels together.
What is vasodilation
When veins swell up or dilate; widening of the internal diameter (lumen) of the blood vessel to allow increased blood flow.
What is vasoconstriction
When veins shrink down; narrowing of the internal diameter (lumen) of the blood vessel to decrease blood flow.
What are the 3 functions of the cardiovascular system
Transports oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients
It helps to clot blood
It controls the body’s temperature
What is vascular shunting
Your muscles need more blood for movement and so move away from the organs to the muscles. This process is called vascular shunting. Your heart starts to beat faster and your blood vessels
constrict into order to divert the blood to the muscles. Your reflexes get faster and your muscles may tense up.
What are the 4 characteristics of arteries
Arteries take blood away from the heart.
Arteries have thick walls and are more elastic than veins as they carry blood which is at a higher pressure than veins as they carry oxygenated blood.
The channel the blood flows through, called the lumen, can widen to allow more blood through when you so that it can reach the working muscles.
The pulmonary artery is different from other arteries as it carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.
What are the 4 characteristics of veins
Veins carry blood into the heart.
Veins have much thinner walls, are less elastic and carry blood at a lower pressure.
Veins contain many valves which helps deoxygenated blood flow to the heart.
The pulmonary vein is different to other veins as it carries oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the heart.
What are the 4 characteristics of capillaries
Capillaries are microscopic vessels - just one cell thick.
At one end, capillaries carry oxygenated blood which transfers oxygen and nutrients to the muscles.
At the other end, they carry deoxygenated blood into the veins, picking up waste products and taking them around the body to dispose of them.
Capillaries are where gaseous exchange takes place.
What is the role of the pulmonary vein
Brings oxygenated blood from the lungs
What is the role of the pulmonary artery
Brings deoxygenated blood to the lungs
What is the role of the vena cava
Brings oxygenated blood to the heart from the body
What is the role of the aorta
Brings deoxygenated blood to the heart from the body
Red blood cells
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 require
more oxygen when running.
White blood cells
The blood also contains transparent cells called white blood cells
They have an important function as the defence system of the body
They produce antibodies to fight against infection and diseases
If an athlete has a disease or infection thev may not be able to train/perform.
