SOC 16 : The Structure Of The Blood Vessels And The Heart Flashcards
Arteries (4 main characteristics)
● 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 when you exercise, 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
Veins (4 main characteristics)
● 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
Capillaries (4 main characteristics)
● 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
Immune system
the structures and processes in your body that stop disease.
Thrombokinase
substance involved in blood clotting.
Serotonin
hormone that triggers the clotting process.
Plasma
The fluid part of blood
Erythrocyte
Red blood cell
Haemoglobin:
a red protein in the blood that transports oxygen.
Anaemia:
a condition where there is a lack of red cells or haemoglobin in the blood.
Leukocyte
white blood cell.
Pathogen:
an agent that causes disease, such as a virus.
Antibody:
chemical that destroys a pathogen.
