Structure Of The Heart and Blood Pressure

Question 1

The route of the blood in the heart

Answer 1

Deoxygenated blood enters the heart through the vena cava in to the right atrium. The blood passes through the tricuspid valve in to the right ventricle. The blood then travels through the pulmonary valve in to pulmonary artery, and on to the lungs where it picks up oxygen. Oxygenated blood enters the heart through the pulmonary vein in to the left atrium. The blood will then pass through the bicuspid valve in to the left ventricle and through the aortic valve. From here the blood will be transported around the body through the aorta

Question 2

What is systole?

Answer 2

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood from the chambers into the arteries

Question 3

What is diastole?

Answer 3

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle relaxes and lets the chambers fill with blood

Question 4

What is blood pressure?

Answer 4

Pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels, especially the arteries

Question 5

The three types of blood vessels

Answer 5

Arteries
Veins
Capillaries

Question 6

What is an artery?

Answer 6

An artery is a blood vessel that takes blood away from the heart. They have thick walls, are more elastic than veins and carry blood at very high pressure

Question 7

What is a vein?

Answer 7

A vein is a vessel carrying blood to the heart. Veins are much less thick, less elasticated and carry blood at a lower pressure than arteries.

Question 8

What is a capillary?

Answer 8

Capillaries are microscopic vessels, just on cell thick, that link arteries with veins. The blood pressure in capillaries is very low

Question 9

Vascular shunting

Answer 9

When you exercise, the distribution of blood in your body changes. Your muscles need a lot more blood for movement, so your body works to get more blood to your muscles. This process is called vascular shunting

Question 10

Red blood cells

Answer 10

Most of the cells in your blood are discs called red blood cells or erythrocytes. The pigment that gives the cells their colour is called haemoglobin, and this is a part of blood that attracts oxygen, picking it up in the lungs and delivering it to the tissues.

Question 11

White blood cells

Answer 11

The blood also contains transparent cells called white blood cells or leukocytes. These have an important function as the defence system of the body, because they destroy pathogens, which can cause illness. Some white blood cells completely engulf bacteria or viruses and digest them, while others destroy the pathogens with chemicals called antibodies

Question 12

Blood platelets

Answer 12

Blood platelets are formed in the red bone marrow. They are concerned with the production of a substance called thrombokinase, which is essential for the clotting of blood. A decreased number of platelets in the blood can be an extremely serious condition, for example when undergoing an operation.

Question 13

Plasma

Answer 13

Blood plasma is a pale, straw coloured liquid made up of 90% water. It contains a range of substances including sodium chloride, calcium, sugar, antibodies, urea and other waste products. Plasma also contains other substances called plasma proteins, which are important