The Cardiovascular System

Question 1

What are the 3 components?

Answer 1

Heart,blood, blood vessels (arteries, veins, capillarys),

Question 2

What is the main function of the cardiovascular system?

Answer 2

To deliver oxygen to working muscles and remove waste products ie: carbon dioxide
And to return blood to the lungs for oxygenation.

Question 3

What is the main function of arteries?

Answer 3

Take oxygenated blood away from the heart, thick smooth muscle layer, blood is carried at the highest pressure here so thick layer needed

Question 4

What is the main function of veins?

Answer 4

Take deoxygenated blood back to the heart, thin muscle wall, low pressure have semi lunar valves to prevent back flow.

Question 5

What is the main function of capillary’s?

Answer 5

Enable the exchange if water, carbon dioxide, oxygen and other waste substances, 1 cell thick and allow for diffusion because of their semi permeable walls.

Question 6

Define vasoconstriction:

Answer 6

Blood vessel getting smaller, less blood can get through, reduce heat loss, a response for being too hot.

Question 7

Define vasodilation:

Answer 7

Blood vessel getting bigger to allow more blood to pass through, in response to needing more blood and oxygen.

Question 8

Define vascular shunt:

Answer 8

Transporting blood to the areas that need it during any sort of daily activity such as eating.
Eg: when exercising blood is transported away from the non working muscles like the digestive system and shunted to the working muscles like the quadriceps and hamstrings in running.

Question 9

Define gaseous exchange:

Answer 9

The alveoli are surrounded by capillaries; oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse between the air in the alveoli and the blood in the capillaries ( capillaries have semi permeable walls) high to low concentration

Question 10

What is a systole?

Answer 10

The contraction of the heart and the emptying of blood.

Question 11

What is a diastole?

Answer 11

The relaxation of the heart and the filling of blood

Question 12

Describe the process of the cardiac cycle (hot topic for 2025)

Answer 12

Deoxygenated blood enters the vena cava, into the right atrium which the systole through the valve into the right ventricle which is at diastole, the goes out through the pulmonary artery to the lungs where gaseous exchange takes place to make the blood oxygenated.
When oxygenated, though the pulmonary vein and into the left atrium, which is at diastole then it goes to systole to release the blood into the left ventricle another systole and then through the valve and into the aorta then to the rest of the body.
DOUBLE LOOP