the cardiovascular system Flashcards
key words
arteries
carry blood away from the heart
carry oxygenated blood apart from the pulmonary arteries
their thick muscular walls allow them to carry blood flowing at high pressure
key words
veins
carry blood towards the heart
have valves to stop blood flowing the wrong way
carry deoxygenated blood apart from the pulmonary veins
they carry blood at low pressure so the have thinner walls and less muscle than arteries
key words
capillaries
carry blood through the body to exchange gases and nutrients with the body’s tissues
thin walls so substances can easily pass through
very narrow so lots can fit into the body’s tissues
blood flows through them slowly, giving more time for gas exchange
red blood cells
carry oxygen and transport it around the body to be used to release the energy needed by muscles during physical exercise
the also carry carbon dioxide to the lungs
white blood cells
fight against disease so you stay healthy and perform well
platelets
help blood to clot at wounds so they don’t become infected and so you don’t lose too much blood
plasma
carries everything in the bloodstream.
that includes blood cells, digested food (glucose) and waste (carbon dioxide)
pulmonary circuit
deoxygenated blood enters the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve.
the right ventricle contracts, pushing the blood through the right semi-lunar valve into the pulmonary artery, which carries the blood to the lungs to be oxygenated.
oxygenated blood from the lungs enters the left atrium through the pulmonary veins.
systematic circuit
oxygenated blood enters the left ventricle through the bicuspid valve.
the left ventricle contracts, pushing the blood through the left semilunar valve into the aorta, which carries the oxygenated blood to the rest of the body (including the muscles)
when the muscles have used the oxygen in the blood, it becomes deoxygenated. it enters the right atrium through the vena cava vein.
