The Circulatory System Flashcards
Define cardio.
Pertaining to the heart.
Define vascular.
Pertaining to or containing vessels.
Define vessel.
Tubular structure that conveys fluids.
What does the cardiovascular system control?
Circulation of blood through body in a steady stream by means of heart and blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries).
What are the functions of the circulatory system?
- Circulation
- Transportation
- Defence
- Regulation
What is cardiac?
The heart - or pump.
- Pumps blood though the circulatory system.
What encloses the heart?
A membrane called the pericardium.
What regulates a heart beat?
The vagus parasympathetic and nerves from the sympathetic nervous system regulate the heart beat.
What is inside the heart?
- 4 hollow chambers
- 4 valves
What are the upper thin walled chambers of the heart?
- Right atrium
2. Left atrium
What are the lower thick walled chambers of the heart?
They are thick walled because they pump blood further
- Right ventricle (pumps to lungs)
- Left ventricle (most muscular - pumps to entire body)
What are the valves of the heart?
Valves allow blood to flow from one way only. With each contraction blood flows in, travels from atria to ventricles, and is driven out to be distributed to the whole body.
What are blood vessels?
- Tube like structures that conveys fluids.
- Arteries, capillaries, and veins are tube like ion structure. They transport blood too and from the heart and to various tissues of the body.
What are arteries?
Thick walled, muscular and elastic tubes that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the capillaries.
- Exception is the pulmonary artery, which carries deoxygenated blood.
What is the aorta?
Large artery that carries blood out of the left ventricle of the heart.
What is the arteriole?
Smallest vessel of arterial system, preceding capillary.
What are capillaries?
Minute thin walled blood vessel that connects the smaller arteries with the veins. Through their walls, tissues receive nourishment and eliminate waste products.
What are veins?
Thin walled blood vessels, that are less elastic then arteries. They contain cup like valves to prevent back flow, and carry deoxygenated blood from various capillaries back to heart - closer to the outer surface of the body.
* Exception is the pulmonary vein that carries oxygenated blood from lungs to heart.
What are venules?
Minute vein or very small vein that collects blood from the capillaries.
What is pulmonary circulation?
In blood circulation that goes from heart to lungs to be purified and then returns to heart via pulmonary blood vessels.
(pulmonary = pertaining to lungs)
What is systemic or general circulation?
Is blood circulation from the heart throughout the body, and back again to the heart (via blood vessels).
What are the two separate parts of the heart?
- The right heart
2. The left heart
What divides he right and left heart?
A solid muscle wall called a cardiac septum.
True or False. Right and left heart blood never mixes.
True.
What is the only artery in the body that carries deoxygenated circulation blood?
The pulmonary artery.
What is the only vein that carries oxygenated blood?
The pulmonary vein.
What is the largest artery in the body?
The aorta.
What are the largest veins in the body?
The superior and inferior vena cava.
What nervous system stimulates the heart to beat at a certain rate?
The involuntary or autonomic nervous system.
What do four sets of valves do in the heart and what are their names?
Open and close appropriately.
- Tricuspid valve
- Pulmonary valve
- Mitral valve
- Aortic valve
What is blood?
- A nutritive fluid circulating through the “circulatory system”
- A fluid connective tissue.
What is normal blood temperature?
98.6 degrees F
or
37 degrees C
What colour are arteries and what is the exception to this?
- Bright red
- Exception is the pulmonary artery.
What colour are veins and what is the exception to this?
- Dark red veins
- Exception is the pulmonary vein.
How does blood change colour?
Change in colour due to gain of O2 as blood passes through capillaries in lungs and loss of O2 cells of body.
How much of blood is cells and how much is plasma?
- 1/3 cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets)
- 2/3 plasma (liquid)
What are 3 classifications of blood cells?
- Red blood cells (erythrocytes)
- Leukocytes (white blood cells)
- Platelets (thrombocytes)
What is haemoglobin?
Part of the red blood cells; there are millions of molecules of the compound haemoglobin in each red blood cell.
What is the function of haemoglobin?
- Carry O2 to the cells and CO2 away
2. Contains iron
Where are red blood cells formed?
- Red bone marrow
- Before birth - red bone marrow and spleen
What is anemia?
A decrease in red blood cells.
What are the functions of leukocytes?
Important body defence mechanism; destroy disease causing germs.
How do leukocytes destroy disease causing germs?
They ingest and digest microorganisms and other foreign particles (phagocytosis).
What do white blood cells form and what are they responsible for?
- Form a certain type of white blood cell called lymphocytes.
- Responsible for making antibodies.
Where are white blood cells formed?
- Red bone marrow
- Spleen
- Lymph nodes
What are platelets (thrombocytes) function?
- Blood clotting
Where are platelets formed and what is their life expectancy?
- Formed in red bone marrow
- 5-9 days life expectancy
What is blood plasma?
Liquid part of blood or whole blood minus its cells - straw coloured.
What flows in plasma?
- Red blood cells
- White blood cells
- Platelets
What are components of plasma?
- 9/10 water
- Nutrients
- Metabolic wastes
- Respiratory gases (O2 & CO2)
- Regulatory substances (hormones, enzymes, mineral salts)
- Protective substances (antibodies)
What are the functions of blood?
- Carry H2O, O2, nutrients, and secretions to all cells of the body.
- Carry away CO2 and waste products to be eliminated through lungs, skin, kidneys, and large intestine.
- Help equalize body temperature, thus protecting body from extreme heat and cold.
- Aid in protecting body from harmful bacteria and infections, through action of white blood cells.
- Form clots, preventing blood loss through injured blood vessels.
