The Respiatory and Circulatory Systems

Question 1

What happens when you breathe in?

Answer 1

Rib cage opens up and out to make room for inflating lungs.

Diaphragm contracts and flattens.

Chest rises and expands.

Lungs’ volume increases air pressure outside them decreases.

Question 2

What happens when you breathe out?

Answer 2

Rib cage moves down and in.

Diaphragm relaxes and curves (returns to its dome shape).

Chest falls and area decreases.

Lungs’ volume decreases.

Question 3

Describe the process of gas exchange.

Answer 3

• Occurs in alveoli
• capillaries surround alveoli for gas exchange to occur between blood and lungs
• gases diffuse from high to low concentration
• deoxygenated blood is high in CO2 and low in O2
• alveoli are low in CO2 and high in O2
• so CO2 goes from blood to lungs and O2 goes from lungs to blood.

Question 4

How does the oxygen get to working muscles?

Answer 4

• haemoglobin takes oxygen from alveoli to left side of heart the pulmonary veins
• oxygenated blood then pumped through aorta to body tissues
• oxygen carried by red blood cells
• blood arrives in capillaries at tissues, gives up O2 + nutrients (e.g. Glucose) and picks up waste (e.g. CO2 and water)
• CO2 taken back to heart, pumped to lungs, and breathed out.

Question 5

What is respiration?

Answer 5

A process that takes place in living cells, releasing energy from food molecules for physical activity.

Question 6

What is aerobic respiration and the equation for it?

Answer 6

Releasing energy with oxygen present.

Glucose+oxygen ➡ ️energy+water+carbon dioxide.

Question 7

Describe the process of aerobic respiration.

Answer 7

• slow process (3x slower than anaerobic)
• produces 20x more energy
• main source of energy up to 60% of our max effort
• e.g. Used in long distance sports e.g. Marathon running.

Question 8

What is anaerobic respiration and the equation for it?

Answer 8

Releasing energy without oxygen present.

Glucose ➡️ energy + lactic acid

Question 9

Describe the process of anaerobic respiration.

Answer 9

• released energy very quickly
• releases only small amount of energy per molecule of glucose
• lactic acid builds up quickly and imparts muscle function
• becomes painful, muscles hard to contract, stiffness, tire easily
• e.g. Used in short distance sports e.g. Sprinting, weightlifting.

Question 10

What is lactic acid?

Answer 10

A mild poison of which the body cannot tolerate too much that interferes with muscle contraction.

Question 11

What is oxygen debt? Describe it.

Answer 11

• aerobic energy system does not provide enough energy quick enough for exercise at high intensity
• body goes into oxygen debt (less oxygen available than needed)
• get our energy from anaerobic respiration
• lactic acid is produced

Question 12

What is tidal volume?

Answer 12

The amount of air breathed in and out during normal breathing.

Question 13

What is vital capacity?

Answer 13

The largest amount of air that can be forced out of lungs once we have taken in as much air as possible.

Question 14

What is residual volume?

Answer 14

Air that is left in the lungs after breathing out as much as possible.

Question 15

What is your respiratory rate?

Answer 15

Number of breaths per minute.

Question 16

What is your minute volume?

Answer 16

Amount of air breathed per minute.

Question 17

How would you calculate the minute volume?

Answer 17

Respiratory rate x tidal volume = minute volume.

Question 18

What is VO2 max?

Answer 18

Maximum amount of O2 used by the body.

Question 19

How does your body deal with the negative effects of exercise?

Answer 19

• blood directed closer to skin to help lose heat and cool down
• sweat more during exercise to cool down. Sweat evaporates which uses up heat

Question 20

What does the circulatory system involve?

Answer 20

Heart, vessels, blood and pulmonary and systemic circuits.

Question 21

What are the four functions of the circulatory system?

Answer 21

Transports: blood, O2, CO2 and nutrients

Removes: waste products (CO2 and urea)

Controls: temperature and blood flow

Protects: white blood cells protect

Question 22

Describe the hearts job in the circulatory system?

Answer 22

• four chambered muscle pump
• right side pumps deoxygenated blood to lungs to pick up oxygen
• left side pumps oxygenated blood from lungs to rest of body
• left side has more muscular walls as requires more pumping force for this longer journey

Question 23

Describe the three types of blood vessels.

Answer 23

Artery: thick elastic walls, carry blood away from heart (oxygenated), high pressure blood, small lumen, has pulse, blood travels in spurts, no valves

Veins: thin walls, carry blood back to heart (deoxygenated), large lumen, low pressure blood, has no pulse, blood travels smoothly, valves to stop blood flowing backwards.

Capillaries: narrow tubes, carry blood through tissues, walls only one cell thick

Question 24

How would you work out your maximum heart rate?

Answer 24

220 - age.

Question 25

What are the different sections of the heart called?

Answer 25

Top half are called right and left atriums.

Bottom half are called right and left ventricles.

Pulmonary artery: deoxygenated from right ventricle to lungs

Pulmonary vein: oxygenated from lungs to left atrium

Aorta (artery): oxygenated from left ventricle to body

Vena cava (vein): deoxygenated from body to right atrium

Question 26

How are pulse rates caused?

Answer 26

By the action of heart as it pumps blood around the body. Felt due to pumped blood making artery walls expand and contract.

Question 27

What are the main four pulse rates and where are they found?

Answer 27

Radial pulse: thumbs / wrist

Temporal pulse: side of forehead

Carotid pulse: side of neck

Femoral pulse: side of leg / groin

Question 28

What is blood pressure and what Sipo you measure it with?

Answer 28

Measure of the outward force exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels.

Measured with a sphygmomanometer.

Question 29

What is your heart rate?

Answer 29

Number of times the heart beats per minute.

Question 30

What is the stroke volume?

Answer 30

The output of blood from the heart in one beat.

Question 31

What is the cardiac output and how would you calculate it?

Answer 31

Total output of blood from heart in one minute.

Cardiac output = stroke volume x heart rate.

Question 32

What does the respiratory system consist of?

Answer 32

Larynx, trachea, bronchus, bronchioles, alveoli, ribs, diaphragm and intercostal muscles.