Topic 1 Circulatory Systems Flashcards
What percentage of a cell’s contents is made up of water?
About 80%
Water is crucial for various biological functions within cells.
What is one key function of water in biological systems?
Water is a solvent
Most biological reactions occur in solution, making water essential.
How does water facilitate the transport of substances?
Water transports substances by dissolving them
Substances like glucose and oxygen can be transported easily when dissolved in water.
What is the chemical structure of a water molecule?
One atom of oxygen joined to two atoms of hydrogen
The structure involves shared electrons between the atoms.
What charge does the oxygen atom in a water molecule carry?
Slightly negative charge
This is due to the unshared negative electrons on the oxygen atom.
What charge do the hydrogen atoms in a water molecule carry?
Slightly positive charge
This occurs because the shared electrons are pulled toward the oxygen atom.
What type of molecule is water considered due to its charge distribution?
Dipolar molecule
Water has a partial negative charge on one side and a partial positive charge on the other.
What is hydrogen bonding in relation to water?
Attraction between slightly negatively charged oxygen and slightly positively charged hydrogen
Hydrogen bonds give water its unique properties.
How does water’s dipolar nature contribute to its cohesiveness?
It allows water molecules to stick together
Cohesion helps water to flow and transport substances effectively.
What is cohesion?
Attraction between molecules of the same type
In water, this refers to the attraction between water molecules.
What type of substances does water dissolve effectively?
Ionic substances
This includes substances like salt, which consists of positive and negative ions.
Why do multicellular organisms require mass transport systems?
To deliver raw materials and remove waste
Diffusion alone is insufficient due to the larger distances in multicellular organisms.
What is the role of the circulatory system in mammals?
It pumps blood around the body
The system transports nutrients and oxygen to cells while removing metabolic waste.
Fill in the blank: Water’s dipole nature makes it useful as a _______ in living organisms.
solvent
This property allows important ions and substances to dissolve in biological fluids.
True or False: In single-celled organisms, raw materials can diffuse directly into the cell.
True
The short distances allow for quick diffusion.
What do individual cells in tissues and organs obtain from the blood?
Nutrients and oxygen
They also dispose of metabolic waste into the blood.
Explain how the structure of water enables it to transport substances.
Water’s dipolar nature allows it to dissolve ionic substances and facilitates cohesion, aiding transport
The combination of these properties makes water an effective transport medium.
What are the two main muscular pumps of the heart?
Left ventricle and right ventricle
The heart consists of two muscular pumps that work together to circulate blood.
What is the main function of the left ventricle?
To pump blood all the way round the body
The left ventricle has thicker walls to contract powerfully for this purpose.
What is the primary role of the right ventricle?
To pump blood to the lungs
The right side of the heart only needs to get blood to the lungs, which are nearby.
Why do the ventricles have thicker walls than the atria?
Because they have to push blood out of the heart
Atria only need to push blood a short distance into the ventricles.
What are atrioventricular (AV) valves responsible for?
Linking the atria to the ventricles and preventing backflow into the atria
Cords attach the AV valves to the ventricles to ensure they do not get forced up into the atria.
What do semi-lunar (SL) valves do?
Link the ventricles to the pulmonary artery and aorta, preventing backflow into the heart
These valves operate after the ventricles contract.
How do valves in the heart function?
They open or close based on the relative pressure of the heart chambers
Higher pressure behind a valve forces it open, while higher pressure in front forces it shut.
What is the function of arteries?
Carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body
Arteries are thick-walled and muscular to withstand high pressure.
What is the structure of veins?
Wider than arteries, with thin walls and valves to prevent backflow
Veins carry blood back to the heart under lower pressure.
What are capillaries and their primary function?
The smallest blood vessels where metabolic exchange occurs
Capillary walls are only one cell thick to facilitate diffusion.
Fill in the blank: The inner lining of arteries is called _______.
endothelium
The endothelium is folded to allow expansion under high pressure.
What is the significance of capillary beds?
Increase the surface area for exchange
This structure helps in the efficient exchange of substances like glucose and oxygen.
True or False: The left ventricle has thinner walls than the right ventricle.
False
The left ventricle has thicker walls due to its role in pumping blood throughout the body.
What precautions should be taken during a heart dissection?
Cut away from yourself and disinfect work surfaces
Safety is paramount to avoid injury and contamination.
Describe the structure of an artery.
Thick muscular walls with elastic tissue and folded endothelium
This structure helps arteries cope with high pressure from the heartbeat.
What are the three stages of the cardiac cycle?
- Ventricular diastole, atrial systole
- Ventricular systole, atrial diastole
- Cardiac diastole
These stages describe the sequence of events in the heart during each cycle of pumping blood.
What occurs during ventricular diastole, atrial systole?
The atria contract, decreasing the volume of the chambers and increasing the pressure inside the chambers, pushing blood into the ventricles.
This stage involves the opening of AV valves and slight increase in ventricular pressure.
What happens during ventricular systole, atrial diastole?
The ventricles contract, decreasing their volume and increasing their pressure, forcing the AV valves shut and opening the SL valves to eject blood into the aorta and pulmonary artery.
This prevents back-flow and ensures blood is pushed out of the heart.
What is the role of the AV valves during the cardiac cycle?
The AV valves open to allow blood flow from the atria to the ventricles and close to prevent back-flow during ventricular contraction.
AV stands for atrioventricular valves.
What occurs during cardiac diastole?
The ventricles and atria relax, SL valves close to prevent back-flow, and blood fills the atria from the vena cava and pulmonary vein.
This relaxation phase prepares the heart for the next cycle.
True or False: The pressure in the ventricles is always higher than in the atria during the cardiac cycle.
False.
The pressure in the ventricles is lower than in the atria during the relaxation phase (cardiac diastole) which allows the AV valves to open.
Fill in the blank: Blood starts flowing into the aorta when the ventricles are _______.
[contracting]
This occurs during ventricular systole when the pressure in the ventricles exceeds that in the aorta.
What causes the SL valves to close during the cardiac cycle?
Higher pressure in the pulmonary artery and aorta compared to the ventricles.
This prevents back-flow of blood into the ventricles.
What is the heart rate of a person if one cardiac cycle takes 0.54 seconds?
110 beats per minute
Calculated by dividing 60 seconds by 0.54 seconds per cycle.
During which phase do the AV valves open?
During cardiac diastole when the pressure in the atria exceeds that in the ventricles.
This allows passive filling of the ventricles.
What happens to the pressure in the ventricles during ventricular systole?
The pressure increases as the ventricles contract.
This increase in pressure is necessary to eject blood into the arteries.
Between what times are the AV valves shut?
Between the times when the ventricles are contracting and the pressure in the ventricles is higher than in the atria.
This typically occurs during ventricular systole.
Describe what happens to the ventricles and atria during cardiac diastole.
Both ventricles and atria relax, filling with blood as the pressure in the atria rises above that in the ventricles.
This phase prepares the heart for the next contraction.
What is a microscope slide?
A strip of clear glass or plastic used to hold specimens for viewing under a microscope.
What are the two main ways of preparing a microscope slide?
- Dry mount
- Wet mount
Describe the process of creating a wet mount.
- Pipette a small drop of water onto the slide.
- Use tweezers to place the specimen on top of the water drop.
- Tilt and lower a cover slip onto the specimen to avoid air bubbles.
- Optionally, add a stain by placing a drop next to the cover slip and using a paper towel to draw it under.
What is a dry mount?
A method where the specimen is placed directly on the slide with a cover slip on top, without adding water or stain.
What is the first step in using a light microscope?
Clip the slide containing the specimen onto the stage.
Which objective lens should be selected first when using a light microscope?
The lowest-powered objective lens.
What is the purpose of the coarse adjustment knob?
To move the stage up or down to bring the specimen into focus.
How do you calculate the heart rate of Daphnia?
Count the number of heartbeats in 20 seconds and multiply by three to get beats per minute.
What is the effect of caffeine concentration on Daphnia heart rate?
Heart rate increases as caffeine concentration increases.
What should be done to ensure valid results when investigating the effect of caffeine on heart rate?
Keep other factors constant, such as temperature and type of Daphnia.
What ethical concerns are associated with using invertebrates in experiments?
- Lack of consent from the animals
- Potential for causing distress or suffering
- The debate over whether it’s acceptable to experiment on simpler organisms compared to vertebrates.
True or False: Daphnia are considered vertebrates.
False
Fill in the blank: A good way to visualize the effect of caffeine concentration on heart rate is to draw a _______.
[graph]
List the steps to investigate the effect of caffeine on Daphnia heart rate.
- Prepare caffeine solutions of different concentrations
- Transfer Daphnia to a cavity slide
- Add caffeine solution and wait for absorption
- Observe under a microscope and count heartbeats
- Repeat with different concentrations and a control solution.
What is the purpose of the fine adjustment knob?
To refine the focus of the image until it is clear.
What is a control solution in an experiment?
A solution that has no caffeine, used for comparison against other concentrations.
What is the relationship between caffeine concentration and heart rate as shown in the experiment?
A positive correlation exists; as caffeine concentration increases, heart rate also increases.
What is the first step in preparing a microscope slide?
Put the specimen on a slide.
What are the two main ways of preparing a microscope slide?
- Dry mount
- Wet mount
What is a wet mount used for?
Looking at tiny organisms that live in water.
How do you create a wet mount slide?
Pipette a small drop of water onto the slide, place the specimen on top, and cover with a cover slip.
What should you avoid when placing the cover slip on a wet mount?
Getting air bubbles under the slip.
What is the purpose of adding a stain to a wet mount?
To enhance visibility of the specimen.
How is a dry mount slide prepared?
Place the specimen directly on the slide with a cover slip on top, without adding water or stain.
What is the first step when using a light microscope?
Clip the slide containing the specimen onto the stage.
What should you select before viewing a specimen under a microscope?
The lowest-powered objective lens.
What is the function of the coarse adjustment knob?
To move the stage up or down to focus the image.
What should you do if you need greater magnification after focusing?
Swap to a higher-powered objective lens and refocus.
How do you measure the heart rate of Daphnia?
Count the number of heartbeats in 20 seconds and multiply by three.
What should be kept constant when investigating the effect of caffeine on heart rate?
- Temperature
- Volume of caffeine solution
What does a positive correlation in the results of the Daphnia experiment indicate?
As caffeine concentration increases, heart rate also increases.
What are some ethical considerations when experimenting on invertebrates?
- They cannot give consent
- They may be subjected to painful procedures
Why might some people find it more acceptable to experiment on invertebrates than vertebrates?
Invertebrates are considered simpler organisms with less sophisticated nervous systems.
Fill in the blank: The average heart rate is calculated by taking the average of _______ readings at each caffeine concentration.
10
True or False: It is ethical to cause distress or suffering to any living organism during experiments.
False
What is cardiovascular disease associated with?
The heart and blood vessels.
What is the first step in the formation of an atheroma?
Damage to the endothelium.
What are the components that clump together to form fatty streaks under the endothelium?
- White blood cells
- Lipids (fats)
- Connective tissue
What is the fibrous plaque formed during atheroma development called?
Atheroma.
What condition results from the hardening of arteries caused by atheromas?
Atherosclerosis.
What triggers thrombosis in arteries?
Rupture of an atheroma.