Transport Flashcards
What are the four components of blood?
1) Plasma
2) Platelets
3) Red blood cells
4) White blood cells
What does plasma do?
Carries nutrients around your body to the bodies cells
What does platelets do?
Clot the blood when blood vessels are exposed to prevent excessive bleeding
What does red blood cells do?
Have a biconcave shape, and contains haemoglobin to carry oxygen around the body to the muscles
What do white blood cells do?
Protect the body against disease by either producing antibodies or engulfing pathogens
What are pathogens?
Microorganisms that cause disease
What do phagocytes do?
Phagocytes ingest pathogens:
1) Detect foreign things and engulf and digest them
2) They are non specific
What do lymphocytes do?
Produce antibodies:
1) Every pathogen has unique molecules called antigens, lymphocytes produces antibodies that are specific to that antigen
2) Memory cells are also produced in this process so if the same pathogen was to return it could be killed even quicker
How does vaccination protect from future infections?
Vaccinations produce memory cells so when the person gets infected again the antibodies will be produced faster and in greater numbers
What are the features of arteries and what do they carry?
Arteries carry oxygenated blood:
Small lumen
Thick elastic fibres and smooth muscles
Carry blood under pressure
What are the features of capillaries and what do they do?
Arteries branch into capillaries:
One cell thick wall
Very small lumen
What are the features of veins and what do they do?
Carry deoxygenated blood:
Large lumen
Thin elastic fibres and smooth muscles
Has valves
Carries blood at a low pressure
Why does heart rate increase when you exercise?
When you exercise your muscles need more energy so you respire more
This means you need more oxygen so your heart rate increases
What does pulmonary mean?
Lungs
What does hepatic mean?
Liver
