transport animals Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a transport system?

A

The system that transports required
substances around the body of an
organism

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2
Q

Why are specialised transport
systems needed in
multicellular animals?

A
• High metabolic demands (need 
lots of O2 and food & produce lots 
of waste products) so diffusion 
over long distances isn’t enough 
to supply the quantities needed
• SA:V ratio gets smaller as 
multicellular organisms get bigger, 
so the amount of surface area 
available to absorb or remove 
substances gets relatively smaller
• Molecules e.g. hormones or 
enzymes may be made in one 
place but needed in another 
• Food will be digested in one organ 
system, but needs to be 
transported to every cell for use in 
respiration and other aspects of 
cell metabolism 
• Waste products of metabolism 
need to be removed from the cells 
and transported to excretory 
organs
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3
Q

What is a circulatory system?

A
The transport system of an animal 
• Liquid transport medium that 
circulates around the system 
(blood)
• Vessels that carry the transport 
medium 
• Pumping mechanisms to move the 
fluid around the system
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4
Q

What is a mass transport

system?

A

A transport system where
substances are transported in a
mass of fluid

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5
Q

What is an open circulatory

system?

A
A circulatory system with a heart but 
few vessels to contain the transport 
medium. 
• Transport medium is pumped 
straight from the heart into the 
body cavity (haemocoel) , then it 
comes into direct contact with the 
tissues and the cells 
• This is where exchange takes 
place between the transport 
medium and the cells 
• Transport medium returns to the 
heart through an open-ended 
vessel
• Mainly found in invertebrate 
animals inc. insects and molluscs
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6
Q

Describe the circulatory

system in insects

A
• Insect blood = haemolymph; it 
doesn’t carry O2 or CO2, it 
transports food and nitrogenous 
waste products & cells involved in 
defence against disease
• Body cavity is split by membrane 
and the heart extends along the 
length of the thorax and abdomen
• The haemolymph circulates, but 
steep diffusion gradient cannot be 
maintained for efficient diffusion
• Amount of haemolymph flowing 
through a particular tissue can’t be 
varied to meet changing demands
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7
Q

What is a closed circulatory

system?

A
A circulatory system where the 
blood is enclosed in blood vessels 
and does not come into direct 
contact with the cells of the body 
beyond the blood vessels 
• Amount of blood flowing to a 
particular tissue can be adjusted 
by widening or narrowing of blood 
vessels 
• Contain a blood pigment that 
carries the respiratory gases
• Found in many different animal 
phyla including: echinoderms, 
cephalopod molluscs, annelid 
worms and vertebrate groups 
(including mammals)
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8
Q

What is a single closed

circulatory system?

A
A circulatory system where the 
blood flows through the heart and is 
pumped out to travel all around the 
body before returning to the heart
• Blood passes through 2 sets of 
capillaries before it returns to the 
heart 
• 1st: Exchanges O2 and CO2
• 2nd: In the different organ 
systems, substances are 
exchanged between the blood and 
the cells 
• Due to passing though these 2 
sets of very narrow vessels, blood 
pressure in the system drops, and 
so the blood returns back to the 
heart slowly 
• Limits efficiency of the exchange 
processes, so the activity of 
animals tends to be relatively low
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9
Q

Explain how fish can be so
active with a single closed
circulatory system

A
• Low metabolic demands on their 
bodies and efficient gaseous 
exchange 
• Body weight is supported by water 
they live in and they don’t maintain 
their own body temperature
• Countercurrent gaseous exchange 
mechanism in their gills that allows 
them to take lots of O2 from water
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10
Q

What is a double closed

circulatory system?

A
A circulatory system where the 
blood travels twice through the heart 
for each circulation of the body. 
Most efficient system for 
transporting substances around the 
body and involves 2 separate 
circulations
• 1st: Blood is pumped from the 
heart to the lungs to pick up O2 
and unload CO2, and then returns 
to the heart 
• 2nd: Blood flows through the heart 
and is pumped out to travel all 
around the body before returning 
to the heart again
Each circulate only passes through 
one capillary network, meaning that 
a high pressure and fast flow of 
blood can be maintained
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11
Q
Describe the following 
components found in some 
blood vessels: 
1. Elastic fibres 
2. Smooth muscle 
3. Collagen
A
1. Composed of elastin and can 
stretch and recoil, providing 
vessel walls with flexibility 
2. Contracts or relaxes, which 
changes the size of the lumen 
3. Provides structural support to 
maintain the shape and volume 
of the vessel
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12
Q

Describe the roles of arteries

A
Carry blood away from the heart to 
the tissues of the body
• Carry oxygenated blood 
• EXCEPT in the pulmonary artery, 
which carries deoxygenated 
blood from the heart to the lungs, 
and the umbilical artery (during 
pregnancy) which carries 
deoxygenated blood form the 
foetus to the placenta 
• Blood in arteries is under higher 
pressure than blood in the veins
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13
Q

Describe the structure of

arteries

A
Artery walls contain elastic fibres, 
smooth muscle and collagen. The 
outer layer of an artery (endothelium) 
is smooth so the blood flows easily 
over it
Wall consists of 3 layers:
• Inner layer (tunica intima) consists 
of a thin layer of elastic tissue 
which allows the wall to stretch 
(within limits maintained by 
collagen) to take the larger blood 
volume, and then recoil to help 
maintain blood pressure 
• Middle layer (tunica media) 
consists of a thick layer of smooth 
muscle 
• Outer layer (tunica adventitia) is a 
relatively thick layer of collagen 
and elastic tissue. This provides 
strength to withstand the high 
pressure, and recoil to maintain 
the pressure
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14
Q

What happens to the elastic
fibres in between the
contractions of the heart?

A
The elastic fibres recoil ad return to 
their original length, helping to even 
out the surges of blood pumped 
from the heart to give a continuous 
flow
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15
Q

Describe the structure of

arterioles

A
• Arterioles link the arteries and the 
capillaries 
• Have more smooth muscle and 
less elastin in their walls than 
arteries, as they have little pulse 
surge 
• Can constrict or dilate to control 
the flow of blood into individual 
organs 
• Vasoconstriction: when the 
smooth muscle in the arteriole 
contracts, it constricts the vessel 
and prevent blood flowing into a 
capillary bed
• Vasodilation: when the smooth 
muscle in the wall of an arteriole 
relaxes, blood flows into the 
capillary bed
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16
Q

What are capillaries?

A
Microscopic blood vessels that link 
the arterioles with the venues, 
forming and extensive network 
through all the tissues of the body. 
They have very thin walls and allow 
the exchange of materials between 
the bloc and tissue fluid
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17
Q

How are capillaries adapted for

their role?

A
• Provide a very large surface area 
for the dissuasion of substances 
into and out of the blood 
• Walls are 1 endothelial cell thick, 
giving a very thin layer for diffusion 
• Total cross sectional area of the 
capillaries is always greater than 
the arteriole supplying them so the 
rate of blood flow falls 
• Slow movement of blood through 
capillaries gives more time for 
exchange of materials by diffusion 
between the blood and the cells 
• Lumen is very narrow so red blood 
cells squeeze against the walls as 
they pass through, helping the 
transfer of O2 as it reduces 
diffusion path to the tissues. Also 
increases resistances and reduces 
rate fo flow 
• Walls are leaky allowing blood 
plasma and dissolved substances 
to leave the blood
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18
Q

Describe the roles of veins

A
• Carry blood away from the cells of 
the body towards the heart 
• They carry deoxygenated blood 
• EXCEPT pulmonary vein (carries 
oxygenated blood from the Lins to 
the heart), and umbilical vein 
(carries oxygenated blood from the 
placenta to the foetus)
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19
Q

Describe the structure of veins

A
• Walls have lots of collagen, 
relatively little elastic fibre and the 
vessels have a wide lumen smooth 
endothelium to ease blood flow
• Thinner layers of collagen, smooth 
muscle and elastic tissue than in 
artery walls (because they don’t 
need to stretch and recoil and are 
not actively constricted in order to 
reduce blood flow)
• Contain valves to help the blood 
flow back to the heart and prevent 
it flowing in the opposite directions
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20
Q

How is blood kept flowing in

the right direction in veins?

A
• As walls are thin, veins can be 
flattened by the action of 
surrounding skeletal muscle 
• Contraction of the surrounding 
skeletal muscle applies pressure 
to the blood, forcing the blood to 
move along in a direction 
determined by the valves
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21
Q

Do veins have a pulse?

A

No. The surges from the heart
pumping are lost as the blood
passes through the narrow
capillaries.

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22
Q

Describe venules

A
• They link the capillaries with the 
veins 
• They have very thin layers of 
muscle and elastic tissue outside 
the endothelium, and a thin outer 
layer of collagen 
• Several venules join to form a vein
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23
Q

What are the adaptations of
veins to overcome the problem
of transporting blood under
low pressure?

A
• Most veins have one way valves at 
intervals (flaps or inholdings of the 
inner lining of the vein) that only 
open when blood flows in the 
direction of the heart
• Many of the bigger veins run 
between the big active muscles in 
the body; when the muscles 
contract, they squeeze the veins, 
forcing blood towards the heart 
• Breathing movements of the chest 
act as a pump. The pressure 
changes and squeezing actions 
move blood in veins of the chest 
and abdomen towards the heart
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24
Q

What does blood consist of?

A
• Plasma (55%) - main component; 
yellow fluid containing many 
dissolved substances and carrying 
blood cells
• Red blood cells (erythrocytes)
• White blood cells (leucocytes)
• Platelets - fragments of large cells 
called megakaryocytes, and they 
are involved in the clotting 
mechanism of the blood 
• Dissolved glucose, amino acids, 
mineral ions, hormones 
• Large plasma proteins
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25
Q

Describe 3 plasma proteins

A
• Albumin - important for maintain 
the osmotic potential in the blood 
• Fibrinogen - important in blood 
clotting 
• Globulins - involved in transport 
and the immune system
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26
Q

What are the functions of the

blood?

A
Maintenance of a steady body 
temperature 
• Acts as a buffer, minimising pH 
changes 
Transport of:
• O2 to, and CO2 from, the respiring 
cells 
• Digested food from the small 
intestine 
• Nitrogenous waste products from 
the cells to the excretory organs 
• Hormones 
• Food molecules from storage 
compounds to the cells that need 
them 
• Platelets to damaged areas
• Cells and antibodies involved in 
the immune response
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27
Q

What is oncotic pressure?

A
The tendency of water to move into 
the blood in the capillaries from the 
surrounding fluid by osmosis as a 
result of the plasma proteins (which 
gibe the blood in the capillaries a 
low water potential)
• - 3.3 kPa
28
Q

What is hydrostatic pressure?

A
The pressure created by water in an 
enclosed system. As blood flows 
through the arterioles into the 
capillaries, it is still under pressure 
every time the heart contacts. This is 
hydrostatic pressure 
• 4.6 kPa at arterial end 
• 2.3 kPa at venous end
29
Q

What is tissue fluid?

A
The solution surrounding the cells of 
multicellular animals. Similar to 
blood plasma, but doesn’t contain 
most of the cells found in blood, nor 
does it contain plasma proteins
Diffusion takes places between the 
blood and the cells through the 
tissue fluid
30
Q

Describe the formation of

tissue fluid

A
• At the arterial end, hydrostatic 
pressure is higher than oncotic 
pressure attracting water in by 
osmosis, so fluid is squeezed out 
of the capillaries 
• This fluid fills the spaces between 
the cells and is called tissue fluid
31
Q

What happens as blood moves
through the capillaries towards
the venous system?

A
The balance of forces changes
• Hydrostatic pressure falls to 
2.3kPa in the vessels, as fluid has 
moved out and the pulse is lost 
• Oncotic pressure is now stronger 
than hydrostatic pressure, so 
water moves back into the 
capillaries by osmosis 
• By the time blood returns to veins, 
90% of the tissue fluid is back in 
the blood vessels
32
Q

What is lymph?

A
Modified tissue fluid that is collected 
in the lymph system
• 10% of the liquid that leaves the 
blood vessels drains into lymph 
capillaries
• Similar in composition to plasma 
and tissue fluid, but has less O2
and fewer nutrients
• Contains fatty acids absorbed 
from villi in the small intestine
33
Q

How is fluid in lymph vessels

transported?

A
• Through the squeezing of body 
muscles 
• One-way valves (like in veins) 
prevent back flow 
• Eventually lymph returns to the 
blood, flowing into the right and 
left subclavian veins
34
Q

Describe the lymph nodes

A
• Found along the lymph vessels 
• Lymphocytes build up here when 
necessary and produce antibodies 
which are then passed into the 
blood 
• Also intercept bacteria and debris 
from the lymph, which are 
ingested by phagocytes found in 
the nodes 
• Major sites: neck, armpits, 
stomach, groin
35
Q

What are enlarged lymph

nodes a sign of?

A

That the body is fighting off an

invading pathogen

36
Q
Describe haemoglobin (in 
terms of transporting oxygen)
A
Very larger globular conjugated 
protein made up of 4 peptide 
chain, each with a Fe2+ containing 
haem group which is said to have 
a high affinity for oxygen 
• The Fe2+ ion can attract and hold a 
single O2 molecule
• 300 million haemoglobin 
molecules in each red blood cell, 
and each can bind to 4 O2
molecules
37
Q

What is the reaction for oxygen

binding with haemoglobin?

A

Hb + 4O2 ⇌ Hb(O2)4

haemoglobin + oxygen ⇌ oxyhaemoglobin

38
Q

Describe how oxygen is

carried by erythrocytes

A
1. In the lungs, O2 moves into the 
erythrocytes and binds with the 
haemoglobin 
2. Arrangement of haemoglobin 
molecule means that as soon as 
one O2 molecule binds to a 
haem group, the molecule 
changes shape, making it easier 
for the next O2 molecules to bind 
(known as positive cooperativity)
3. O2 is bound to the haemoglobin 
so, free O2 concentration in the 
erythrocyte stays low and steep 
diffusion gradient is maintained 
until all of the haemoglobin is 
saturated with O2
4. When blood reaches body 
tissues, O2 moves out of the 
erythrocytes down a 
concentration gradient 
5. Once the first O2 molecule is 
released by the haemoglobin, 
the molecule changes shape, 
and it becomes easier to remove 
the remaining O2 molecules
39
Q

What is an oxygen dissociation

curve?

A
Graph showing the relationship 
between oxygen and haemoglobin 
at different partial pressures of 
oxygen (pO2)
• They show the affinity of 
haemoglobin for oxygen
40
Q

Describe the oxygen

dissociation curve graph

A
• A very small change in the pO2 in 
the surrounds makes a significant 
difference to the saturation of the 
haemoglobin with O2 because 
once the first O2 is added, change 
in shape of molecule means other 
O2 are added rapidly 
• Curve levels out at highest pO2s 
because all the haem groups are 
bound to O2 so the haemoglobin is 
saturated
41
Q

What is the effect of partial
pressure on the movement of
oxygen in the body?

A
• High pO2 in the lungs means that 
the haemoglobin in erythrocytes is 
rapidly loaded with O2
• Relatively small drop in respiring 
tissues means O2 is released 
rapidly from the haemoglobin to 
diffuse into the cells 
• This effect is enhanced by 
relatively low pH in tissues 
compared with the lungs
42
Q

How much of the O2 carried in
erythrocytes is released into
the body cells when you’re not
very active?

A

• Only 25%
• The rest acts as a reservoir for
when the demands of the body
increase suddenly

43
Q

What is the effect of carbon

dioxide?

A
At high partial pressures of CO2, 
haemoglobin gives up oxygen more 
easily. This is known as the Bohr 
effect 
• Bohr shift on oxygen dissociation 
curve = shift to the right 
Important in the body because as a 
result:
• In active tissues with high pCO2, 
haemoglobin gives up its O2 more 
readily 
• In the lungs where the proportion 
of CO2 in the air is relatively low, 
O2 bids to the haemoglobin 
molecules easily
44
Q

What is the difference between
fetal and adult haemoglobin
and why?

A
Fetal haemoglobin has a higher 
affinity for oxygen than adult 
haemoglobin at each point along the 
dissociation curve
• Foetus completely depends on its 
mother to supply it with oxygen
• Mother’s oxygenated blood runs 
close to the deoxygenated fetal 
blood in the placenta 
• If fetal blood had the same affinity 
for O2 as the blood of the mother, 
the little or no O2 would be 
transferred to the blood of the 
foetus 
• Fetal haemoglobin has a higher 
affinity for O2, so it removes O2
from the maternal blood as they 
move past each other
• Fetal haemoglobin on oxygen 
dislocation curve = shift to the left
45
Q

What are the 3 ways in which

carbon dioxide is transported?

A
• 5% is dissolved in the plasma 
• 10-20% is combined with the main 
groups in polypeptide chain of 
haemoglobin to form a compound 
called carbaminohaemoglobin
• 75-85% is converted into 
hydrogencarbonate ions (HCO3-) in 
the cytoplasm of red blood cells
46
Q

What happens when CO2

diffuses into red blood cells?

A
It combines with water to form a 
weak acid called carbonic acid. This 
reaction is catalysed the enzyme 
carbonic anhydrase 
CO2 + H2O ⇌ H2CO3
The carbonic acid then dissociates 
to release H+ and HCO3- ions 
H2CO3 ⇌ HCO3- + H+
47
Q

What happens to the HCO3-

and H+ ions next?

A
Hydrogencarbonate ions (HCO3-)
• Diffuse out of the red blood cell 
into the plasma 
• Chloride shift - charge in the red 
blood cell is maintained by the 
movement of chloride ions (Cl-) 
from the plasma into the red blood 
cell 
Hydrogen ions (H+)
• Build of of these could cause the 
contents of the red blood cell to 
become very acidic 
• Taken out of solution by 
associating with haemoglobin to 
produce haemoglobinic acid (HHb)
• The haemoglobin is acting as a 
buffer (a compound that maintains 
a constant pH)
48
Q

What is the benefit of
converting the carbon dioxide
into hydrogencarbonate ions?

A

Carbon dioxide must be removed from the body or it makes the blood dangerously acidic .Since carbon dioxide is quickly converted into bicarbonate ions, this reaction allows for the continued uptake of carbon dioxide into the blood down its concentration gradient

49
Q

What happens when the blood

reaches the lung tissue?

A
• Relatively low concentration of 
carbon dioxide 
• Carbonic anhydrase catalyses the 
reverse reaction, breaking down 
carbonic acid into CO2 and water
• HCO3- ions diffuse back into the 
erythrocytes and react with H+
ions to form more carbonic acid
• When this is broken down by 
carbonic anhydrase it releases free 
CO2, which diffuses out of the 
blood into the lungs 
• Cl- ions diffuse out of the 
erythrocytes back into the plasma 
down an electrochemical gradient
50
Q

Describe the Bohr effect

A
Effect an increasing concentration of 
CO2 has on haemoglobin 
• CO2 enters erythrocytes forming 
carbonic acid, which dissociates 
to release H+ ions 
• H+ ions make pH of cytoplasm 
more acidic 
• Acidity alters tertiary structure of 
haemoglobin and reduces the 
affinity of it for O2
• Haemoglobin is unable to hold as 
much O2, and O2 is released from 
the oxyhemoglobin to the tissues
• Respiring tissues = more CO2, so 
more O2 will be released
51
Q

Why is the Bohr effect

important?

A
It results in more O2 being released 
where more CO2 is produced in 
respiration, which is what muscle 
need for aerobic respiration to 
continue
52
Q

Describe the flow of blood

through the right side of the heart

A
Deoxygenated blood 
1. Enters the right atrium from the 
superior and inferior vena cave 
at relatively low pressure 
2. As blood flows in, slight pressure 
builds up until the AV valve 
opens to let blood pass into the 
right ventricle 
3. When both the atrium and 
ventricle are filled with blood, the 
atrium contracts, forcing all the 
blood into the right ventricle and 
stretching the ventricle walls 
4. As right ventricle starts to 
contract, AV valve closes, 
preventing back-flow of blood
5. Tendinous cords make sure that 
the valves are not turned inside 
out by the pressures exerted 
when the ventricle contracts 
6. Right ventricle contracts fully 
and pumps oxygenated blood 
through the semilunar valves into 
the pulmonary artery, which 
transports it to the capillary beds 
of the lungs. Semilunar valves 
prevent back-flow of blood into 
the heart.
53
Q

Describe the flow of blood

through the left side of the heart

A
Oxygenated blood 
1. Enters the left atrium from the 
pulmonary vein 
2. As pressure in the atrium builds, 
the AV valve opens, so the 
ventricle also fills with blood
3. When both the atrium and 
ventricle are full, the atrium 
contracts, forcing all the blood 
into the left ventricle 
4. The left ventricle then contracts 
and pumps oxygenated blood 
through semilunar valves into the 
aorta and around the body 
5. As the ventricle contracts, the AV 
valve closes, preventing any 
back flow of blood
54
Q
How are the following 
chambers adapted for the 
blood pressure they handle? 
1. Atria 
2. Right ventricle 
3. Left ventricle
A
Atria 
• Muscle of atrial walls is very thin 
• These chambers do not need to 
create much pressure 
• Function is to receive blood from 
veins and push it into ventricles
Right Ventricle 
• Thicker walls than atria 
• Needed to pump blood out heart 
• Pumps deoxygenated blood to the 
lungs, which are beside the heart, 
so blood doesn’t travel very far
• Alveoli in the lungs are very 
delicate and could be damaged by 
very high blood pressure 
Left Ventricle 
• Walls 2 or 3 times thicker than RV 
• Blood from LV pumped out aorta 
so needs enough pressure to 
overcome the resistance of 
systemic circulation
55
Q

What is the cardiac cycle?

A

The events of a single heartbeat
(which lasts about 0.8 seconds in a
human adult), composed of diastole
and systole

56
Q

What happens in diastole?

A
• The heart relaxes 
• The atria and then the ventricles fill 
with blood 
• Volume and pressure of blood in 
the heart builds as the heart fills, 
but the pressure in the arteries is 
at a minimum
57
Q

What happens in systole?

A
• The atria contract (atrial systole) 
followed by the ventricles 
(ventricular systole)
• Pressure inside the heart increases 
dramatically and blood is forced 
out of the right side of the heart to 
the lungs, and from the left side to 
the main body circulation 
• Volume and pressure of the blood 
in the heart are low at the end of 
systole 
• Blood pressure in the arteries is at 
a maximum
58
Q

Describe pressure changes

during the cardiac cycle

A
Aortic pressure (brown)
• Rises when ventricles contract as 
blood is forced into the aorta 
• Then gradually falls but never below 
12 kPa, as the elasticity of its wall 
creates a recoil action 
• Recoil produces a temporary rise in 
pressure at the start of the relaxation 
phase 
Atrial pressure (pink)
• Always relatively low because thin 
walls of the atrium can’t create 
much force 
• Highest when they are contracting, 
but drops when the left AV valve 
closes and its walls relax 
• Atria then fill with blood leading to a 
gradual build-up of pressure 
• Slight drop when left AV valve closes 
and some blood moves into the 
ventricle 
Ventricular pressure (yellow)
• Low at first, but gradually increases 
as the ventricles fill with blood as 
the atria contract 
• Left AV valves close and pressure 
rises dramatically as thick walls of 
ventricle contract
• As pressure rises above aortic 
pressure, blood is forced into the 
aorta past the semilunar valves 
• Pressure falls as the ventricles 
empty and the walls relax 
Ventricular volume (green)
• Rises as atria contract and ventricles 
fill with blood, then drops suddenly 
as blood is forced out into the aorta 
when the semilunar valve opens
• Volume increases again as the 
ventricles fill with blood
59
Q

Describe the sounds of the

heartbeat

A
• Made by blood pressure closing 
the heart valves 
• Two sounds of a heartbeat are 
described as “lub-dub”
• 1st sound is when blood is forced 
against the AV valves as ventricles 
contract 
• 2nd sound is when a back flow of 
blood closes the semilunar valves 
in the aorta and pulmonary artery 
as the ventricles relax
60
Q

Why is cardiac muscle said to

be ‘myogenic’?

A
It has its own intrinsic rhythm at 
around 60 bpm. 
• Prevents the body wasting 
resources to maintain basic heart 
rate 
• Average resting heart rate of an 
adult is 70 bpm because other 
factors also affect heart rate (e.g. 
exercise, excitement and stress) 
• Basic rhythm of the heart is 
maintained by a wave of electrical 
excitation
61
Q

How is the basic rhythm of the

heart maintained?

A
1. A wave of electrical excitation 
begins in the pacemaker area 
called the SAN, causing atria to 
contract and so initiating the 
heartbeat. Layer of nonconducting tissue prevents 
excitation passing directly to the 
ventricles 
2. Electrical activity form the SAN 
is picked up the the AVN, which 
imposes a slight delay before 
stimulating the bundle of His ( a 
bundle of conducting tissue 
made up of Purkyne fibres) 
which penetrate through the 
septum between the ventricles 
3. bundle of His splits into 2 
branches and conducts the 
wave of exception to the apex of 
the heart 
4. At the apex, the Purkyne fibres 
spread out through the walls of 
the ventricles on both sides, 
Spread of excitation triggers 
contracting of ventricles, starting 
at apex. Starting here allows 
more efficient emptying of the 
ventricles
62
Q

What is the importance of the
delay is the spread of the
excitation from the SAN to the
AVN?

A

Ensures that the atria have stopped
contracting before the ventricles
start

63
Q

What is an electrocardiogram

(ECG)?

A
A technique for measuring tiny 
changes in the electrical 
conductivity of the skin that result 
from the electrical activity of the 
heart. This produces a trace that can 
be used to analyse the health of the 
heart
64
Q

What is tachycardia?

A
• Heartbeat is very rapid; >100 bpm
• Normal during exercise, fever, fear 
or anger 
• If abnormal, may be caused by 
problems in electrical control of 
heart
• Treated by medication or surgery
65
Q

What is bradycardia?

A
• Heart rate slows down < 60 bpm
• Common in people who are fit - 
training makes heart beat more 
slowly and efficiently 
• Severe bradycardia can be serious 
and may need an artificial 
pacemaker
66
Q

What is ectopic heartbeat?

A
• Extra heartbeats that are out of 
normal rhythm 
• Most people have at least 1 a day 
• Usually normal but can be linked 
to serious conditions when they 
are frequent
67
Q

What is atrial fibrillation (example of

arrythmia)?

A
• Abnormal rhythm of the heart 
• Rapid electrical impulses generated 
in atria so they contract very fast 
and not properly
• Only some of impulses passed to 
ventricles, which therefore contract 
less often, so heart doesn’t pump 
blood effectively