Transport in animals Flashcards
Explain why counter current flow is more efficient than parallel flow?
water and blood flow in opposite directions so the blood is always in contact with water that has a higher O2 concentration maintaining the conc gradient and allowing for more efficient diffusion
What 3 features do all transport systems in animals have?
1) A suitable medium in which to carry materials
2) A pump, such as the heart, for moving blood
3) valves to maintain the flow in one direction
What 2 features do some transport systems have?
1) A respiratory pigments, such as in vertebrates and some invertebrates, which increases the volume of oxygen which can be carried
2) A system of vessels with a branching network to distribute the transport medium to all parts of the body
What is an open circulatory system?
The blood does not move around the body in blood vessels but it bathes the tissue directly while held in a cavity called the haemocoel.
Describe the circulatory system in an insect
They have an open blood system.
They have a long, dorsal tube-shaped heart. It pumps blood out at low pressure into the haemocoel where materials are exchanged between the body and blood cells.
There is no respiratory pigment and therefore lack of respiratory gases in blood.
What is a closed circulatory system?
The blood moves in blood vessels
Describe the circulation in an earth worm
1) It has a single, closed circulation system
2) Respiratory gases carried in blood by haemoglobin
3) Blood moves forward in the dorsal vessel and is pumped into the ventral vessel by pseudohearts which are muscular blood vessels (vascularisation)
Describe the circulation in a fish
It has a closed, single circulatory system
The ventricle of the heart pumps deoxygenated blood to the gills. Oxygenated blood is carried to the tissues and then deoxygenated blood returns to the atrium of the heart
Why do mammals need a double circulation system?
The blood passes through the heart twice - blood pressure is reduced in the lungs and would be too low to provide the body’s tissues with nutrients quickly enough. Instead the blood is returned to the heart which raises its pressure again, to make sure circulation is efficient.
Why is double circulation in a mammal more efficient than single circulation in a fish?
Because oxygenated blood can be pumped around the body at higher pressure
What is the innermost layer of a blood vessel and what is its function?
Endothelium - it is one cell thick and is surrounded by the tunica intima.
It is a smooth lining, reducing friction with a minimum resistance to blood flow
What is the middle layer of the blood vessel and what is it made up of?
The tunica media - contains elastic fibres and smooth muscle
Why is the tunica media thicker in arteries than in veins?
Elastic fibres stretch and recoil, pushing blood through the artery. This maintains blood pressure as the blood is transported further from the heart.
What is the outer layer of the blood vessel called? What is it made of?
Tunica externa - it contains collagen fibres, which resist overstretching
What is the function of arteries?
Carry blood away from the heart. Their thick muscular walls withstand the pressure of the blood derived from the heart.
Arteries -> Arterioles -> Capillaries
How do capillaries help return blood to the heart?
Blood from the capillaries collects into venules, which take blood into veins.
How are veins different to arteries?
1) They have valves
2) They have a larger diameter lumen
3) Thinner walls with less muscle than arteries - blood pressure and flow rate are lower
How does blood return to the heart from veins?
For veins above the heart, blood returns to the heart by gravity and for other veins it moves by the pressure from surrounding muscles.
Describe the structure of capillaries
They have thin walls, which are only one layer of endothelium on a basement membrane.
There are pores between the cells making the walls permeable. So exchange of substances such as glucose and water can take place between blood and tissues.
How do capillaries function?
Capillaries reduce the rate of blood flow due to friction against their wall and this means that there is plenty of time for the exchange of materials.
Why can the heart be thought of as two separate pumps?
One deals with oxygenated blood - pumping blood to the rest of the body.
One deals with deoxygenated blood - pumping blood to the lungs.
What is the heart made of and why is this suitable?
It consists largely of cardiac muscle, a specialised tissue which can relax and contract rhythmically of its own accord.
It is involuntary muscle and unlike voluntary muscles it never tires.
How can heart rate be modified?
By nervous and hormonal stimulation
What is cardiac output?
The volume of blood expelled by the heart in one minute
How do you calculate cardiac output?
Stroke volume x number of heart beats per minute
What is the atrial systole?
The atrium walls contract and the blood pressure in the atria increases. This pushes the blood through the tricuspid/bicuspid valves, down into the ventricles which are relaxed.
What is ventricular systole?
The ventricle walls contract and increased blood pressure in the ventricles. This forces blood up through the semi-lunar valves, out of the heart into the pulmonary artery and aorta
Why do the bicuspid and tricuspid valves close? And what does this prevent?
They close when pressure in ventricles exceeds pressure in atria which prevents the back flow of blood