Unit 3: Cardiovascular & Respiratory Systems

Question 1

What is the cardiovascular system compromised of?

Answer 1

• heart
• blood vessels
• blood

Question 2

Where is the heart located?

Answer 2

Behind the sternum, just left of the centre

Question 3

The heart is a Cardiac muscle and is made up of thick muscular walls (myocardium) and is divided into halves. What are they?

Answer 3

• Right half receives blood from the body & pumps it to the Lungs
• Left half receives blood from the lungs & pumps it to the body

Question 4

There are 4 heart Chambers in total. What are they?

Answer 4

• 2 upper Chambers (atria) receive blood from the veins

- 2 lower Chambers (ventricles) pump blood into the arteries

Question 5

What is the purpose of the atrioventricular valve (AV)?

Answer 5

It separates the atria & ventricles and prevent the flow of blood back into the atria during ventricular contraction

Question 6

What is the purpose of the Semilunar valve?

Answer 6

To prevent the flow of blood back into the right (pulmonary valve) & left ventricles (aortic valve) during ventricular relaxation

Question 7

Where is the Sinoatrial node (SAN - The hearts pacemaker) located?

Answer 7

In the wall of the right atrium. It is stimulated to contract about 72 times per minute by the SAN as part of the automatic nervous system

Question 8

What is blood pressure?

Answer 8

It is a measure of the force that the blood applies to the walls of the arteries as it flows through them.

Question 9

How is blood pressure measured?

What is the optimal reading?

Answer 9

In millimetres of Mercury (mmHg) and is expressed using 2 numerical readings.

Optimal reading is written as 120/80mmHg which represent the systolic & diastolic blood pressure.

Question 10

What is Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP)?

Answer 10

Higher of the 2 numbers & is usually noted first. The pressure exerted on the artery walls when the Cardiac muscle is contracting and pumping blood. Caused by the rise in volume of blood flowing through the arteries with each beat

Question 11

What is Diastolic Blood Pressure (SBP)?

Answer 11

Lower of the 2 readings. It is the pressure exerted on the artery walls when the heart is in a relaxed state. The heart goes through this period of relaxation to allow the Chambers to fill with blood prior to contraction.

Question 12

What is it called when the blood vessels narrow & widen?

Answer 12

Vasconstrict - narrow

Vasodilate - widen

Question 13

Blood pressure is an expression of the arterial blood flow and the Peripheral resistance the blood encountera as it flows around the body.
What is the equation it can be expressed as?

Answer 13

Blood pressure = Cardiac output x Total Peripheral resistance

Question 14

What is Cardiac output?

Answer 14

The volume of blood pumped out by the heart in one minute (ml/min) the greater the Cardiac output, the higher the blood pressure

Question 15

What is Total Peripheral resistance?

Answer 15

The resistance the blood vessels offer to blood flow. The greater the resistance, the higher the blood pressure. It is increased by construction or decreased by dilation of the blood vessels

Question 16

What is the optimal blood pressure for reducing the risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease)?

Answer 16

120/80mmHg

Question 17

All mammals, including humans, have a double circulatory system. Blood passes through the heart on 2 occasions. What are they?

Answer 17

Pulmonary circulation - heart & lungs - chambers are the left atrium & right ventricle - blood vessels are the pulmonary artery & pulmonary vein.

Systemic circulation - heart & body - Chambers are the left ventricle & right atrium - blood vessels are the aorta & the inferior & superior vena cava. The inferior vena cava carries blood from the lower body. The superior vena cava carries blood from the upper body.

Question 18

What do veins carry and where?

Answer 18

Deoxygenated blood towards the heart except the pulmonary vein

Question 19

What do Arteries carry & where?

Answer 19

Oxygenated blood away from the heart expect the pulmonary artery.

Question 20

What are capillaries?

Answer 20

They link arteries to veins and allow for diffusion of gases and nutrients throughout the body, including muscle tissues

Question 21

What are the 4 components of blood?

Answer 21

Red blood cells - Contain haemoglobin which brings oxygen in order to carry it around the body

White blood cells - part of the immune system and therefore, fight infection. Destroys bacteria & other harmful living organisms.

Platelets - Assist in preventing blood loss from a damaged vessel by forming a platelet plug.
Release chemicals that help to promote blood clotting which is the initial stage of repair.

Plasma - Straw coloured liquid portion of the blood. 91.5% water, 8.5%bof solutes such as waste, proteins, electrolytes, nutrients, gases, hormones, enzymes & vitamins

Question 22

What are the 2 functions of the respiratory system?

Answer 22

Intake oxygen from the air to the body

Removal of carbon dioxide from the body into the air

Question 23

What is the respiratory system consisted of?

Answer 23

The lungs & Respiratory muscles (diaphragm & intercostal muscles)

Question 24

What are the parts that make up the respiratory system?

Answer 24

Nose & mouth - pharynx (throat) & larynx (voice box) - Trachea - Bronchi/ Bronchus - Bronchioles - Alveoli

Question 25

What are the 2 main phases of the breathing cycle?

Answer 25

Inspiration/inhalation - drawing air into the lungs

Expiration/exhalation - expelling air from the lungs

Question 26

What happens during the gaseous exchange in the lungs and the cells of the body?

Answer 26

• Oxygen in the alveoli (sit sacs in the lungs) diffuses into the bloodstream & travels to the heart where it is circulated around the body
• CO2 is transported from the body via the blood it diffuses into the alveoli where is it removed during expiration
• Oxygen in the blood (travelling from the heart) diffuses into the cells for aerobic energy production
• CO2 from the cells diffuses into the blood where it is circulated back to the heart & then into the lungs for removal

Question 27

What is Diffusion?

Answer 27

It is the process where gaseous exchange occurs, which is the movement of a gas from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.

Question 28

Haemoglobin (Hb) is the protein in the red cells that carries oxygen, carbon dioxide & carbon monoxide in the blood. The red blood cells are transported via the circulatory system, what are the 2 factors of this?

Answer 28

• Oxygen from the lungs is carried by the red blood cells to the heart where it is pumped from the heart to the body
• Carbon Dioxide from the cells is carried by the red blood cells back to the heart and into the lungs

Question 29

At what age does a child’s heart & lungs look like a mini version of an adults?

Answer 29

By the time they are 3

Question 30

What is the rate of a baby’s breathing rate and compared with an adults?

Answer 30

30 - 60 breaths per minute compared to an adults if 12 - 20

Question 31

What are some of the deterioration that occurs within the cardiovascular & Respiratory system with advancing age?

Answer 31

• thickening & stiffening of the large arteries, which cause systolic blood pressure to rise & diastolic pressure to decline after the 6th decade
• decline in aerobic exercise capacity if approx. 10% per decade from 40 onwards
• changes in the shape of the ribcage, as bones become thinner & reshape
• weakening of the diaphragm, which can prevent a person from breathing in & out
• a loss of function in the part of the brain that controls the breathing

Question 32

What are the short term effects of exercise on the cardiovascular & Respiratory system?

Answer 32

• increased heart rate
• Increased breathing frequency
• Increase in systolic blood pressure
• Increased vasodilation (widening) of blood vessels towards working muscles
• Increased volume of the air in the lungs
• Increased stroke volume
• Increase in Cardiac output

Question 33

What are the long term effects of exercise on the cardiovascular & Respiratory system?

Answer 33

• Decreased resting & working heart rate
• Increased aerobic capacity
• Normalised blood pressure
• Increased hypertrophy of the left ventricle
• Increased size & elasticity of the arteries
• Increased capillary network, allowing more diffusion of gases
• Increased strength of the respiratory muscles
• Increased stroke volume & Cardiac output
• Reduced levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.
• Increased blood volume
• Increased size & number of mitochondria