Transport in animals

Circulatory system

Circulatory system is a closed, double circulation consisting of the heart, blood and blood vessels including arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules and veins

Function of the pulmonary artery

To transport deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs

Function of the pulmonary vein

To transport oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart

Function of the aorta

To transport oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body

Function of the vena ceva

To transport deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart

How does the structure of the muscular artery relate to its function?

• They take blood from the elastic arteries and deliver it close to its final destination

• The smooth muscle in its wall allows it to contract slowly to alter the diameter of the artery and therefore control the volume of blood that can flow through it

How does the structure of the veins relate to its function?

• The veins have thin walls since it carries low pressure blood

• To keep the blood flowing in the right direction, veins contain semilunar valves

How does the structure of the elastic arteries relate to its function?

• The elasticity of their walls alows them to stretch which reduces the likelihood of them about to burst

• The walls will stretch due to high pressure blood and will recoil inwards when low pressure blood enters them

How does the structure of the capillaries relate to its function?

• The small size of the capillaries allows it to bring blood as close as possible to each group of cells in the body

What is the main component of blood and tissue fluid?

Water

How does the properties of water relate to its role in transportation?

• The high heat capacity allows water to absorb and release heat without a significant change in temperature. This allows it to remove excess heat through sweat which are then transported away by the circulatory system

Tissue fluid

Colourless fluid that fills the spaces between body cells, it forms from the fluid that leaks from blood capillaries

Function of tissue fluid

• It allows for the transport of nutrients and oxygen from the blood into the cells

• It removes waste products such as carbon dioxide from the cells and into the bloodstream

Function of red blood cells