Blood and Circulation

What does the circulatory system do?

Transports blood and nutrients throughout the body.

What makes up the circulatory system?

Arteries, veins, capillaries, the lungs, the heart, the brain and the kidneys.

What does the heart do?

Pumps oxygenated blood to the body and deoxygenated blood to the lungs to be re-oxygenated.

What are the four components of blood?

Red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets.

What do red blood cells do?

Carry oxygen — they facilitate oxygenation.

What do white blood cells do?

Aid in immune defense.

What is plasma?

The liquid medium inside the circulatory system.

What do platelets do?

Aid in defense, particularly clotting.

What are the atria?

The two receiving chambers of the heart, sitting above the ventricles on the left and right.

What are the ventricles?

The two pumping chambers of the heart, sitting below the atria on the left and right.

What is the difference between an atrium and a ventricle?

The atrium receives blood into the heart; the ventricle pumps blood out.

What are the two vena cavae?

The superior vena cava, draining the upper body, and the inferior vena cava, draining the lower body.

Where do the vena cavae empty?

Into the right atrium, carrying deoxygenated blood.

What does the pulmonary artery carry, and where?

Deoxygenated blood, from the heart to the lungs.

What does the pulmonary vein carry, and where?

Oxygenated blood, from the lungs to the heart.

What is the aorta?

The largest artery in the body — oxygenated blood leaves the heart through it to reach the whole body.

What is an artery?

A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. Remember A for Away.

Do arteries carry oxygenated or deoxygenated blood?

Usually oxygenated — the pulmonary artery is the exception and carries deoxygenated blood.

What is a vein?

A blood vessel that carries blood toward the heart.

Do veins carry oxygenated or deoxygenated blood?

Usually deoxygenated — the pulmonary vein is the exception and carries oxygenated blood.

What are arterioles?

'Little arteries' — small branches connecting arteries to capillaries.

What are venules?

'Little veins' — small branches connecting veins to capillaries.

How many valves does the heart have, and what are they?

Four: the bicuspid (mitral), tricuspid, aortic and pulmonary valves.

Which valves are the atrioventricular (AV) valves?

The tricuspid and bicuspid — they separate the atria from the ventricles.

What does the bicuspid (mitral) valve separate?

The left atrium from the left ventricle.

What does the tricuspid valve separate?

The right atrium from the right ventricle.

What does the aortic valve connect?

The left ventricle to the aorta.

What does the pulmonary valve connect?

The right ventricle to the lungs.

What is diffusion?

The movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to one of low concentration.

What is cardiovascular disease?

Heart disease — trouble pumping blood through the body, from arterial blockage, high blood pressure and similar causes.

What are the four main blood types?

A, B, AB and O.

What determines a person's blood type?

The antigens present on their red blood cells.

What is another name for red blood cells?

Erythrocytes.

What are antigens, in blood typing?

Markers the cells recognize as 'self'. Type A blood carries A antigens, AB carries both, O carries none.

What is the Rh factor?

An inherited protein on the surface of red blood cells. Having it makes you Rh positive; lacking it makes you Rh negative.

Which blood type is the universal donor, and why?

Type O — it has no antigens on its cell surfaces.

Which blood type is the universal recipient, and why?

Type AB — it already carries both A and B antigens.