Transport in Animals and Blood Components

circulatory system

Circulatory System

The main transport system in all mammals, including humans; a system of blood vessels with a pump and valves to ensure a one-way flow of blood.

Blood Vessels

Tubes or channels that carry blood throughout the body.

Heart

The pump of the circulatory system, responsible for sending blood throughout the body.

Valves

Structures that allow a liquid to flow in one direction only.

Oxygenated Blood

Blood containing a lot of oxygen.

Deoxygenated Blood

Blood containing only a little oxygen.

Pulmonary System

Consists of the blood vessels that take blood to the lungs and back.

Systemic System

Consists of the blood vessels that take blood to the rest of the body and back.

Single Circulatory System

A system in which blood passes through the heart only once on one complete circuit of the body; present in fish.

Coronary Arteries

Vessels that deliver oxygenated blood to the heart muscle.

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

A condition caused by blockage of the coronary arteries, leading to cardiac muscle damage.

Arteries

Vessels carrying blood away from the heart; examples include the pulmonary artery and aorta.

Veins

Vessels carrying blood back to the heart; examples include the pulmonary vein and vena cava.

Capillaries

Small vessels that penetrate every part of the body, transporting nutrients, oxygen, and waste materials.

Hepatic Portal Vein (HPV)

Blood vessels that transport blood carrying nutrients from the small intestine to the liver.

Hepatic Vein (HV)

Blood vessels that transport blood out of the liver.

Plasma

The liquid part of the blood, carrying the other components of blood.

Red Blood Cells

Biconcave blood cells with no nucleus that transport oxygen.

White Blood Cells

Blood cells with a nucleus that help to defend against pathogens.

Phagocytes

White blood cells that destroy pathogens by phagocytosis, characterized by a lobed nucleus.

Lymphocytes

White blood cells that secrete antibodies, characterized by a large, round nucleus.

Platelets

Tiny cell fragments present in the blood that help with clotting.

Haemoglobin

The pigment in red blood cells that carries oxygen.

Oxyhaemoglobin

The compound formed when haemoglobin combines with oxygen.

Phagocytosis

Taking bacteria or other small structures into a cell's cytoplasm and digesting them with enzymes.

Blood flow

The blood flows through the heart in a cycle, first entering the right atrium, then the right ventricle, then to the lungs to get oxygen, then back to the heart into the left atrium, then the left ventricle, and finally out to the body.