Core Ch8 Transport in Humans Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about transport in humans.

Plasma

Transports CO2, nutrients, urea, hormones, antibodies, and fibrinogen, and distributes heat throughout the body to maintain body temperature.

Red Blood Cells (RBC)

Biconcave disc shaped cells containing hemoglobin to carry oxygen, produced in bone marrow, and destroyed in the liver and spleen after a lifespan of ~120 days.

White Blood Cells (WBC)

Irregular shaped, colorless cells with a lobed (phagocytes) or large round (lymphocytes) nucleus, produced in bone marrow and spleen, protect the body against diseases by killing germs or producing antibodies, lifespan is less than 3 days.

Blood Platelets

Irregular shaped, colorless cells without a nucleus, produced in bone marrow with a lifespan of 7-10 days, and involved in blood clotting to prevent blood loss and entry of germs.

Haemoglobin

Pigment contained in red blood cells to carry oxygen.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart, have thick walls to withstand high blood pressure, contain a thick layer of muscle to regulate blood flow, and contain more elastic tissue to maintain continuous blood flow.

Veins

Blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart, have thinner walls than arteries, contain valves to prevent backflow of blood, and rely on contraction of skeletal muscles to force blood flow.

Capillaries

Blood vessels with walls one-cell thick, differentially permeable, where exchange of materials between blood and body cells occurs.

Septum

A thick muscular wall that separates the two sides of the heart, preventing the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.

Tricuspid Valve

Heart valve that prevents backflow of blood from the right ventricle to the right atrium.

Bicuspid Valve

Heart valve that prevents backflow of blood from the left ventricle to the left atrium.

Semilunar Valve

Heart valve that prevents backflow of blood from the aorta to the left ventricle and from the pulmonary artery to the right ventricle.

Double Circulation

Blood passes through the heart twice when it flows throughout our body in one complete loop.

Pulmonary Circulation

The flow of blood from the right atrium to the lungs and then to the left atrium.

Systemic Circulation

The flow of blood from the left atrium to all parts of the body (except the lungs) and then to the right atrium.

Tissue Fluid

Fluid formed from blood plasma that surrounds body cells, providing a constant environment and enabling exchange of materials between capillaries and body cells.

Lymphatic System

A system that returns excess tissue fluid to the blood circulation and protects against disease through WBCs in lymph nodes.

Lymph

Fluid similar to blood but lacking RBCs, plasma proteins, and blood platelets, flowing through the lymphatic system.

Lymph Nodes

Located at intervals along lymph vessels where WBCs accumulate to kill germs in the lymph.

Coronary Arteries

Supply oxygen and nutrients to the cardiac muscles.

Coronary Veins

Carry carbon dioxide and other waste away from the cardiac muscles.