Circulatory System Components and Heart Disease: Key Concepts for Biology

What are the main components of the circulatory system?

The heart, blood vessels, and blood.

What is the primary role of the circulatory system?

To transport substances around the body.

Why do multicellular organisms require a circulatory system?

To efficiently supply cells with nutrients and remove waste products.

What type of circulatory system do humans have?

A double circulatory system.

What is the function of the pulmonary circuit?

It carries blood from the heart to the lungs and back to the heart.

What is the function of the systemic circuit?

It carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body and back.

How many chambers does the heart have?

Four chambers: two Atria and two Ventricles.

What is the role of atrio-ventricular valves?

To ensure blood flows in only one direction from the Atria into the Ventricles.

Why does the left ventricle have a thicker muscular wall than the right ventricle?

Because it pumps blood all the way around the body, while the right ventricle only pumps to the lungs.

What are coronary arteries responsible for?

Supplying oxygenated blood to the heart muscle itself.

What is the function of the vena cava?

To carry deoxygenated blood from the body into the right atrium.

What does the pulmonary artery do?

Carries blood from the right ventricle to the lungs for oxygenation.

What is the role of the pulmonary vein?

To carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium.

What is the function of the aorta?

To carry blood pumped out of the left ventricle around the body.

What is the function of arteries?

To carry blood away from the heart.

How are arteries structured to handle high pressure?

They have thick walls made of muscle and elastic tissue.

What is the primary function of capillaries?

To exchange substances with cells, providing nutrients and oxygen while removing waste.

What is unique about the structure of capillaries?

Their walls are only a single cell thick, allowing for easy diffusion.

What is the function of veins?

To transport blood back to the heart.

How do veins prevent backflow of blood?

They have valves that ensure blood flows towards the heart.

What are the four main components of blood?

Plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

What is the primary function of plasma?

To carry components of blood and dissolved substances around the body.

What is the plasma responsible for transporting?

Carbon dioxide, digested materials like glucose, urea, hormones, heat energy

What do red blood cells do?

Carry oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues.

What adaptation allows red blood cells to carry more oxygen?

They contain hemoglobin and have no nucleus for more space.

What is the role of white blood cells?

To defend against infection as part of the immune system.

What are the differences in characteristics in phagocytes and lymphocytes

Phagocytes carry out a phagocytosis, a general, non-specific response by engulfing and digesting any pathogen they encounter. Lymphocytes provide a specific immune response by recognising the unique antigens on a pathogen and producing specific antibodies which causes agglutination

What is the function of platelets?

To stop bleeding by clotting blood at wounds.

What is artificial blood used for?

To add volume to the circulatory system but cannot transport oxygen.

What is a blood transfusion?

The process of giving a person real blood from a donor.

What is Coronary Heart Disease

A type of cardiovascular disease that affects the proper functioning of the circulatory system.

Function of coronary arteries

The arteries that specifically supply blood to the heart muscle.

Role of Fatty material in CHD

A build-up that causes blockage in the coronary arteries, also referred to as fatty plaques.

Cholesterol

A type of lipid (fatty substance) contained in fatty patches.

Lumen

The space inside the artery that becomes narrower due to the accumulation of fatty material.

difference in structure between arteries and veins

Arteries have thick, muscular, and elastic walls to withstand and maintain high pressure.

It possesses a narrow central channel (lumen).

Do not have valves, as the high pressure prevents backflow

Veins have thin walls with less muscle and elastic tissue.

It possesses a wide central channel (lumen).

Contain valves to prevent the backflow of blood, especially against gravity

Heart attack

Occurs when a coronary artery becomes blocked, cutting off blood supply to part of the heart muscle.

High blood pressure

A condition that can result from restricted blood flow due to narrowed arteries.

Poor diet

Eating more saturated fat tends to increase cholesterol levels, raising the risk of CHD.

High Salt Intake

Eating too much salt causes high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for CHD.

Stress and Smoking

Factors that increase blood pressure and contribute to the risk of developing CHD.

Lack of exercise

A risk factor for developing coronary heart disease.

Being overweight

A condition that increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

Genetic factors

Inherited characteristics that can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

Statins (Medication)

Daily medication used to control blood cholesterol levels by decreasing bad LDL cholesterol and increasing good HDL cholesterol.

Stents

An expandable tube placed inside the arteries to hold them open, ensuring blood can keep flowing.

Angioplasty

Surgery involving the insertion and inflation of a small balloon into a blood vessel to remove a blockage.

Lifestyle Changes

Includes diet and exercise, and stopping smoking to reduce the risk of heart disease.

aorta

Largest artery in the body

hepatic artery

Supplies oxygenated blood to the liver

mesenteric artery

Supplies blood to the intestines.

renal artery

Supplies blood to the kidneys

vena cava

Supplies deoxygenated blood to the heart

hepatic vein

Supplies deoxygenated blood from the liver

hepatic portal vein

Supplies deoxygenated blood from the gut to the liver

renal vein

Supplies deoxygenated blood from the kidneys