1.6 - 1.9 : the cardiovascular system (unit 1)

affinity

the tendency of one substance to bind with another substance

aorta

the main artery that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body at high pressure

arteriole

a smaller type of blood vessel that connects arteries with capillaries

artery

a type of blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood at high pressure away from the heart

atrial systole

the phase in the cardiac cycle following diastole where the atria contract and force blood into the ventricles

capillary

a very small blood vessel with thin walls and a small diameter (one endothelial cell thick) used for substance exchange in tissues

cardiac diastole

the phase in the cardiac cycle following ventricular systole where the atria and ventricles are both relaxed and blood flows into the atria

circulation

a type of mass transport that overcomes that limitations of diffusion in meeting the requirements of organisms

coronary artery

the main artery that supplies the heart tissue with oxygenated blood

diffusion

the passive spreading out of substance from a high concentration to a lower concentration (down their concentration gradient) without the use of energy

foetal haemoglobin

the higher affinity form of haemoglobin found in the blood of a developing foetus

haemoglobin

the oxygen carrying conjugated protein found in erythrocytes which has a quaternary structure made of two alpha and two beta chains which each contain a haem prosthetic group

left atrium

the chamber in the heart that receives oxygenated blood from the pulmonary vein and passes it on to the left ventricle

left ventricle

the chamber in the heart that receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium and pumps it out of the heart to the rest of the body

mass transport

the bulk transport of substances to all parts of an organism using mass flow

oxygen affinity

the continuous relationship between haemoglobin oxygen saturation and oxygen tension

oxygen dissociation curve

a graph that describes the relationship between the partial pressure of oxygen and the percentage saturation of haemoglobin in the blood

pulmonary artery

the main artery that carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs for reoxygenation

pulmonary vein

the main vein that carries oxygenated blood away from the lungs and back to the heart

right atrium

the chamber in the heart that receives deoxygenated blood directly from the vena cava and passes it on to the right ventricle

right ventricle

the chamber in the heart that receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium and pumps it out of the heart to the lungs for reoxygenation

the bohr effect

a decrease in the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen in areas with a high carbon dioxide concentration

vein

a type of blood vessel that carries blood at lower pressure into the heart from other parts of the body

vena cava

the main vein that carries deoxygenated blood into the right atrium of the heart

ventricle

a type of chamber in the heart which receives blood from the atrium above it and pumps it out of the heart

ventricular systole

the phase in the cardiac cycle following atrial systole where the ventricles contract and force the blood out of the heart and around the body

venule

a smaller type of blood vessel that connects veins with capillaries