Blood Circulation - Page 1

A set of QUESTION_AND_ANSWER flashcards covering key concepts from Page 1 notes on blood vessels, the heart, and blood circulation.

What is the job of the blood vessels?

To carry blood around the body and keep the blood moving.

What are arteries?

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

What are veins?

Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart.

What are capillaries?

Tiny blood vessels that connect arteries and veins with walls that are leaky, allowing exchange between blood and cells.

What connects arteries and veins?

Capillaries.

What is the heart?

The pump of the circulatory system; a muscular hollow organ.

Is the heart solid or hollow inside?

Hollow inside.

What divides the heart into two sides?

A thick wall of muscle.

How does the heart pump blood?

Blood flows into each side, then the heart muscles contract, squeezing the blood out.

Where do substances pass between the blood and the cells?

In the capillaries.

Why are capillary walls leaky?

They are thin to allow substances to pass between blood and surrounding cells.

How long does it take for blood to travel around the body on average?

About one minute.

How many kilometres of blood vessels are in an adult body?

About 100,000 km.

How much blood does the heart pump per minute?

About 5 litres.

Where does blood go after leaving the heart through arteries (direction of flow)?

Blood moves away from the heart through arteries and returns to the heart via veins.