Blood vessels

Arteries: Direction of blood flow

Transports blood away from the heart to peripheral tissues and organs.

Arteries: Blood oxygenation status

Carries oxygen-rich blood, exception of the pulmonary artery that transports de-oxygenated blood towards the lungs

Arteries: Wall structure and thickness

Composed of thick, highly muscular walls.

Arteries: Internal blood pressure

Maintains high, pulsating pressure driven directly by ventricular contractions.

Arteries: Lumen size and valve presence

Features a narrow lumen relative to total vessel diameter and contains no internal valves.

Veins: Direction of blood flow

Transports blood back toward the atria of the heart from systemic capillary beds.

Veins: Blood oxygenation status

Carries oxygen-poor blood, with the sole exception of the pulmonary vein returning from the lungs.

Veins: Wall structure and thickness

Composed of thin, flexible walls

Veins: Internal blood pressure

Maintains very low, non-pulsatile pressure

Veins: Lumen size and valve presence

Features a wide lumen to reduce resistance to blood flow and contains one-way flap valves to prevent backflow.

arterioles structure

tiny branches(of arteries), lead to capillaries.

arterioles function

move blood from arteries to capillaries, regulate blood blood flow and pressure by constricting and dilating

venules structure

tiny vessels that drain blood from capillaries into veins, unite to form a vein

capillaries structure

tiny extremely narrow, 5-20 micro metres in diameter, walls are 1 cell thick.

capillaries function

supply tissue with components of blood, remove waste from surrounding cells, exchange oxygen, CO2, water and salts between tissues

heart location

slightly left centre of the chest/thorax, between the 2 lungs

what makes up the heart

size of clenched fist made of cardiac muscle, surrounded by two membranes(pericardium)

name and function of fluid between pericardium

pericardial fluid helps reduce friction when heart beats

name of top two cavities of the heart

atria (meet at the top to form curve top of heart

name of bottom two cavities of the heart

ventricles (meet at he bottom and form pointed base, points towards left side of chest)

septum

wall that divides right and left sides of the heart

valve that connects left atrium with left ventricle

Bicuspid valve

valve that connects the right atrium with the right ventricle

tricuspid valve

semilunar valves (moon shaped)

allows blood flow to flow out of heart into 2 main arteries (aorta and pulmonary artery). prevent blood from returning to heart

largest/main artery

aorta (carries nutrient-rich blood away from heart)

pulmonary artery

connects heart to lungs

largest veins that carry blood into heart

superior vena cava(top of heart) and inferior vena cava (beneath superior)

oxygen-poor blood flow

from body to right atrium, then into right ventricle, then the right ventricle pumps blood into lungs

what does the blood do in the lungs

releases waste gases and picks up oxygen

oxygen-rich blood flow

returns to heart and enters the left atrium, flows into left ventricle which pumps blood to all parts of the body