The Heart Revision Notes

The circulatory system’s main function is to:

- carry oxygen and nutrients to the cells
- remove wastes and carbon dioxide from the cells.

Blood consists of four main parts:

- red blood cells

- white blood cells

- platelets

- plasma

Red Blood Cells:

• Carry oxygen from lungs to the cells (attached to chemical called haemoglobin).

• Blood lacking oxygen is darker in colour (and is sometimes referred to as blue

blood,).

• Red blood cells are biconcave discs.

• Live from 1 – 4 months before being broken down in the liver.

• Made in the bone marrow

• Born with a nucleus that dissolves soon after

White Blood Cells:

• Carry oxygen from lungs to the cells (attached to chemical called haemoglobin).
• Blood lacking oxygen is darker in colour (and is sometimes referred to as blue
blood,).
• Red blood cells are biconcave discs.
• Live from 1 – 4 months before being broken down in the liver.
• Made in the bone marrow
• Born with a nucleus that dissolves soon after

Plasma:
• Liquid part of the blood. Largely water with some dissolved substances; eg. salt,
nutrients and/or wastes.

• Carries dissolved carbon dioxide from cells to lungs.

The Heart:

• is slightly larger than the fist of the owner

• sits inside a thin sac mounted just slightly left of centre of the chest

• A very strong muscular pump comprising four chambers (top-left and right atria and
bottom-left and right ventricles) surrounded by muscle.

Right Atrium

• Receives blood from the body via the superior (from upper body) and inferior (from
lower body) vena cava. Blood can only enter when atrium muscles relax.

• Blood entering is lacking oxygen, but carries carbon dioxide instead.

Right Ventricle:

• When right atrium has filled, it contracts, forcing blood into the right ventricle, past
the tricuspid valves (three flaps of strong tissue whose job is to prevent back flow
from the right ventricle into the right atrium). When the right ventricle contracts, the
tricuspid valves close, leaving the blood with only one exit, out through the
pulmonary artery to the lungs. The blood is prevented from returning by a set of
pocket valves, also called semi-lunar valves.

Left Atrium
• Blood returning from the lungs is rich in oxygen and enters the left atrium through the
pulmonary vein. Blood can only enter when atrium muscles relax.

Left Ventricle

• When the left atrium contracts it forces blood past the bicuspid valves into the left
ventricle, which has relaxed its muscle walls. When the left ventricle contracts, the
bicuspid valves close, leaving the blood with only one exit, out through the aorta
(main artery) to the body. The blood is prevented from returning by a set of pocket
valves, also called semi-lunar valves.