Blood flow through the heart

( Note blood enters both atria at the same time and both ventricles at the same
time and moves up and out of the heart at the same time) this flow diagram is
just for simplicity to understand the structures that the blood passes through
in the heart and just explains it from one side to the next:

Right side Left side

Vena cava pulmonary vein

Right atrium left atrium

Tricuspid valve bicuspid valve

Right ventricle left ventricle

Pulmonary valve aortic valve

Pulmonary artery aorta

Lungs rest of the body

Blood vessels- blood flows through the blood vessels to get to all parts of the body from the heart
and then from the body back to the heart.

There are three main types:

Arteries- carry blood away from the heart

Veins- carry blood to the heart
Capillaries- carry blood with important substances to all cells so that these substances can be
exchanged. (i.e capilllaries allow substances to be exchanged between blood and tissues. Eg
oxygen exchanged for carbon dioxide.

The link between the blood vessels-

Arteries branch off into smaller arteries called arterioles which further branch into smaller
vessels called capillaries. Capillaries join up to form venules which join up to form veins.
Construct a table to compare the structure and function of Arteries capillaries and veins.
Arteries
Carry blood away from the
heart
Thick muscle and elastic
walls to withstand high
pressure blood
Small lumen- which helps
maintain a high pressure
along the artery
Do not have valves along it
Lie deep within the body
Capillaries
Carry blood with important
substances to all cells where
substances are exchanged
between blood and tissues
Walls are one cell thick- this
is for diffusion to occur
quickly
The wall is permeable
allowing substances to
diffuse into and out of the
capillary
lumen is small about the
diameter of a red blood cell
Do not have valves
Run through all tissues
Veins
Carry blood to the heart
Thin muscle and elastic walls
as they do not have to
withstand high pressure
Large lumen allow more
blood to flow through with
little resistance to blood
which flows at a low
pressure.
Have valves along it which
prevent the back flow of
blood and keep blood flowing
in one direction.
Lie close to the body surface
Blood pressure is high
Fast moving blood
Usually carry oxygenated
blood ( except pulmonary
artery)
Blood pressure decreases
along its length (low)- slow
moving blood
Carry oxygenated blood
which loses the oxygen and
picks up carbon dioxide
becoming deoxygenated.
Blood pressure is low
Slow moving blood
Usually carry deoxygenated
blood (except pulmonary
vein)

Circulation of blood in the body- please learn diagram, this is the circulatory system.
a) (i)Artery carries blood away from heart, pressure of blood is high, fast

Vein carries blood towards the heart, pressure of blood is low, slow
(ii) Y is the vein

(iii) X has thick muscle and elastic walls to withstand high pressure blood flowing
through the artery.

(iv) muscle and elastic layer (thin)

(v) veins have wide lumen to allow a lot of blood to flow through with little resistance
at a low pressure.

(vi) valves
(vii) veins carry low pressure blood which would tend to fall backwards, however valves close
behind the blood so that this backflow is prevented and blood is kept moving in one direction.

(viii) 1. For fast and easy diffusion of substances to and from the blood in the capillary.
 2. the wall only needs to be a single layer as the blood flowing through is at such a low

pressure there is no chance of bursting.

3. capillaries need to be as thin and tiny as possible to reach to all cells.

(b) (i) double circulation means that blood flows through the heart twice in one complete circuit

(heart beat)- blood enters the heart, then goes to the lungs, then returns to the heart, then

flows to the rest of the body all in one cardiac cycle.

(ii) this is necessary to pump oxygenated blood with a high enough pressure to all parts of the
body.

(c) (i) pulmonary artery

Pulmonary vein

Left ventricle

Aorta

Carotid artery

(ii) oxyhaemoglobin
Blood- the medium by which substances are transported.

It is made up of: blood plasma (55%) and blood cells(45%)

Blood plasma: straw cloured(pale yellow) fluid made up mainly of water (90%) and 10%
dissolved substances to be transported (glucose, amino acids, vitamins , minerals, hormones)

Blood cells: Two main types: Red blood cells( erythrocytes), white blood cells( leucocytes) and
fragments of cells called platelets( thrombocytes)