6.

Human physiology IBPOST 이지민

6.2 circulatory system (1)

William Harvey (1578-1657) argued that the heart acted as a pup, and that blood flows through
two systems; Systemic and pulmonary. He guessed the existence of capillaries and he conducted
numerous experiments to prove that blood circulation is unidirectional.
Double circulatory system: blood flows through the heart twice per complete cycle.

Blood Flow through Heart:

• Blood enters the right atrium from the vessels
called inferior vena cava
• Blood pumped through atrioventricular valve
(tricuspid valve) into the right ventricle.
• Then pumped upwards through the semilunar
value (pulmonary valve) into the vessel called
pulmonary artery, which takes it into the lungs.
(Here picks up oxygen).
• The blood returns to the heart, entering left
atrium through pulmonary vein.
• It is pumped down through an atrioventricular
valve (mitral valve) and into the left ventricle.
• Then blood is pumped up through the
semilunar valve (aortic valve) and out of the
heart through the aorta. It is sent to all the body cells to drop off oxygen and pick up carbon
dioxide.
6. Human physiology IBPOST 이지민

- The heart contracts about 72 times per minutes

- Pumps about 70mL of blood with each contraction.
- The right and left sides of the heart are separated by a septum(wall).
- The septum prevents the mixing of oxygen rich and oxygen poor blood.

Heart Valves

AV valve: Bicuspid/tricuspid valve

Semilunar valve: Aortic/pulmonary valve

1. Vales maintain a one-way flow of blood.

2. Atrio-ventricular vales open to let blood flow from atria to the ventricles.
3. The atrio-ventricular valves close to prevent a back flow of blood into the atria.
4. Semi-lunar valves open to allow high pressure blood to pulse into the arteries.
5. Semi-lunar valves close to prevent black flow of blood into the ventricles form arteries.
6. The left atrio-ventricular valve is also known as the bicuspid valve.
7. The right atrio-ventricular valve is also known as the tricuspid valve.

Pressure of blood to the left is greater than pressure to the right

Valve flaps (cusps) pushed open.
Blood flows to the right.

The pressure on the right is greater than the pressure on the left.
Cusps pushed closed.
Back flow stops

There are 3 types of vessels:

6. Human physiology IBPOST 이지민

Arteries: carry blood away from the heart

Veins: carry blood back to the heart
Capillaries: fine networks linking arteries and veins

Arteries
-Blood is expelled from the heart upon
ventricular contraction and flows through
the arteries in repeated surges called
pulses
- Thick outer layers of elastic fibers and
collagen run lengthwise to prevent leaks
or bulges.
- Thick arterial wall helps withstand high
pressures.
- Elastic and muscle fibers of inner layer
help force blood on after each heart beat
to help maintain pulse flow (it can
contract and stretch).
• Muscle fibre can also contract to narrow
the lumen, which increases the pressure
between pumps and helps to maintain blood pressure throughout the cardiac cycle.
• elastic fibre allow artery returns to its normal size (elastic recoil). The elastic recoil
helps to push the blood forward through the artery as well as maintain arterial
pressure
- Narrow lumen keeps pressure high. (~ 80 –120 mmHg)

Veins
- Thin inner layer with few muscle or elastic fibers as blood doesn’t flow in pulses, so vein
wall can’t push it on. very low pressure (~ 5 –10 mmHg)
- Wide lumen is needed to allow passage of the large quantity of slow-moving blood.
- Because the pressure is low, Veins have valve to prevent backflow.
- Thin outer wall of collagen and elastic fibers running lengthwise as there is little danger
of bursting.
- Blood is at very low pressure in the veins which can make it difficult for the blood to move
against the downward force of gravity. This wall allows entire vein to be pressed flat by
adjacent muscles which helps press the blood forward.
- When the skeletal muscles contract, they squeeze the vein and cause the blood to flow
from the site of compression

Capillaries
- Blood flows through the capillaries very slowly and Blood travelling at low pressure
(<10mmHg) to allow for maximal material exchange.
- Passageway in capillary is narrow, small diameter (~ 5 µm wide) about 1 red blood cell
so the capillary can fit into small spaces.
- Single layer of thin cells. Allowing for easy diffusion into and out of capillary.
6. Human physiology IBPOST 이지민

- capillary wall may be fenestrated (contains pores). Pores between adjacent cells allows
phagocytes to move into tissues and allows some plasma to leak out, moistening tissues.
- The higher hydrostatic pressure at the arteriole end of the capillary forces’ material from
the bloodstream into the tissue fluid
• Material that exits the capillaries at body tissues include oxygen and nutrients the
lower hydrostatic pressure at the venule end of the capillary allows materials from
the tissues to enter the bloodstream
• Materials that enters the capillaries at body tissues include carbon dioxide and urea

Blood composition; 55% plasma, 45% cells

• Plasma - transport nutrients, excretory products such as urea, hormones, dissolved

proteins, dissolved proteins which are antibodies, and heat distribution to all tissues

• Erythrocytes (RBC) - transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide

• Lymphocytes (WBC) - important in the immune system because they form antibodies
• Phagocytes - ingest bacteria or cell fragments
• Platelets - play a part in the blood clotting mechanism

The heart has its own blood vessels.

Blood passing through the chambers
of the heart does not provide nutrient or
oxygen to the heart muscle cells.

Coronary arteries are branches of the aorta

which provide the heart muscle with a supply
of oxygen and nutrient. The coronary arteries
branch and spread through the heart muscle
supplying the individual muscles cells.

Factors
-High blood glucose concentration
-High concentrations of LDL (containing fats and cholesterol accumulate in an artery wall.)
-High blood pressure due to smoking or stress
-Consumptions of trans fats
How do arteries become occluded?

LDL accumulation attracts phagocytes to the area and fats/cholesterol are engulfed and become
very large. Smooth muscle cells form a cap over this and Artery wall bulges narrowing the lumen.
Blood flow impeded.

Consequences
-lack of oxygen cause pain in the heart
-impairs the muscles ability to contract
Heart beats faster as it tried to maintain function with some of its muscle out of action.
6. Human physiology IBPOST 이지민

6.2 circulatory system (1) Question

1.
Alcohol is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). An
investigation was undertaken to look at the effects of drinking different amounts of
alcohol in men and women.

C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen and total white blood cell count (WBC) were
measured. These are markers that can be used to measure the risk of cardiovascular
disease (CVD).

Samples were taken from populations in three different countries and their drinking
habits were determined and their blood was analyzed.

(a) State the overall trend for CRP for men and women over the range of alcohol
consumption. [1]
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(b) Evaluate, using all the data, whether drinking small amounts of alcohol reduces
the risk of CVD. [3]

(c) Deduce which is the best marker to measure the risk of CVD. [1]

(d) Outline atherosclerosis and the causes of CVD [2]

2. The photomicrograph shows a coronary artery and a cardiac vein.

6. Human physiology IBPOST 이지민

(a) Label the artery and the vein. [1]

(b) Describe one characteristic of the artery and vein which helped you to identify
them. [1]
- The artery has a thick muscle layer compared to the vein
- The vein has a small lumen

(c) The coronary artery carries oxygen to the tissues in the wall of the heart. State
how this oxygen enters the blood. [1]
- Oxygen enters the blood through the liver
- The

3. Explain the relationship between the structure and function of blood vessels that are
found in a human. [8]

4. Which pumps out blood from the heart?

A. atriums
B. ventricles
C. capillaries
D. veins

5. The right atrium receives what?

A. oxygen rich blood
6. Human physiology IBPOST 이지민

B. capillaries
C. oxygen poor blood
D. platelets

6. The heart is separated by a wall of tissue called

A. veins
B. capillaries
C. atriums
D. septum

7. One of the three functions of the circulatory system.

A. carries waste away from our cells
B. Helps regulate body temperature
C. delivers needed substances to cells
D. all of the above

8. What is true about red blood cells?

A. take up oxygen in the lungs and deliver it to the rest of the body.
B. receive carbon dioxide and distribute it.
C. mature red blood cells live about 120 days
D. both a and c

9. The heart valves do all of the following, EXCEPT:

A. separate the atria and the ventricles.
B. keep the blood flowing forward.
C. regulate the heart’s contractions.
D include the mitral valve and bicuspid valve.

10. The blood comes back to the heart from the body through two big veins called the:
A. pulmonary vein
B. right atria
C. aortas
D. vena cava

11. The valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle is called the:
A. bicuspid valve
B. tricuspid valve
C. mitral valve
D. None of the above.
6. Human physiology IBPOST 이지민

12. Circulation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to lungs is classified as

A. pulmonary circulation
B. systematic circulation
C. Digestive system
D. lymphatic circulation

13. Circulatory system is made of

A. veins and arteries
B. lymph vessels and nodes
C. blood vessels, heart and blood
D. capillaries and veins

14. Blood which heart pumps to lungs is

A. deoxygenated blood
B. lymph fluid
C. atria blood
D. oxygenated blood

15. What is the function of the right ventricle?

A. Pumping blood into the pulmonary artery
B. Pumping blood into the pulmonary vein
C. Pumping blood into the aorta
D. Pumping blood into the coronary artery

16. Which of the following are functions of all mammalian arteries?

To carry oxygenated blood
To carry blood away from the heart
To carry blood under high pressure

A. I and III only

B. I, II and III
C. II and III only
D. I and II only

17. Which of the following best describes the composition of human blood?
A. Erythrocytes, leucocytes and platelets
B. Erythrocytes, phagocytes and platelets
C. Erythrocytes, lymphocytes and platelets
D. Erythrocytes, antigens and platelets