Starter quiz
- The heart operates as a double circulatory system. This means:
- it beats twice every minute.
- it has two circuits - one that supplies blood to the arms and one to the legs.
- there are two loops - one to the lungs and one to the rest of the body. ✓
- it works in tandem with the respiratory system to circulate blood.
-
- The ______ circuit transports blood to the body tissues to supply oxygen and delivers deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
- 'systemic' ✓
- Name the chamber identified in red in the image below.
- left atrium
- left ventricle
- right atrium ✓
- right ventricle
-
- Match the following components of the circulatory system.
- pulmonary vein⇔carries oxygenated blood back from the lungs ✓
- left atrium⇔receives oxygenated blood from the lungs ✓
- left ventricle⇔pumps blood out into the aorta ✓
- right atrium⇔receives deoxygenated blood from the body ✓
- right ventricle⇔pumps blood to the lungs to pick up fresh oxygen supplies ✓
- The ______ is the muscular wall in that divides the left and right sides of the heart.
- 'septum' ✓
- Veins contain special pocket ______ to help prevent the backflow of blood.
- 'valves' ✓
Exit quiz
- Which of the following blood vessels carries blood away from the heart?
- artery ✓
- capillary
- vein
- arterioles ✓
- venules
-
- The only vein carrying oxygenated blood is the ______ vein.
- 'pulmonary' ✓
- Which of the following is *not* true?
- Arteries have a thick muscular wall.
- Capillary walls are one cell thick.
- Gaseous exchange occurs in the capillaries.
- Blood is pumped at high pressure in veins. ✓
- Veins have pocket valves to prevent the backflow of blood.
-
- Red blood cells carry ______ in the haemoglobin.
- 'oxygen' ✓
- Match up the following blood vessels and constituents of the blood with their main function.
- red blood cells⇔carry oxygen ✓
- white blood cells⇔fight infection ✓
- platelets⇔clot the blood ✓
- plasma⇔makes up the majority of the blood volume to help it flow ✓
- arteries⇔carry blood away from the heart at high pressure ✓
- capillaries⇔enable gaseous exchange due to being one cell thick ✓
- Match up the following descriptors for the redistribution of blood.
- vasodilation towards skin⇔happens during exercise to remove excess heat ✓
- vasodilation towards working muscles⇔happens during exercise to provide oxygen ✓
- vasoconstriction towards digestive organ⇔happens during exercise to reduce blood flow ✓
- vasoconstriction towards skin⇔happens when cold to reduce heat loss ✓
Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Arteries carry blood away from the heart at high pressure. They have thick walls and a smaller lumen.
- Veins carry blood back to the heart. They have thinner walls and contain valves to prevent backflow.
- Capillaries facilitate the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between blood and tissues.
- Red blood cells transport oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients.
- White blood cells fight infections, platelets enable blood clotting and plasma makes up the main blood volume.
Common misconception
Arteries always carry oxygenated blood.
The pulmonary artery is the only artery in the body that carries deoxygenated blood as it is pumped back to the lungs to be re-oxygenated. Consequently, the pulmonary vein is the only vein in the body that carries oxygenated blood.
Keywords
Arteries - blood vessel with small lumen and thick muscular walls, carries blood away from the heart
Veins - blood vessel with wide lumen, containing pocket valve, carries blood back towards the heart
Capillaries - thin (one cell thick) blood vessel that allow exchange of materials between the blood and the tissues of the body
Vasoconstriction - when arterioles feeding the areas not needing so much blood constrict (become smaller in diameter) to restrict blood flow to that area
Vasodilation - when arterioles feeding the areas needing more blood dilate (become wider in diameter) to increase blood flow to that area