PE GCSE - Cardiovascular system

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  • Components of the cardiovascular/circulatory system:
    • The heart
    • The blood vessels
    • The blood
  • The heart functions as a pump
  • Blood vessels serve as a transport network
  • Blood is a substance in which oxygen, nutrients, and waste can be transported
  • Functions of the cardiovascular system:
    • Maintains pressure
    • Transports O2, CO2
    • Transports waste, nutrients, and hormones
    • Enables healing and prevents infection
    • Temperature regulation
    • Helps fight infection
  • Structure of the cardiac muscle (heart):
    • The septum is important for separating the left and right sides of the heart
    • Exercise impacts the walls of the cardiac muscle by making them thicker
  • Blood vessels in the cardiac muscle:
    • Vena Cava: vein that takes de-oxygenated blood from the body back to the heart
    • Aorta: artery that takes oxygenated blood from the heart to the body
    • Pulmonary Artery: takes de-oxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs
    • Pulmonary Vein: takes oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the heart
  • How the heart works:
    • When the heart is relaxed, it takes in blood
    • When the heart contracts, it pumps out blood
    • Blood enters the heart through the atria and leaves through the ventricles
    • Valves prevent blood flowing back in the wrong direction and maintain blood pressure
  • Pathway of blood through the heart:
    • Double circulatory system with two circuits: systemic circuit and pulmonary circuit
    • Oxygen-loaded blood goes into the left side of the heart, while oxygen-poor blood goes into the right side
    • The heart is a pump in the double circulatory system
    • Valves prevent the backflow of blood
  • Blood vessels in the vascular system:
    • Arteries carry blood away from the heart under high pressure, with elastic, thick walls and no valves
    • Veins carry blood to the heart (except pulmonary vein) with lower pressure, thin walls, and valves to prevent backflow
    • Capillaries are thin vessels that link arteries with veins, allowing for nutrient and gas exchange
  • How blood is pumped around the body:
    • The heart pumps blood at high pressure into the arteries
    • Arteries stretch and contract to move blood along
    • Capillaries allow for nutrient and gas exchange
    • Veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart
  • Vascular shunting:
    • Process of redistributing blood to active areas and away from inactive areas
    • Achieved through vasodilation (widening) and vasoconstriction (narrowing) of blood vessels
  • Heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output:
    • Resting heart rate is the number of heartbeats per minute
    • Maximum heart rate can be estimated using the formula: 220 - age
    • Cardiac output is calculated by multiplying stroke volume by heart rate
  • Cardiac output is the amount of blood pumped out of the left ventricle of the heart per minute
  • Stroke volume is the amount of blood pumped out of the left ventricle per beat
  • Cardiac output can be calculated by multiplying the stroke volume by the heart rate
  • During exercise, the heart beats faster and with greater force to supply the body with oxygen and nutrients
  • Regular exercise causes changes to the heart:
    • The heart gets larger
    • The muscular wall becomes thicker and stronger
    • Stroke volume at rest increases, leading to a lower resting heart rate
  • Blood pressure depends on the speed of the blood coming into a vessel and the width of the vessel itself
  • Factors affecting blood pressure include age, gender, stress, diet, and exercise
  • Blood is made up of several major components: White Blood Cells, Red Blood Cells, Platelets, and Plasma
  • Red blood cells carry oxygen, which is vital to muscle action, especially in endurance events
  • Blood doping illegally boosts an athlete's red blood cell count, improving performance but leading to dangerous blood clots and heart problems
  • What is blood pressure?
    The force of blood against the walls of the arteries.
  • why is blood pressure important?
    because blood supplies oxygen to working muscles so maintaining a steady pressure ensures adequate oxygen to the muscles.
  • What is blood shunting?
    The process of diverting blood from inactive areas to working muscles. This is done by vasoconstriction and vasodilation of the blood vessels to redirect the blood.
  • Heart rate definition?
    Beats per minute
  • Stroke volume definition?
    The amount of blood pumped out of the heart (left ventricle) in one beat
  • Cardiac output definition?
    the amount of blood pumped out of the heart (left ventricle) per minute.