Chapter 4: Circulation

• If you have antibodies for antigens you don't have
• There are 2 types of antigens found on RBCs
• Antigen v. Antibody


  Antibodies destroy the cell or enable other WBCs to engulf and digest them (phagocyte)
• Pathogen: disease-causing microorganism
• Artificial pacemakers help control the heart's rhythm
• Disease in which the pathogen can be passed from host to host
• How the heart works: the SA (sinotrial) node controls the resting heart rate by sending electrical impulses from the atrium to the ventricle, and the AV (atrioventricular) node guides the signal to the ventricle
• Recipient treated with immunosuppressants to suppress the immune system
• Blood vessels use air pressure to pump blood around the body
• Platelets involve a series of enzyme-controlled reactions that turn fibrinogen into fibrin to form a network of fibers and scab
• Plasma is a straw-colored (yellow) liquid that transports various substances in the blood
• White blood cells include lymphocytes that form antibodies/antitoxins, phagocytes that engulf and digest invading bacteria & viruses, and platelets for blood clotting
• Lymphocytes produce antibodies to attach to foreign antigens
• Coronary artery bypass graft involves taking a blood vessel from an alternate body part and attaching it to the coronary artery above and below the blockage
• Blood groups

  • A
  • B
  • AB
  • O
• Blood typing before transfusion is vital; error can be fatal
• Coronary heart disease: heart diseases related to the coronary arteries
• Coronary arteries can become narrow due to the build-up of fatty deposits
• Donor organ with the same blood type and tissue type as the recipient
• Blocked coronary arteries can be stretched open with a stent to restore blood flow
• Faulty heart valves may stiffen, preventing the valve from opening fully or causing a leak
• Red blood cells provide oxygen and glucose to the heart
• Circulatory system pathway

  1. Deoxygenated blood travels into the heart through the vena cava

  2. Blood flows into the right atrium then into the right ventricle

  3. Deoxygenated blood is then pumped away from the heart through the pulmonary artery into the lungs

  4. Oxygenated blood reenters the heart through pulmonary veins into the left atrium, then into the left ventricle, and finally into the aorta

  5. Blood is pumped to the rest of the body
• Blood vessels

  • Artery
  • Vein
  • Capillaries
• Helping the heart

  1. AV (atrioventricular) node guides signal to ventricle

  2. Sends Signal through atria, which start each heartbeat

  3. Artificial pacemakers
• Red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and platelets are substances transported in the blood
• Veins have thin walls and no valves
• Artificial heart carries blood from heart to organ
• Capillaries have inelastic walls and very narrow lumen
• Arteries function to transport blood from heart to organ
• Arteries have thick walls to withstand pressure of blood flowing
• Capillaries have very thin walls (one cell thick)
• Capillaries facilitate gas exchange
• Thickness of elastic walls affects the lumen size
• Blood is made of cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular waste products, calcium, and fibrin
• The heart

  1. Double circulation system

  2. Pumps blood around the body

  3. Made up of cardiac muscles that contract and relax rhythmically

  4. Beats around 70 times per minute

  5. Valves prevent backflow of blood and ensure blood flows in the right direction
• Electrical devices are used to correct irregularities in the heart rate
• Artificial heart


  • Type of blood vessels that use air pressure to pump blood around the body
  • Risk of clotting and developing of scar tissues
• Arteries have large elastic lumen and high blood flow pressure
• Veins have very low blood flow pressure and no valves