cardiovascular terms

• heart rate

  number of heart beats per minute
• stroke volume


  the amount of blood ejected by the left ventricle in one contration
• cardiac output


  amount of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system in one minute
• how to find cardiac output

  heart rate x stroke volume
• arteries


  take oxygenated blood away from the heart
• veins 


  bring deoxygenated blood back to the heart
• capillaries


  allow the exchange of gases, nutrients and wastes between the blood and tissues.
• role of haemoglobin


  carries oxygen
• red blood cells


  contain haemoglobin which carries the oxygen
• white blood cells


  fight infection
• platelets


  clot blood
• plasma


  contains water, wastes and hormones
• vasoconstriction

  narrowing of blood vessels

  • decreases blood flow to skin
  • retaining heat near warm inner body
• vasodilation


  • widening of blood vessels
  • increases blood flow to skin
  • allowing body to release heat
• systolic blood pressure


  force of blood against the artery walls while the ventricles contract
• diastolic blood pressure


  force of blood against the artery walls while the ventricles relax
• maximum heart rate


  220 - age
• arteriovenous oxygen difference


  the difference in oxygen content in arterial (oxygenated) and venous blood (deoxygenated)

  • millilitres per 100mL of blood
  • represents how much oxygen was removed from the blood as it passes through the body
• thermoregulation


  a process that allows the body to retain its core internal temperature
• to cool down:


  sweat

  vasodilation
• to warm up:


  • vasoconstriction
  • thermogenesis
• homeostasis


  regulation of blood circulation to meet demands of different organ and tissue systems
• pulmonary circuit


  blood flow between the heart and lungs
• systemic circuit


  blood flow between heart and body