Transport systems

• Transport Systems in Animals


  In mammals and other vertebrates, transport of materials around the body is carried out by the cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels) and the lymphatic system
• Blood Vessels


  • Arteries
  • Capillaries
  • Veins
• Arteries


  • Vessels which transport blood AWAY from the heart to the body
  • Have thick, elastic muscular walls
• Veins


  • Vessels which transport blood TOWARDS the heart from the body
  • Walls are thinner and have valves to prevent backflow of blood
• Capillaries


  • Tiny networks of blood vessels
  • Only one endothelial cell thick
  • Allow diffusion of substances through their walls, between the blood and the tissues
• Lymphatic System


  • Lymph is a clear fluid generally containing lymphocytes which are responsible for our immune response
  • Lymph glands or nodes are located in various places around the body along the lymph veins
  • Stores extra lymphocytes when the body is under attack
  • Important in transporting digested fat and removing and destroying toxic chemicals in the blood
• The Heart


  • Four-chambered pump (in mammals and birds) that pumps blood around the circulatory system of the body
  • Two uppermost chambers are the atria and the two lower chambers are the ventricles