Circulatory System

Circulatory System

Materials once taken into the body must be transported to body tissues.

·        Some of these materials include
·        Gasses (CO2 & O2)
·        Nutrients
·        Hormones
·        This is done via the circulatory system.

Blood
·        Is a liquid tissue
·        Is composed of approx. 55% Plasma
·        Liquid component of blood
·        Contains salts, dissolved nutrients
·        Other 45% composed of 3 types of cells
·        Red blood cells
·        ~5 million RBC'c per cc of blood
·        Contains hemoglobin which carries O2 to cells, also carries CO2 away from cells
·        Each red blood cell can carry 1 billion molecules of O2
·        Live approx. 120 days, and are made in bone marrow at a rate of ~2 million/second

Red Blood Cells

·        White Blood Cells
·        Defend the cell from infection
·        Can engulf bacteria, and produce antibodies to fight viruses
·        Can move through body tissues
·        Are the target cells of HIV.
·        4000-11000 per cc of blood

White Blood Cell

·        Platelets
·        Are actually fragments of cells
·        Act as "plugs" to form clots surrounding breaks in the blood vessels

Blood Types:
·        Determined by presence or absence of certain proteins in blood.
·        These are A, B, O (absence of A or B) and Rh (+,-).
·        Your body defenses will attack any protein which it does not have.
·        Since AB+ have all the proteins, they can accept all blood types, but can only donate to other AB+ persons.  They are Universal Recipients.
·        Since O- have no proteins, they can Only receive blood from O- persons, but can donate blood to anyone.  They are Universal Donors.

Note: You cannot contract HIV or other blood-borne illnesses through donating blood.


Blood Vessels:

Blood is transported throughout the body via blood vessels - There are many types.
Classified according to if they carry blood to or away from the heart.

Away:
·        Arteries
·        Largest blood vessels.
·        Very elastic & thick-Surrounded by layers of smooth muscle.
·        Generally lead away from heart & carry oxygenated blood.
·        Lead into Arterioles
·        Arterioles
·        Smaller and thinner than arteries
·        Still lead away from heart
·        Lead to capillaries
·        Capillaries
·        Small thin vessels - usually only 1 RBC wide
·        Pass next to or near every cell in the body
·        Gas (CO2 & O2) & nutrient exchange occur here.

Blood Vessel comparison

Towards Heart

·        Venules
·        Thin walled vessels collect deoxygenated blood from capillaries.
·        Not as elastic as arteries, have little muscle surrounding
·        Pass blood into veins
·        Veins
·        Collect blood from venules
·        Thin walled, contain valves which only allow blood to go one way.
·        Skeletal muscle "squeeze" the veins to move blood back to the heart.


Veinous valves




Circulatory Pathways of Animals:

·        Animals have various types of circulatory systems:
·        2 General categories
o       Open circulatory system
§        Usually involves a fluid coined hemolymph
§        Involves blood leaving the vessels to directly contact individual cells.
o       Closed circulatory system
§        Blood never leaves vessel structures.
§        Is the vertebrate system.

open vs. closed circulatory systems


·        Closed circulatory systems have 3 general schemes, each being increasingly efficient.

o       Fish have a 2 chambered system where blood must pass through 2 capillary beds before returning to the heart. 
§        Lowers blood pressure
o       Reptiles have a 3 chambered system which increases blood flow/pressure since blood must pass through only 1 capillary bed per cycle.
§        Disadvantage: mixes oxygenated & deoxygenated blood
o       Mammals have a more efficient system with a 4 chambered heart.  Blood pressure is increased and there is no mixing of blood.



Human Circulation



The Cardiac cycle:
·        Vocab.
o       Systole = contraction phase
o       Diastole = relaxation phase

1.      Contraction impulse originates from sinoatrial (SA) node (aka. Pacemaker)
2.     Induces systole of atria which empty contents into ventricles.
3.     Atrioventricular (AV) node delays impulse ~0.1 second.
4.     Impulse is carried to the base of ventricles stimulating their contraction


No comments:

Post a Comment