Heart
What are the four chambers of the heart ,which ones receive and which ones pump out?
The right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle. The atria receive blood and the ventricles pump blood out.
Describe the pathway of blood through the heart starting at the vena cava
Vena cava → right atrium → right ventricle → pulmonary artery → lungs → pulmonary veins → left atrium → left ventricle → aorta
Why are the walls of cappilaries only one cell thick?
they are one cell thick for efficient diffusion and exchange of O2, nutrients and CO2 between blood and tissues.
Why can anemia cause fatigue or dizziness?
Because body recieves less O2 rich blood due to the low hemoglobin or red blood cell levels
Why are capillaries only one cell thick?
So oxygen, nutrients, and wastes can easily diffuse between the blood and body cells.
Why would damage to capillaries disrupt both circulation and immune response?
Capillaries allow exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and immune cells; damage would prevent delivery of oxygen and limit immune cells reaching infected areas
What is the difference between pulmonary and systemic circulation?
Pulmonary circulation moves blood between the heart and lungs for oxygen exchange, while systemic circulation moves oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the body and returns oxygen-poor blood back to the heart.
How do veins prevent the back flow of blood?
The veins contain one-way valves, rely on the skelektal muscles contraction.
Explain how the structure of red blood cells helps them carry oxygen efficiently
Red blood cells are biconcave and flexible, giving them more surface area for oxygen exchange and allowing them to move easily through capillaries.
Explain why veins contain valves but arteries do not
Veins carry blood at lower pressure, so valves prevent backflow, while arteries have high pressure from the heart that keeps blood moving forward.
Explain how the valves and septum work together to maintain efficient circulation AND predict what happens if one fails
A: Valves prevent backflow and keep blood moving forward, while the septum separates oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood. If valves fail, blood flows backward; if the septum fails, blood mixes, reducing oxygen delivery.
Explain how the first, second, and third lines of defence work together when bacteria enter the body through a cut
The first line of defence (skin) is broken, allowing bacteria to enter. The second line responds with inflammation and white blood cells to attack the bacteria. The third line activates T cells and B cells, which produce antibodies and target the specific pathogen
Why are pulmonary veins a bit different than most veins?
Pulmonary veins only carry oxygenated blood, while most veins carry deoxyganated blood to the heart.
Why is blood clotting important after a blood vessel is damaged?
It prevents excessive blood loss, protects body form infection.
A patient’s blood pressure is extremely high. Explain how this could damage blood vessels over time
High blood pressure puts extra force on artery walls, which can weaken or damage them and increase the risk of heart disease or stroke.
: Describe the electrical pathway of the heart AND explain how it ensures proper timing between atrial and ventricular contraction
SA node sends signal → atria contract → signal reaches AV node and pauses → then travels to ventricles → ventricles contract. The pause allows ventricles to fill before pumping.
Explain how blood pressure is affected when arteries become narrow due to plaque buildup
Narrow arteries increase resistance to blood flow, causing the heart to pump harder and increasing blood pressure.
Which layer in the artery is responsible for handling the pressure changes that are caused by the systolic pumping?
The tunica media, its smooth muscles can contract and relax in order to adjust to pressure changes
A patient has a very low platelet count. Predict how this would affect the body AND explain why
: The patient would bleed more easily and have trouble forming clots because there are not enough platelets to seal damaged blood vessels.
How does aortic valve stenosis (narrowed valves) force the heart to work harder?
The narrowed valves restricts blood flow forcing the left ventricle to pump harder to force the blood out to the rest of the body
A patient has damage to the left ventricle AND a faulty aortic valve. Explain how both issues together affect systemic circulation and oxygen delivery
The left ventricle cannot pump strongly, and the faulty aortic valve causes backflow. Together, this greatly reduces blood flow to the body, leading to low oxygen delivery and possible organ failure.
A patient has a blocked coronary artery. Explain how this affects oxygen delivery and what cardiovascular disorder may occur A blocked coronary artery reduces blood flow and oxygen to the heart muscle, which can lead to a heart attack and damage to heart tissue.
A blocked coronary artery reduces blood flow and oxygen to the heart muscle, which can lead to a heart attack and damage to heart tissue.
How does atherosclerosis (blocked artery) reduce delivery of oxygen and nutrients to body tissues?
The plaque buildup hardens in the artery walls which narrows them, restricts blood flow this reduces transport of blood.
Compare anemia and leukemia by explaining which blood component is affected AND how each disorder impacts the body
Anemia affects red blood cells, reducing oxygen delivery and causing fatigue and weakness. Leukemia affects white blood cells, weakening the immune system and interfering with normal blood cell production.
A patient loses a large amount of blood after an injury. Explain how this affects oxygen delivery, blood pressure, AND the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis
Blood loss decreases red blood cells and oxygen delivery, lowers blood pressure, and disrupts homeostasis because organs may not receive enough oxygen and nutrients to function properly.