Circulatory System Lab
Circulatory System Lab
Materials: Stethoscope
Procedure:
1. On your partner, place the bell of the stethoscope about 3cm to the left of the
sternum at the space between the fifth and sixth ribs. Listen for the heart beat
until you can hear the lubb/dub.
2. Next, place the stethoscope bell in the space between the second and third ribs
either to the right or to the left of the sternum. Listen for the heart beat again.
It should be clearer than before.
3. Now, have your partner run in place for 30 steps and again listen to the heart
sounds. They should be faster and louder than before.
4. Now switch and let your partner do steps 1-3.
Exercise 2: Heart Rate
Introduction: The pulse can be felt by placing the fingers on any of the main arteries.
Some of these are the carotid artery, at the front of the neck, the maxillary artery, under
the edge of the lower jaw, the temporal artery, on the temple, and the radial artery, on the
inside of the wrist, just below the thumb. The easiest way to locate the pulse is at the
radial artery of the wrist just below the thumb.
Materials: None
Procedure:
1. Locate your partners radial pulse by placing your middle and index
fingers (not your thumb) on the wrist and press gently until you can feel
the pulsations of the radial artery.
2. Calculate your partners heart rate once per minute for three minutes while
he or she is sitting quietly. To calculate the heart rate, count the pulsations
for every fifteen seconds and multiply by four.
3. Calculate your partners heart rate once per minute for three minutes while
he or she is standing quietly.
4. Calculate your partners heart rate immediately after running in place for
fifty steps.
5. Continue to check the heart rate every minute. How long does it take your
partners heart rate to return to the same rate it was in number three?
Procedure:
1. Have your partner sit down and rest his or her arm on the desk.
2. Make sure the cuff is deflated and the exhaust valve is open.
3. Locate the brachial artery on the inside of the upper arm, just above the bend in
the elbow on the body side.
4. Wrap the cuff around the upper arm, 2-3 cm above the bend in the elbow. Line
up the white line on the cuff with the artery.
5. Rapidly inflate the cuff to 160 mm Hg.
6. Slowly exhaust the cuff; the machine will give you a blood pressure reading.
7. Never leave the cuff inflated on your arm for more than a few seconds.
8. Repeat steps 1-7 with your partners other arm.
Procedure:
1. Have one partner step up rapidly fifteen times.
2. Immediately measure the blood pressure, and continue to do so every three
minutes until it returns to the normal level.
Procedure:
1. Place the pressure cuff on the left arm.
2. Clench the right hand into a tight fist.
3. Measure blood pressure.
4. Rest one minute and take the blood pressure again with the right hand relaxed.
5. Repeat this exercise three times for each partner.