MYP3: Unit: Circulatory System

Benchmarks Addressed (For August 2023- First Two Weeks)

· Anatomy and physiology of heart

Anatomy and physiology of Heart/Pathway of Blood

(2) It has different chambers to prevent the oxygen rich blood from mixing with blood
containing carbon dioxide.

(3) Heart is divided by septa into 2 halves i.e. the right and left. Each half consist of 2
chambers: upper atrium and lower ventricle. Thus heart has 4 chambers: Right atrium,
left atrium, right ventricle, left ventricle.

(4) There are valves between left atrium and left ventricle and between right ventricle.
These valves provide one-way passage and prevent return of blood.

(5) The valves of heart are made up of cardiac muscles.

The sequence of events which take place during the completion of one heart beat is
called cardiac cycle.

It involves repeated rhythmic contraction and relaxation of heart muscles.

Contraction is called systole

Relaxation is called diastole.

(1) Oxygen rich blood from the lungs enter the left atrium. The left atrium relaxes when
it is collecting the blood. Then it contracts while next chamber i.e. left ventricle expands
so that blood is transferred to it.

(2) From left atrium the blood is transferred to left ventricle through bicuspid valve. From
the left ventricle the blood is pumped to various parts of body through aorta(largest
artery).Oxygenated blood from lungs enters the left atrium through pulmonary veins.

(3) The de-oxygenated blood from various parts of the body is poured into right atrium
through large veins called vena cava.

(4) As the right atrium contracts, the corresponding right ventricle expands and blood
through tricuspid valve gets collected. It then pumps it to the lungs for oxygenation by
pulmonary arteries. In the lungs this blood become oxygenated and return to the heart
by pulmonary veins.
The blood circulation in human heart is Double Circulation. This means that blood p
asses through heart twice. One circulation involves entry of blood from all body parts
to heart. This blood is deoxygenated which goes to lungs for oxygenation. The second
circulation involves entry of oxygenated blood from lungs to heart and then to all body
parts.

The force that blood exerts against the walls of a vessel is called Blood pressure.

It is measured by Sphygmomanometer
The pressure of blood inside artery during ventricular contraction is called Systolic
pressure.

The pressure of blood inside artery during ventricular relaxation is called Diastolic
pressure.

It is 120mm of Hg /80mm of Hg

Heart Rate and Pulse:

Your heart rate is the number of times that your heart beats in a minute. Your body
automatically controls your heartbeat to match whatever you're doing or what's
happening around you. That's why your heartbeat gets faster when you're active,
excited or scared, and drops when you're resting, calm or comfortable.

Your heart rate is an important indicator of your overall health too. When your heart rate
is too fast or too slow, that can be a sign of heart or other health problems. The ability to
feel your heart rate throughout your body is also a potential way for doctors to diagnose
medical conditions.

There’s a connection between your heart rate and your pulse, but they aren’t the same.
Your heart rate is how fast your heart is beating at a given time. Your pulse is how you
can feel your heart rate.

Every time your heart beats, it squeezes and propels blood through the network of
arteries in your body. Your pulse is the pressure in your arteries going up briefly as your
heart pushes out more blood to keep circulation going. Between beats, your heart
relaxes, which brings the pressure back down again. That’s why each heartbeat feels
like a single push rather than a constant flow of pressure like water through a hose.

There are several places where the arteries are very close to your skin, some of which
are easier to feel than others because of your body characteristics. Depending on the
place, certain points are where it’s easiest for you or a healthcare professional to feel
your pulse.
You can easily feel your pulse at the following points (use your index and ring finger
together and don’t press too hard):

 Neck (carotid artery). Start at your earlobe and trace your finger along your skin
straight down. Just underneath your jawbone, you should be able to feel your
pulse.
 Wrist (radial artery). Holding your hand with your palm upward, this point is
where the fleshy muscle of your thumb merges into your wrist.
 Inside your elbow (brachial artery). Start at the center hollow area of the inside
of your elbow with the fingers of your opposite hand. Slowly pull those fingers
along your skin toward your body. You should be able to feel your pulse just
slightly off-center of the inside of your elbow.

Blood vessels: Our circulatory system is of closed type. i.e. blood flows within blood
vessels which are network of closed tube like structures with walls. That is why our
circulatory system is also called blood vascular system or cardio-vascular system.

Blood vessels are elastic, muscular tubes that carry blood away from the heart,
transport it to the tissues and then return it to the heart. The study of blood vessels is
called angiology (Greek: Angeion=vessel; logos=study). There are three types of blood
vessels; arteries, veins and capillaries.

1. Arteries:
 They are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to different
organs and tissues of the body.
 All the arteries carry oxygenated blood except pulmonary artery, which carries
deoxygenated blood from heart to the lungs.
 Arteries further branch into small branches called arterioles that give rise to
capillaries.
 They have thick elastic muscular walls with a narrow lumen.
 They are deep-seated in the body.
 The blood flows with considerable pressure in the arteries.
2. Capillaries:
 They are microscopic vessels with walls mostly one cell thick.
 They allow the exchange of materials by diffusion between the blood and the cells
of the organs and hence deliver nutrients to the body tissues under low pressure.
 They are distributed throughout the body except in the dead outer layers of skin
and in such places as the layers as the lenses of the eyes.
3. Veins:
 They are the blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart from different
organs and tissues of the body.
 All the veins carry deoxygenated blood except pulmonary veins, which carry
oxygenated blood from lungs to the heart.
  Veins further branch into small branches called venules that give rise to
capillaries.
 They have comparatively thinner walls than of arteries with a broad or wide lumen
and are generally more flexible than arteries.
 They are superficially distributed in the body.
 The blood flows with minimum or low pressure in the veins.
 Veins have internal one-way valves throughout their length, to stop the blood
flowing backwards.

https://nayturr.com- Image source

 They are muscular flaps hanging freely in the lumen of veins and at the openings
of special arteries in the heart.
 Veins usually contain paired semilunar bicuspid valves (two triangular
depressions) that permit blood to flow in only one direction, restricting any
backflow.

* The valves are like swing doors to ensure the flow of blood in a single direction.
 Blood and its components

Blood, by definition, is a fluid that moves through the vessels of a circulatory system. In
humans, it includes plasma (the liquid portion), blood cells (which come in both red and
white varieties), and cell fragments called platelets.

 Plasma is the main component of blood and consists mostly of water, with proteins,
ions, nutrients, and wastes mixed in.

 Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide.

 Platelets are responsible for blood clotting.

 White blood cells are part of the immune system and function in immune response.

Cells and platelets make up about 454545%%percent percent of human blood, while
plasma makes up the other 555555%%percent percent. The diagram below shows red
blood cells, white blood cells of different types (large, purple cells), and platelets.

Plasma

Plasma, the liquid component of blood, can be isolated by spinning a tube of whole
blood at high speeds in a centrifuge. The denser cells and platelets move to the bottom
of the tube, forming red and white layers, while the plasma remains at the top, forming a
yellow layer.
 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles

A drawing of a test tube of blood. The diagram shows a drawing of a test tube with 2
reddish colored layers, with a thin clear layer separating them. The bottom layer of the
test tube is labeled red blood cells and there is a drawing of 3 red blood cells. The thin
clear layer is labeled white blood cells and platelets and there are drawings of platelets
and different types of white blood cells. The top layer of the test tube is labeled plasma
and there are six arrows pointing away from the plasma label and are labeled water,
ions, protein, nutrients, waste, gases.

The plasma is about 90%90%90, percent water, with the remaining 10%10%10,
percent made up of ions, proteins, nutrients, wastes, and dissolved gases. The ions,
proteins, and other molecules found in plasma are important for maintaining blood pH
and osmotic balance, with albumin (the main protein in human plasma) playing a
particularly important role.

Some of the molecules found in the plasma have more specialized functions. For
example, hormones act as long-distance signals, antibodies recognize and neutralize
pathogens, and clotting factors promote blood clot formation at the site of wounds.
(Plasma that’s been stripped of its clotting factors is called serum.) Lipids, such as
cholesterol, are also carried in plasma, but must travel with escort proteins because
they don’t dissolve in water.

Red blood cells

Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are specialized cells that circulate through the body
and deliver oxygen to tissues. In humans, red blood cells are small and biconcave
(thinnest in the center, just 777 - 888 μmμmstart text, μ, m, end text in size), and do not
contain mitochondria or a nucleus when mature.

These characteristics allow red blood cells to effectively perform their task of oxygen
transport. Small size and biconcave shape increase the surface area-to-volume ratio,
improving gas exchange, while lack of a nucleus makes additional space
for hemoglobin, a key protein used in oxygen transport. Lack of mitochondria keeps
red blood cells from using any of the oxygen they’re carrying, maximizing the amount
delivered to tissues of the body.

Image from Components of the blood: Figure 4, by OpenStax College, Biology (CC BY
4.0)._
 An image of red blood cells with cross section. There are 2 images. The first image is
titled red blood cells. There is a drawing of a tube labeled capillary (small blood vessel)
and inside the tube there are disc shaped structures labeled red blood cell, erythrocyte.
The second image is titled cross section of RBC. There is an image of a red blood cell
cut in half and inside there are numerous small circles labeled hemoglobin.

In the lungs, red blood cells take up oxygen, and as they circulate through the rest the
body, they release the oxygen to the surrounding tissues. Red blood cells also play an
important role in transport of carbon dioxide, a waste product, from the tissues back to
the lungs. Some of the carbon dioxide binds directly to hemoglobin, and red blood cells
also carry an enzyme that converts carbon dioxide into bicarbonate. The bicarbonate
dissolves in plasma and is transported to the lungs, where it's converted back into
carbon dioxide and released.

Red blood cells have an average life span of 120120120 days. Old or damaged red
blood cells are broken down in the liver and spleen, and new ones are produced in the
bone marrow. Red blood cell production is controlled by the hormone erythropoietin,
which is released by the kidneys in response to low oxygen levels. This negative
feedback loop ensures that the number of red blood cells in the body remains relatively
constant over time.

Platelets and clotting

Platelets, also called thrombocytes, are cell fragments involved in blood clotting. They
are produced when large cells called megakaryocytes break into pieces, each one
making 200020002000 - 300030003000 platelets as it comes apart. Platelets are
roughly disc-shaped and small, about 222 - 444 μmμmstart text, μ, m, end text in
diameter.
When the lining of a blood vessel is damaged (for instance, if you cut your finger deeply
enough for it to bleed), platelets are attracted to the wound site, where they form a
sticky plug. The platelets release signals, which not only attract other platelets and
make them become sticky, but also activate a signaling cascade that ultimately converts
fibrinogen, a water-soluble protein present in blood plasma, into fibrin (a non-water
soluble protein). The fibrin forms threads that reinforce the platelet plug, making a clot
that prevents further loss of blood.

Image from Components of the blood: Figure 4, by OpenStax College, Biology (CC BY
4.0)._

Images of a megakaryocyte and a fibrin clot. The image on the left is a sketch of a large
cell labeled Megakaryocyte. Surrounding the large cell are many smaller fragments
labeled platelets. The image on the right is a sketch of a cross-section of a blood vessel.
Inside the blood vessel are many red blood cells. There is a tear in the wall of the blood
vessel, and there are platelets and small lines that look like string located at the tear,
and it is labeled fibrin clot.

White blood cells

White blood cells, also called leukocytes, are much less common than red blood cells
and make up less than 1%1%1, percent of the cells in blood. Their role is also very
different from that of red blood cells: they are primarily involved in immune responses,
recognizing and neutralizing invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

White blood cells are larger than red blood cells, and unlike red blood cells, they have a
normal nucleus and mitochondria. White blood cells come in five major types, and these
are divided into two different groups, named for their appearance under a microscope.

SAMPLE QUESTION:

Criterion A: Knowledge and Understanding

Statement Arteries Veins Capillaries

Carry Blood at High pressure

Usually carry blood with a high Oxygen

Allow substances to pass through their walls

Have valves

Carry blood away from the organs

Are in close contact with cells of the body

Have a thick muscular wall

Pick up oxygen from alveoli of the lungs

Supply the heart muscle with Oxygen

References:

https://onlinesciencenotes.com

https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/20-1-structure-and-function-
of-blood-vessels

https://www.osmosis.org/notes/Cardiovascular_Anatomy_and_Physiology