Subject: Human and Social Biology

Class: 10
Topic: Transport in Humans/ Circulatory System
Specific objectives:
● Explain the importance of a transport system
● Describe the parts of the transport system
● Explain blood clotting and immunity
● Compare the three blood vessels
● Describe the flow of blood in and out of the heart

Why do I need a circulatory system or a transport system?

Organisms can be either multicellular or unicellular. Multicellular organisms are made up of

many cells like us humans and dogs while unicellular organisms are made of only one cell
like an amoeba or bacteria. Now in unicellular organisms the distance between their outer
surface to the centre of their bodies is short so substances can diffuse in and out easily. For
example, oxygen can easily diffuse in and carbon dioxide can diffuse out. However, in
multicelluar organisms the distance from the surface (the skin) to the centre of the body is
much farther so we need a transport system to move substances in and out of the body. We
say multicellular organisms have a small surface area to volume ratio while unicellular
organisms have a large surface area to volume ratio. As we know oxygen and carbon dioxide
cannot diffuse in and out of our bodies through our skin.

Diagram of an amoeba Diagram of a human

The Human Circulatory System is made up of three main parts, the blood, the blood vessels
and the heart. We will look at them individually.
The blood
The blood is a medium which has cells spread throughout it that transports substances around
the body. A medium is a substance that allows the movement of items from one place to
another.
Function of the blood
● Transports substances such as oxygen and hormones around the body
● Distributes heat around the body to help maintain constant body temperature
throughout.
Hi grade 10
● Helps defend the body against diseases.

Composition of the blood

Blood is made up plasma and blood cells. Let’s break it down.
Plasma is composed of mostly water and also has dissolved substances in it such as
hormones, glucose, salts, antibodies and amino acids.
Blood cells- There are two types of blood cells, the red and white blood cells. Also there are
platelets which are not actual cells but are fragments of cells that help blood to clot.

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 Substances transported in the blood
These include the following:
● oxygen, ● hormones,
● nutrients, ● heat,
● water, ● urea and carbon dioxide

Blood cells
Now let us look at the blood cells. What are the two types we mentioned earlier?......the red
and white blood cells
Table Showing the differences among the red blood cell, white blood cells and platelets.
Structure Formation of cells Functions
● Formed in the red ● Transport oxygen
bone marrow from the lungs to the
body cells. Oxygen
combines with the
haemoglobin to form
oxyhaemoglobin.
Red blood cells or
erythrocyte
● Biconcave (curves on
both sides) in shape
● Have no nucleus
therefore lives for
only 3-4 months
● Contain red pigment
called haemoglobin
● Elastic to squeeze in
small spaces.

● Formed from cells in ● Produce antibodies

the red bone marrow that destroy pathogen
● Produce antitoxins

Lymphocyte
● Rounded shape
 ● Have large round
nucleus

Phagocyte ● Formed from cells in ● Engulf and destroy

the red bone marrow pathogen
● Has different shapes
● Have a lobed nucleus
● Move by pseudopodia
which are projections,
also known as false
foot.
● Formed from cells in ● Help the blood to clot
the red bone marrow

Platelets
● Cell fragments
● Have no nucleus and
live for about 10 days

Clot formation
As mentioned before blood protects the body against diseases and this is how it is done.
Vitamin K and calcium ions aid in blood clotting because they stimulate the platelets to help
release an enzyme in the plasma. This enzyme converts a plasma protein known as
prothrombin to the enzyme thrombin. Thrombin then converts fibrinogen, another plasma
protein into fibrin. Fibrin forms a mesh across the cut to prevent further blood loss and
prevent pathogens from entering the body.
 Immunity
Immunity is the temporary or permanent resistance to a disease. There are two types of
immunity, natural immunity and artificial immunity.
Natural Immunity
In this type of immunity someone is resistant to a disease because they have been exposed to
the disease already. When this happens the lymphocytes produce proteins called antibodies.
Why do the lymphocytes produce antibodies? Antibodies are released because of the
presence of antigens. Antigens are molecules found on the surface of pathogens. Antibodies
are specific to the antigens. This means that one antibody can only respond to a specific
antigen on a pathogen. It takes time for antibodies to be produced and so you can feel
symptoms of a disease because the pathogens are in your body. When the antibodies are
released however, the antigens are destroyed and the lymphocytes become lymphocyte
memory cells and will be ready to release the antibodies quicker the next time the symptoms
of the same disease reappars. It is like the lymphocytes remember the pathogen and start to
target it immediately by producing large amounts of antibodies. Babies also gain immunity.
This is because they receive antibodies from their mother via the placenta and also breast
milk. Lymphocytes kill pathogens by:
1. Causing the pathogens to clump together.
2. Cause the pathogens to disintegrate.
3. Neutralize the toxins produced by pathogen. The antibodies that do this are called
antitoxins.
Artificial Immunity
This is resistant to a disease because of vaccination. Vaccination is the treatment with a
vaccine to produce immunity to a disease. The vaccines contain a weakened or dead pathogen
which means the vaccine also contains the antigens of that pathogen. So when you get a
vaccine the lymphocytes will produce antibodies in response to the pathogen in the vaccine.
Lymphocytes memory cells are produced in artificial immunity.
 Blood vessels
Humans have three blood vessels, the arteries, the veins and the capillaries. They are different
in a number of ways as mentioned in the table and diagrams below.
NB. Oxygenated blood is blood rich in oxygen gas while deoxygenated blood is rich in
carbon dioxide.
Table Showing the differences among the arteries, veins and capillaries
Arteries Veins Capillaries
Thick elastic walls Thin walls that are less Very thin, one cell thick
elastic
Carries oxygenated blood Carries deoxygenated blood Carries oxygenated blood
except the pulmonary artery except the pulmonary vein and deoxygenated blood
Transport blood away from Transport blood to the heart Transport blood throughout
the heart the body cells
Blood flows through the Blood flows through the vein Blood flows through the
artery at high pressure at low pressure capillaries at low pressure
Blood flows rapidly in the Blood flows slowly in the Blood flows very slowly in
artery vein the capillaries
Do not have valves Have valves to prevent the Do not have valves
backflow of blood
Diagram Showing the difference among the structure of artery, veins and capillaries
Oxygen rich blood travels in the artery. The artery branches into smaller tubes called
arterioles which then take the blood to the capillaries. The oxygen in the blood diffuses from
the capillaries and enters your cells. The same time cells release carbon dioxide which
diffuses in the blood in capillaries. The blood is now carbon dioxide rich blood. The blood
then goes into the small tubes called venules then to veins.

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The Heart
This is a muscular organ that pumps blood all over the body. The heart is able to carry out its
job because of cardiac muscles that allow the heart to keep pumping. Blood flows in and out
of the heart because of the arteries, veins, atria (plural for atrium), ventricles and valves
which are all apart of the heart. These structures are shown in the diagram of the heart below.
Please recall the functions of the arteries and veins in the table above. Now let us take a look
at our heart. You must know how to label the human heart. Below are the functions of the
different structures in the heart.
Table showing the parts of the heart and their functions
Structure Function
Pulmonary vein Receives oxygenated blood from the lungs
then to transports it to the left atrium
Left atrium This chamber receives oxygenated blood
from the pulmonary vein and pumps it into
the left ventricle
Bicuspid valve/mitral valve Prevents the backflow of blood to the left
atrium
Left ventricle This chamber receives oxygenated blood
from the left atrium and pumps the blood
through the aorta
Aortic valve Prevents the backflow of the blood to the left
ventricle
Aorta Transports oxygenated blood to the rest of
the body
Vena cava Receives deoxygenated blood from the body
then to transports it to the right atrium
Right atrium This chamber receives deoxygenated blood
from the vena cava and pumps it into the
right ventricle
Tricuspid valve Prevents the backflow of deoxygenated blood
to the right atrium
Right ventricle This chamber receives deoxygenated blood
from the right atrium and pumps the blood
through the pulmonary artery
Pulmonary valve Prevent the backflow is deoxygenated blood
in the right ventricle
Pulmonary artery Transports deoxygenated blood to the lungs
 Flow of blood in and out of the heart
Flow of blood on the left side of the heart
The blood enters the left side of the heart through the pulmonary vein. This is oxygenated
blood which then enters the left atrium, passes the bicuspid valve and then enters the left
ventricle. The blood is then forced out of the left ventricle, passes the aortic valve and leaves
the heart through the aorta. The aorta is the thickest artery because it has to pump oxygenated
blood to different parts of the body. The left ventricle is thicker than the right ventricle
because it is pumping blood further away-all over the body- compared to the right ventricle.

Flow of blood on the right side of the heart

The blood enters the right side of the heart through the vena cava. This is deoxygenated blood
which then enters the right atrium, passes the tricuspid valve and then enters the right
ventricle. The blood is then forced out of the right ventricle, passes the pulmonary valve and
leaves the heart through the pulmonary artery. The blood is then taken to the lungs so we can
get rid of the carbon dioxide in it. The deoxygenated and oxygenated blood does not mix
because of the septum. The septum is the wall that separates the right and left side of the
heart.
Now read over how blood flows in each side of the heart and try to follow using the arrows in
the diagram below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s5iCoCaofc&t=226s

Double Circulation
Humans have double circulation which means the blood flows in the heart twice. Please use
the heart above to demonstrate how the blood flows in each type of circulation.
1. Pulmonary circulation- Blood travels through the right ventricle then through the
pulmonary artery, goes to the lungs to release carbon dioxide and receive oxygen. The
oxygenated blood then travels through the pulmonary vein and enter the left atrium.
2. In systemic or body circulation- The blood travels from the left ventricle to the aorta
then to the body cells. There the blood loses oxygen to the cells and receive carbon
dioxide from the cells. The blood then becomes deoxygenated blood which then
travels through the vena cava and enter the right atrium.
 Blood flow through the heart
Systole is the contraction of the chambers of the heart. With that said what do you
think is atrial systole? Using the diagram below, what happens to blood in atrial
systole

Systole is the contraction of the chambers of the heart. With that said what do you
think is ventricular systole? Using the diagram below, what happens to blood in
ventricular systole
Diastole is the resting stage of the muscle of the heart. With that said what do you
think is diastole?
The Heart’s Pacemaker
Pulse
 Heart Diseases
Key Terms
● Coronary heart disease-A condition caused by the blockage of one or more
coronary arteries
● Atherosclerosis-The process by which fatty material is deposited in the lining
of the arteries
● Atheroma-A deposit of fatty material on the lining of the artery
●
 Risk factors of coronary heart disease
These include:
● Diet that is high in saturated fats
● Smoking
● High blood pressure
● Lack of regular exercise
Treatment of heart disease