KS3 Science Year 9 The Circulatory System-2

TERM 3 YEAR 9
HUMANS AND ANIMALS – THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Know the difference between single and double circulatory systems.
- Describe the composition of the blood: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma.
- Know the main components of the circulatory system and their functions.
- Explain the differences in pressure and rate of flow in arteries, veins, and capillaries.
- Know the effect of exercise on the heart rate and explain why these changes are important.
- Explain how lifestyle factors may contribute to cardiovascular disease.
Vocabulary
1. Biconcave - A surface that curves inwards on both sides.

2. Blood plasma - The liquid part of the blood containing useful things like glucose, amino acids,
minerals, vitamins (nutrients) and hormones, as well as waste materials such as urea.
3. Deoxygenated - Blood that is low in oxygen (as cells have used it) and high in carbon dioxide (as cells
have produced it).
4. Diffusion - The random movement of a substance from a region of high concentration to a region of low
concentration.
5. Haemoglobin - An iron containing protein found in the red blood cells.
6. Lumen - The central cavity of a hollow structure in an organism or cell.
7. Oxygenated - Blood that is high in oxygen and low in carbon dioxide.
8. Valve - The structure in veins that prevents the backflow of blood.
9. Single circulatory system - is a type of circulatory system in which blood only flows through the
body once. This type of circulatory system is found in simple animals such as invertebrates, fish, and
amphibians.
10. Double circulatory system - is a type of circulatory system in which blood passes through the
heart twice. The right pump sends deoxygenated blood to the lungs where it becomes oxygenated and
returns to the heart. The left pump sends the newly oxygenated blood around the body.
Difference between single and double circulatory systems.
Single Circulation
In a single circulatory system, the blood will pass through the heart to gills, then after purification, blood will be
distributed to different parts of the body. Only one cardiac cycle is completed, hence the name single
circulation. For example: single circulation is mainly seen in birds, fish, reptiles, etc.
Double Circulation
The heart is the key organ for blood circulation and the double circulation is an efficient way of circulation as it
provides an effective way of circulation. The main difference is that the blood follows two routes – one for
oxygenated blood and the other for deoxygenated blood. Hence, the name “double circulation.” Most mammals,
including humans utilize a double circulatory system.
Components of the Circulatory System
The circulatory system has three main components:
 Blood
 Blood vessels
 The heart
It has two main functions:
 Transportation of substances
 Protection against disease
Composition of Blood
 Blood consists of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma.
Composition of human blood
The main blood components are:

Plasma
 Plasma is the liquid which carries the components in the blood, e.g. cells, platelets, amino acids,
hormones etc.
 Plasma is important for the transport of carbon dioxide, digested food, urea, hormones and heat energy.
 Straw coloured liquid.
Red Blood Cells

 Red blood cells transport oxygen around the body from the lungs to cells which require it for aerobic
respiration.
 They have specific structural features which make them suited to this task:
Adaptations of a red blood cell

White Blood Cells
 White blood cells are part of the body’s immune system, defending against infection by pathogenic
microorganisms.
 There are two main types, phagocytes and lymphocytes.
A phagocyte engulfing and digesting a bacterium
 Phagocytes have a sensitive cell surface membrane that can detect chemicals produced by pathogenic
cells.
 Once they encounter the pathogenic cell, they will engulf it and release digestive enzymes to digest it.
 They can be easily recognised by their multi-lobed nucleus and their ability to change shape easily.
 Phagocytes do this to all pathogenic cells they encounter and as such it is described as a non-specific
immune response.
Lymphocytes
Produce antibodies to destroy pathogenic cells.
The Heart
 Mammals have a four chambered heart and a double circulation.
 This means that for every one circuit of the body, the blood passes through the heart twice.
 The right side of the heart receives deoxygenated blood from the body and pumps it to the lungs.
 The left side of the heart receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the body.
 The heart is labelled as if it was in the chest so what is your left on a diagram is actually the right hand
side and vice versa.
 The ventricles have thicker muscle walls than the atria as they are pumping blood out of the heart and
so need to generate a higher pressure.
 The left ventricle has a thicker muscle wall than the right ventricle as it has to pump blood at high
pressure around the entire body, whereas the right ventricle is pumping blood at lower pressure to the
lungs.
Structure of the heart

The function of the valves
 The basic function of all valves is to prevent blood flowing backwards.
 There are two sets of valves in the heart:
 The atrioventricular valves separate the atria from the ventricles.
 The valve in the right side of the heart is called the TRICUSPID and the valve in the left side is
called the BICUSPID.
 These valves are pushed open when the atria contract but when the ventricles contract they are
pushed shut to prevent blood flowing back into the atria.
 The semilunar valves are found in the two blood arteries that come out of the top of the heart.
 They are unusual in that they are the only two arteries in the body that contain valves.
 These valves open when the ventricles contract so blood squeezes past them out of the heart, but
then shut to avoid blood flowing back into the heart.
The valves of the heart
Blood Vessels
Arteries
 Carry blood at high pressure away from the heart. Able to withstand high pressure created by the
heart.
 Carry oxygenated blood (other than the pulmonary artery).
 Have thick muscular walls containing elastic fibres (to withstand high pressure) and thick outer walls
of connective tissue.
 Have a narrow lumen (to maintain high pressure).
 Speed of flow is fast.
 No valves are present.
Veins
 Carry blood at low pressure towards the heart.
 Carry deoxygenated blood (other than the pulmonary vein).
 Have thin outer walls and a thin layer of muscles and elastic fibres.
 Have a large lumen (as blood pressure is low).
 Contain valves to prevent the backflow of blood as it is under low pressure.
 Speed of flow is slow.
Structural differences between arteries and veins
Capillaries
 Connect arteries to veins.

 Carry blood at low pressure within tissues.
 Allow substances to easily enter and leave the blood by diffusion, since they have very thin walls
(squamous epithelium).
 Carry both oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.
 Have walls that are one cell thick (very thin walls made up of one layer of endothelial tissue only) so
that substances can easily diffuse in and out of them.
 Have ‘leaky’ walls so that blood plasma can leak out and form tissue fluid surrounding cells.
 Speed of flow is slow
Structure of a capillary
How arteries, veins and capillaries are connected

Factors Affecting The Heart
Heart Rate
Effect of exercise
 During exercise, the muscle cells need more energy than usual as they are contracting more.
 They therefore need to respire more and so need more oxygen and glucose, and produce more waste
carbon dioxide.
 To meet this demand, the heart:
o contracts more often – the heart rate increases.
o contracts more powerfully – the stroke volume increases, pumping a greater volume of blood
with each beat.
o The changes in heart rate are easily observed by measuring the pulse rate at the wrist or side of
the neck.
Heart rate before, during and after exercise
 After exercise has finished the heart rate takes several minutes to return to its normal resting rate in
order to continue to supply muscle cells with oxygen.
 This is needed to repay the oxygen debt built up during exercise if the muscles respired anaerobically
and produced lactic acid.
 The oxygen is needed to combine with the lactic acid (a toxic substance) and break it down into carbon
dioxide and water.
Effect of adrenaline
 Adrenaline is a hormone secreted when we are afraid, stressed or angry.
 It also causes the heart rate and stroke volume to increase to prepare our body for ‘fight or flight’.
 In addition it diverts blood away from non essential areas of the body (like the digestive system) so
that more is available to supply muscles – this is why we get ‘butterflies’ in our stomach when we are
nervous.
Coronary Heart Disease
Exterior of the heart showing the coronary arteries.
 The heart is made of muscle cells that need their own supply of blood to deliver oxygen, glucose and
other nutrients and remove carbon dioxide and other waste products.
 The blood is supplied by the coronary arteries.
 If a coronary artery becomes partially or completely blocked by fatty deposits called ‘plaques’ (mainly
formed from cholesterol), cells in that area of the heart will not be able to respire and can no longer
contract, leading to a heart attack.
Build up of plaque in the coronary arteries.
Effect of narrowing of arteries.
Causes of Coronary Heart disease:

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TERM 3 YEAR 9

HUMANS AND ANIMALS – THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM.

1. Biconcave - A surface that curves inwards on both sides.

Difference between single and double circulatory systems.

Components of the Circulatory System

The circulatory system has three main components:

It has two main functions:

 Protection against disease

The main blood components are:

Red Blood Cells

Adaptations of a red blood cell

A phagocyte engulfing and digesting a bacterium

Structure of the heart

The valves of the heart

Structural differences between arteries and veins

 Connect arteries to veins.

How arteries, veins and capillaries are connected

Heart rate before, during and after exercise

Coronary Heart Disease

Exterior of the heart showing the coronary arteries.

Effect of narrowing of arteries.

Causes of Coronary Heart disease:

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