Chapter 08 - Transport in Humans

Chapter 8 – Transport in
Humans
CHAPTER 8 Transport in Humans
8.1 The Importance of a Transport System
You should be able to:

■ explain the need for transport systems in large,
multicellular organisms; and
■ identify the types of materials which need to be
transported in animals.
UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

Importance of a Transport System
• All living organisms to exchange materials between

themselves and the environment.
• Cells need a constant supply of nutrients and oxygen and they

need to remove the waste products as well.
• The table in the next slide shows some substances that needs
to be transported in the human body.


• The Amoeba and jellyfish have a small volume in relation to

their surface area. This means that the cell contents in their
body are located very near to the surrounding environment.
• In such organisms, exchange of materials takes place over the
surface of the body by diffusion (see Chapter 4) and are
transported to all the cells of the organism.
• The close proximity of the cells to the surrounding environment
ensures that the speed of supply of nutrients and removal of
waste products is sufficient to meet the needs of the organism.

• In large, multicellular organisms, cells are located far away from

the surrounding environment as they have a large volume in
relation to their surface area.
• Diffusion alone will take too long to transport materials from
the air to all cells as many cells are found deep in the body.

• A transport system is thus needed to transport materials from

one part of the body to another.
• Also water moves into cells by osmosis from a solution of a
higher osmotic potential (higher water concentration) to a
solution of a lower osmotic potential (lower water
concentration).
• Cells therefore have an upper limit to their size.

8.2 The Circulatory System in Man

You should be able to:
■ describe the structure and function of the heart;
■ describe the structure and function of the blood
vessels;
■ list the names of blood vessels supplying blood to
the major organs; and
■ describe the composition and functions of blood in
transport.

The Circulatory System in Man
The human circulatory system is made up of three parts:

• Blood, which flows through blood vessels and contains
materials to be transported
• The blood vessels, which are a system of
interconnecting tubes that run throughout the entire
body
• The heart, which acts as a muscular pump to keep the
blood flowing through the blood vessels

The Structure of the Heart
• The heart is located behind the sternum (breastbone)

and between the two lungs. It is made up of a unique
type of muscle called cardiac muscle.
• The heart is covered by a tough membrane called the
pericardium, which contains pericardial fluid. This
lubricates the heart against the membrane as it is
beating.


• On the surface of the heart, blood vessels called the

coronary arteries can be seen.
• These arteries transport glucose and oxygen to the
cardiac muscles for respiration to produce energy.


• The mammalian heart is divided into a right and left

side and are completely separated from each other by
a muscular wall called the septum. Each side has two
chambers.
• The upper chambers on each side are called atria
(singular: atrium) and the lower chambers are called
ventricles.

Each chamber is served by blood vessels that carry blood

into or away from the heart:
• The vena cava – is connected to the right atrium and brings
blood back to the body. The superior (or anterior) vena cava
brings blood back from the upper tissues of the body while the
inferior (or posterior) vena cava brings blood back from the
lower tissues of the body.
• The pulmonary artery – is connected to the right ventricle and
carries blood to the lungs
• The pulmonary vein – is connected to the left atrium and brings
blood back from the lungs.
• The aorta – is connected to the left ventricle and carries blood
to all parts of the body except the lungs.


The atria and ventricles have valves between them called

atrioventricular valves, which prevent the backflow of
blood into the atria when the ventricles contract. They
consist of:
• the bicuspid valve which consists of two cup-shaped flaps found
on the left side of the heart.
• the tricuspid valve which consists of three cup-shaped flaps
found on the right side of the heart.

• Another set of valves called the semi-lunar valves are

also found in the pulmonary arteries and aorta.
• The valves prevent the backflow of blood into the
ventricles when the ventricles relax.

Flow of blood in the heart
• Blood that is low in oxygen and high in carbon dioxide

is called deoxygenated blood.
• On the other hand, blood that is high in oxygen is
called oxygenated blood.

The summary of events that occur are as follows:
On the right side of the heart:

• Deoxygenated blood from the tissues of the body returns to the
right side of the heart.
• The atrium receives the blood from the vena cava and pumps it
into the ventricle.
• The ventricle pumps the blood into the pulmonary artery which
carries it to the lungs for gaseous exchange (see Chapter 9) to
occur.

On the left side of the heart:

• Oxygenated blood from the lungs returns to the left side of the
heart.
• The atrium receives the oxygenated blood from the pulmonary
vein and pumps it into the ventricle.
• The ventricle pumps the blood at high pressure into the aorta
which carries it to the rest of the body.
• The cycle repeats again.



The cardiac cycle
• The cardiac cycle describes the sequence of events

that occurs during one heart beat.
• The heartbeat is made up of two basic components –
contraction of the cardiac muscles, or systole and
relaxation of the cardiac muscles, or diastole.

The cardiac cycle

(a) Diastole – both the cardiac muscles of the atria and ventricles
are relaxed. Blood returns to the atria through the vena cava
and pulmonary vein. As the atria are filled with blood, pressure
inside increases and pushes open the bicuspid and tricuspid
valves, allowing blood to enter the ventricles.

The cardiac cycle
(b) Atrial systole – the cardiac muscles of the atria contract and
force any remaining blood into the ventricles. The ventricles
remain at diastole.

The cardiac cycle

(c) Ventricular systole – the cardiac muscles of the ventricles
contract and pressure inside increases. This causes the bicuspid
and tricuspid valves to close to prevent backflow of blood into
the atria. The semi-lunar valves open, allowing blood to enter
the aorta and pulmonary arteries.

Valves involved in the cardiac cycle:
• Atrioventricular valves between the atria and

ventricles prevent backflow blood into atria when
ventricles contract. The ‘lub’ sound of heartbeat is
produced.
• Semi-lunar valves in the aorta and pulmonary artery
prevent backflow of blood into ventricles when
ventricles relax. The ‘dub’ sound of heartbeat is
produced.

Double circulation
• Humans and other mammals and birds have a double

circulatory system in which the blood passes through
the heart twice in one complete circuit.
• This double circulation consists of the pulmonary
circulation and the systemic circulation.

Double circulation
• In the pulmonary circulation, deoxygenated blood is pumped

out of the heart to the lungs at reduced pressure. This ensures
that blood flows more slowly through the lungs, giving
sufficient time for the blood to be well oxygenated as well as
protect delicate capillaries in the lungs.
• In the systemic circulation, oxygenated blood is pumped out of
the heart to the rest of the body at increased pressure. This
ensures that oxygen and nutrients are transported rapidly
around the body, which is important in maintaining a high
metabolic rate in mammals and birds.


The Structure and Function of the Blood Vessels
The blood vessels that make up the circulatory

system are of three main types:
• Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
• Veins carry blood towards the heart.
• Capillaries link arteries and veins, taking blood close to
almost every cell in the body.

Structure and function of arteries
• The function of arteries is to transport blood rapidly

and at high pressure, from the heart to the tissues of
the body.
• Arteries carry oxygenated blood, except the
pulmonary arteries.

Structure and function of arteries
• Arteries have walls made up of three layers.

The structure of the artery is related to its function in

the following ways:
• The artery walls are very thick. This provides strength and
resilience to the walls to withstand blood at high pressure and
prevent the artery from bursting.
• There is a large amount of elastic fibres in the artery walls.
This allows the walls to stretch and prevent the arteries from
bursting due to high pressure. This allows the walls to recoil
after stretching, creating a surge of pressure to carry blood
forward in a series of pulses. This ensures that blood reaches all
parts of the body.

The structure of the artery is related to its function in

the following ways:
• There are no valves except in the aorta and pulmonary artery.

This is because blood leaving the heart is constantly at high
pressure and does not tend to flow backwards.

Structure and function of veins
• The function of veins is to transport blood slowly

under low pressure, from the tissues of the body to
the heart.
• Veins carry deoxygenated blood, except the
pulmonary veins.

Structure and function of veins
• The walls of the veins are made up of the same three

layers as the arteries.

The structure of the vein is related to its function in the following

ways:
• The walls are thinner containing less muscle and elastic fibres.
The blood in the veins is at low pressure and so there is no risk
of the vein bursting.
• There are less elastic fibres in the venous walls. The blood
pressure is too low to cause any recoil action and also will not
cause the veins to burst.

The structure of the vein is related to its function in the following

ways:
• There are semi-lunar valves throughout the veins. Blood at low

pressure tends to flow backwards. Contractions of skeletal
muscles help to push the blood along the vein by compressing
against it and causing the pressure inside the veins to slightly
increase. The valves ensure that blood flows in one direction
only, towards the heart.


Structure and function of capillaries
• As arteries reach the tissue to which they are

transporting blood, they branch into smaller vessels
called arterioles which branch even further into
capillaries.
• As blood leaves a capillary network, the capillaries
gradually join to form larger vessels called venules,
which join again to form veins.


Structure and function of capillaries
• The capillaries transport blood to almost all the cells of

the body, and allow exchange of materials to occur
between the tissue cells and blood.


The structure of the capillary is related to its

function in the following ways:
• The wall (endothelium) is made up of one layer of

cells. This makes the capillary wall very thin which
allows rapid diffusion of materials between the tissue
cells and blood, as diffusion takes place over a short
distance.


• They are numerous and highly branched. When all

the internal walls of capillaries for the entire body are
added up, it is huge. This therefore increases the
surface area to volume ratio for exchange of materials.
• They are very narrow in diameter. This allows the
capillaries to reach out to all cells in the body and
bring blood to the cells.


• They have a very narrow lumen – around 7 μm in

diameter. As blood flows through, the red blood cells
are forced to line themselves in a single file and are
squeezed flat against the sides of the capillary. This
brings them even closer to the cells and allows rapid
diffusion to take place.


• Blood pressure is lowered as an arteriole branches

into capillaries. This slows down the flow of blood,
giving sufficient time for the exchange of materials
between the tissue cells and blood.


Composition and Functions of Blood
• Blood is the medium by which materials are transported

between different parts of the body.
• Humans have 4 to 5 litres of blood.
• It consists of plasma (55%) and blood cells (45%) – red blood
cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Structure and function of plasma
• Plasma is a pale yellow liquid in which the blood cells

float. It is mainly made up of water (90%) and
dissolved substances.
• The function of plasma is to transport heat and
dissolved substances from where they are produced or
absorbed to the cells that use or excrete them.

Structure and function of red blood cells
• Red blood cells are also called erythrocytes.

• There are 5 million of them in each mm3 of blood,
measuring 7-8 μm in diameter, and have a lifespan of
about 120 days.
• This means that the bone marrow which makes them
has to make about 2 million red blood cells per
second!

• Red blood cells contain a protein pigment called

haemoglobin, which gives them their characteristic
red colour.
• Haemoglobin is responsible for transporting oxygen in
the red blood cells from the lungs to respiring cells in
the body.

• Oxygen binds reversibly to haemoglobin to form

oxyhaemoglobin. As blood passes through tissues
containing very little oxygen, the oxygen is readily
given up for respiring cells to use.

There are unusual features in the structure of the red blood

cell which gives them a shorter life-span but makes them
more efficient in their role of transporting oxygen.
• Red blood cells are shaped like a biconcave disc. This means
that they are much thinner in the middle which increases their
surface area to volume ratio. This allows rapid diffusion of
oxygen into or out of the cell.

• Red blood cells have no nucleus, mitochondria, rough

endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi apparatus. The lack of these
organelles means that there is more room for haemoglobin,
which carries oxygen. This allows more oxygen to be carried by
the red blood cell.
• Red blood cells are very small, and changes shape. This allows
them to squeeze through the capillaries and be flattened
against the capillary walls. This brings red blood cells very close
to the tissue cells and allows diffusion to occur rapidly.


Structure and function of white blood cells
• White blood cells are also called leucocytes.

• There are 5000 to 10000 white blood cells in each
mm3 of blood. That makes about one white blood cell
to every 700 red blood cells.
• White blood cells have a lifespan of one day or less
and are also made in the bone marrow.

Each white blood cell has the following features

that distinguish them from red blood cells:
• They all contain a nucleus.
• They are either spherical or irregular in shape.
• Most of them are larger than red blood cells.
• They can change shape and squeeze through the walls
of capillaries into the fluid that surrounds tissue cells.

The function of white blood cells is to protect the body

against infection. The two main types of white blood cells are:
• Phagocytes, which remove foreign particles and microorganisms
such as bacteria, and dead cells through the process of
phagocytosis. Phagocytes first engulf the foreign particle before
ingesting and digesting it.
• Lymphocytes, which produce chemical substances called
antibodies which protect us from disease-causing organisms
(pathogens) by making them clump together for easier ingestion
by phagocytes or by neutralizing their toxins.



Structure and function of platelets
• Platelets are cell fragments which are formed when a small part
of a large cell in the bone marrow breaks off.
• They have a life-span of about 10 days and are very small, only
about 3 μm in diameter.
• Platelets do not have a nucleus, but contain mitochondria.
• They play an important role in the process of blood clotting
which seals off the wound to prevent excessive blood loss and
entry of pathogens into the blood.

• When the skin is cut, and a small blood vessel is broken, a series
of reactions occur to clot the blood.
• Platelets can adhere to the walls of damaged blood vessels and
swell, releasing chemicals which stimulate more platelets,
resulting in a mass of sticky, swollen platelets, adhering to the
damaged blood vessel wall, forming a platelet plug.

• A blood clot results when the soluble protein fibrinogen, which

is always present in blood plasma, is converted into insoluble
protein fibrin, after a series of reactions occur in the plasma.
• Platelets release enzymes and chemicals called clotting factors
which are necessary for these reactions to take place.
• Fibrin forms a mesh of protein threads across the wound, which
traps blood cells and more platelets, and the whole mass is a
blood clot.


Blood transfusions and blood groups
• Mixing incompatible blood from two persons can lead to blood

clumping or agglutination and can cause death.
• The differences in human blood groups are due to proteins
called antigens and antibodies.
• The antigens are found on the surface of red blood cells and the
antibodies are found in plasma.
• The blood group a person belongs to depends on the types of
antigens and antibodies present in the blood.
• The four blood groups, are A, B, AB and O.

• The table below shows the types of antigens and antibodies

present in the different blood groups.

What causes blood to clump?

• If the blood groups between the donor and the patient
are not compatible, the red blood cells from the
donated blood will clump or agglutinate.
• The agglutinated red cells can clog blood vessels and
stop the circulation of the blood to various parts of the
body.

What causes blood to clump?

• The patient has antibodies that will not react with the antigens
on their own red blood cells, but may react with the antigens
found in the donated blood.
• A antibodies bind to A antigens and B antibodies bind to the B
antigens.

What blood groups are compatible?

• A patient can always receive blood from someone who
has the same blood type as his.
• There are also certain blood groups which are
compatible with other blood groups.
• Blood clumping will not occur as long as the person
who is receiving the blood does not have any
antibodies that will bind with the donor blood’s
antigens.

What blood groups are compatible?

• People with blood group O are considered ‘universal
donors’ because their blood can be transfused into any
other blood group.
• The recipient’s antibodies will not cause blood
clumping as blood group O does not have any antigens
on the red blood cells.


Hypertension
• Blood pressure is a force that blood exerts on the walls of blood
vessels.
• It can be measured using a sphygmomanometer.
• Blood pressure is measured in terms of millimetres (mm) of
mercury (Hg) and recorded as systolic and diastolic pressure.
• Systolic pressure: blood pressure in arteries during ventricular
systole
• Diastolic pressure: blood pressure in arteries during ventricular
diastole

Hypertension
• At rest, the normal blood pressure in humans is 120-

140 mmHg (systolic) and 80-90 mmHg (diastolic).
• Blood pressure varies from person to person; it
increases with age and changes temporarily during
periods of physical activity, emotions, rest and sleep.
• A person with systolic pressure of 160 mmHg and
diastolic pressure of 95 mmHg is considered to have
hypertension.

Hypertension
Factors that increase the risk of hypertension are:

• Tobacco smoking
• Emotional stress
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Excessive alcohol intake
• A diet high in salt or cholesterol
• Genetic predisposition

Key Concepts
Structure and function of the heart
• The mammalian heart is made up of cardiac muscle. It is
made up of two thin-walled chambers called the atria and
another two thick muscular walled chambers called the
ventricles.
• The left ventricle has thicker walls than the right ventricle.
• The septum separates the left and right chambers of the
heart.
• Between the chambers, on the left side of the heart are the
bicuspid valves, while those on the right side of the heart are
called tricuspid valves.

Key Concepts
• Oxygen and nutrients is essential to the heart muscle and are

supplied by the coronary arteries.
• In the pulmonary circulation, deoxygenated blood from the
body flows into the heart and is pumped to the lungs.
• In the systemic circulation, oxygenated blood returns from
the lungs to the heart and is pumped to the rest of the body.
• Ventricular systole is when the ventricles contract and
ventricular diastole is when the ventricles relax.

Key Concepts
• A heartbeat consists of a ventricular systole and diastole.

• The atrioventricular valves prevent backflow of blood into the
atria during ventricular systole.
• Semi lunar valves in the aorta and pulmonary arteries prevent
backflow of blood into the ventricles during ventricular
diastole.

Key Concepts
Structure and function of the blood vessels
• Arteries are the blood vessels which carry blood away from
the heart. They have very thick muscular walls to withstand
the high blood pressure as are forced out of the heart. The
walls are also elastic to enable the wall to stretch and recoil.
• Semi lunar valves are absent in the arteries except in the
aorta and pulmonary arteries.
• Veins are the blood vessels which carry blood back to the
heart. They have thinner walls as blood pressure is low.
Instead they contain valves which prevent the backflow of
blood. The contraction of skeletal muscles compresses the
veins and helps in the flow of blood.
Key Concepts
Structure and function of the blood vessels
• Semi lunar valves are present in the veins except in the

pulmonary veins.
• Capillaries are microscopic thin walled blood vessels which
carry blood from arterioles to venules. They branch
repeatedly to form networks and are found between the cells
of body tissues to allow exchange of substances between
blood and tissue cells.

Key Concepts
Structure and functions of blood
• Blood is made up of a liquid called plasma, composed mainly

of water, it functions as a transport medium of many
dissolved materials and the blood cells.
• The most numerous cells found in blood are the red blood
cells, which are biconcave discs and contain a red pigment
called haemoglobin, which binds reversibly to oxygen.
• The second type of cells is the white blood cells, which exist in
a variety of forms. They all contain a nucleus, which makes
them different from the other cells found in blood.

Key Concepts
Structure and functions of blood
• White blood cells that engulf bacteria are called phagocytes,

and those that secrete chemicals called antibodies are known
as lymphocytes.
• Blood also contains platelets which are responsible for
clotting of blood. During blood clotting, the soluble plasma
protein called fibrinogen, is converted into insoluble protein
called fibrin which forms a mesh to trap blood cells.
• Red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are produced
in the bone marrow.

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Chapter 8 – Transport in

8.1 The Importance of a Transport System

You should be able to:

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

Importance of a Transport System

• All living organisms to exchange materials between

• Cells need a constant supply of nutrients and oxygen and they

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

Importance of a Transport System

• The Amoeba and jellyfish have a small volume in relation to

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

Importance of a Transport System

• In large, multicellular organisms, cells are located far away from

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

Importance of a Transport System

• A transport system is thus needed to transport materials from

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

8.2 The Circulatory System in Man

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

The Circulatory System in Man

The human circulatory system is made up of three parts:

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

The Structure of the Heart

• The heart is located behind the sternum (breastbone)

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

The Structure of the Heart

• On the surface of the heart, blood vessels called the

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

The Structure of the Heart

• The mammalian heart is divided into a right and left

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

Each chamber is served by blood vessels that carry blood

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

The Structure of the Heart

The atria and ventricles have valves between them called

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

The Structure of the Heart

• Another set of valves called the semi-lunar valves are

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

Flow of blood in the heart

• Blood that is low in oxygen and high in carbon dioxide

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

Flow of blood in the heart

The summary of events that occur are as follows:

On the right side of the heart:

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

Flow of blood in the heart

On the left side of the heart:

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

The cardiac cycle

• The cardiac cycle describes the sequence of events

UNIT II LIFE PROCESSES

The cardiac cycle