Name: _______________________________Date: _______________Class: ________________

Unit 4: Circulation & Immunity

Topic A: Structures of the Circulatory System

Inquiry into Biology, Chapter 8.1: Structures of the Circulatory System (p. 268-281)

Learning Objectives:
1) Identify the major structures of the heart and associated blood vessels (i.e. atria,
ventricles, septa, valves, aorta, vena cava, pulmonary arteries and veins, sinoatrial node,
atrioventricular node, Purkinje fibres)
2) Describe the structure and function of blood vessels (i.e. arteries, veins and capillaries)
3) Describe the cause of a heart beat
4) Define blood pressure, cardiac output, and stroke volume
5) Describe the general circulation of blood through coronary, pulmonary, and systemic
pathways
6) Explain the role of the circulatory system at the capillary level in aiding the exchange of
energy and matter with the environment
7) Identify disorders of the circulatory system and technologies used to diagnose and treat
them

Review Questions:
TB p. 281 Q1-7

Vocabulary:
Pay attention to the bolded words throughout the note package. Use graphic organizers or
flashcards to help you organize the vocabulary terms. Prioritize the straight bolded words
(structures and important terms), then work on the italicized bolded words (conditions and
technologies).

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Instructional Videos:
The Heart, Part 1 – Under Pressure: Crash Course A&P #25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9ZZ6tcxArI&list=PLBZ_iDZT_EZ73FcBj3IaMvimjtqf6K
HQL&index=55&t=0s

The Heart, Part 2 – Heart Throbs: Crash Course A&P #26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLBMwcvOaEo&list=PLBZ_iDZT_EZ73FcBj3IaMvimjtqf
6KHQL&index=53&t=0s

Blood Vessels, Part 1 – Form and Function: Crash Course A&P #27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v43ej5lCeBo&list=PLBZ_iDZT_EZ73FcBj3IaMvimjtqf6K
HQL&index=51&t=0s

Blood Vessels, Part 2 – Blood Pressure: Crash Course A&P #28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVklPwGALpI&list=PLBZ_iDZT_EZ73FcBj3IaMvimjtqf6
KHQL&index=52&t=0s

Flow Through the Heart | Circulatory System Physiology | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XaftdE_h60&list=PLBZ_iDZT_EZ73FcBj3IaMvimjtqf6K
HQL&index=57&t=0s

Electrical System of the Heart | Circulatory System Physiology | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K2icszdxQc&list=PLBZ_iDZT_EZ73FcBj3IaMvimjtqf6K
HQL&index=56&t=0s

The Circulatory System [Bozeman Science]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJzJKvkWWDc&list=PLBZ_iDZT_EZ73FcBj3IaMvimjtqf
6KHQL&index=54&t=0s

What happens during a heart attack? – Krishna Sudhir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_PYnWVoUzM

What happens in a Heart Attack vs Cardiac Arrest?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69CQsdPC2i8

How to Diagnose Heart Disease in Women

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mO-1o7wjyU

Teen Sleep Problems and Heart Disease Risk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpyPMJqSg8A

Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFsMMkJTZL4

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OVERVIEW

à Why do animals like mammals have circulatory systems? Why not use processes like diffusion
and cytoplasmic streaming like unicellular organisms?

Three main functions of the circulatory system:

1. Transport of gases, nutrient molecules, and waste materials
2. Regulation of temperature and transport of hormones
3. Protection against blood loss, disease-causing microbes, and toxic substances.

à How does the circulatory system relate to other systems in the human body?

Two main components to the cardiovascular system:

1. The heart (the “pump”)
2. The blood vessels (the “roadways”)

à What do the roots in cardiovascular mean?

à What else is involved in the circulatory system?

STRUCTURE OF THE HEART

Functions of the heart:

- Pumping blood through the body
- Keeping oxygenated blood separate from deoxygenated blood
- Ensuring blood only flows in one direction

The heart is approximately the size of two fists and is tilted with its apex toward the left side of
the body.

à Why do people claim that the heart is on the left side of the body?

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There are two sides of the heart, separated by a thick muscular wall called the septum.
- LEFT SIDE – This side receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the
body. It is the more muscular side of the heart.
- RIGHT SIDE – This side receives deoxygenated blood from the body and pumps it to the
lungs.

à When you look at a diagram of the heart, which side do the left and right go on?

The human heart has four chambers:

- Left and Right Atria (singular: atrium) – These are the two top chambers, which receive
blood (from the lungs or the body) into the heart.
- Left and Right Ventricles – These are the two bottom chambers, which pump blood (to
the body or the lungs) out of the heart.

Atrial or Ventricular Septal Defect

A congenital defect where the septum has a hole, either between the atria or the ventricles.
In infants, symptoms include: shortness of breath, grey or blue skin, and failure to thrive.

à What is the problem with a septal defect?

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There are four major blood vessels connecting to the heart:
- Vena cavae (singlular: vena cava) – The superior vena cava carries blood from the head,
chest, and arms. The inferior vena cava carries blood from the rest of the body. They
both bring blood to the right atria.
- Pulmonary arteries – The pulmonary arteries carry blood from the right ventricle to the
lungs. The left pulmonary arteries carry blood to the left lung while the right pulmonary
arteries carry blood to the right lung.
- Pulmonary veins – The left and right pulmonary veins carry blood from the left and
right lung to the left atria.
- Aorta – The aorta carries blood from the left ventricle to the body. It forms an aortic
arch, branching into arteries that carry blood to the head and arms. The rest of the
aorta continues down to provide blood to the rest of the body.

à In each major blood vessel, is the blood oxygenated or deoxygenated?

Aortic Aneurysm
When the wall of the aorta weakens and begins to bulge. This increases the risk of an aortic
dissection (a tear in the lining of the aorta).

à Why is an aortic aneurysm dangerous?

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There are four valves separating the chambers of the heart:
- Atrioventricular valves separate the atria from the ventricles – The left atrioventricular
valve is called the bicuspid valve because it has two flaps. The right atrioventricular
valve is called the tricuspid valve because it has three flaps.
o When the AV valves close, it causes the “lub” that you hear in a heartbeat
- Semilunar valves separate the ventricles from the major arteries leaving the heart – The
left semilunar valve is called the aortic semilunar valve. The right semilunar valve is
called the pulmonary semilunar valve.
o When the SA valves close, it causes the “dub” that you hear in a heartbeat

à What is the function of the valves in the heart?

Heart Murmur
When there is a misflow of blood through the heart (due to a valve not opening or closing
properly). This defect can be identified by a whooshing or rasping sound heard by a
stethoscope.

à What would be the concerns regarding a heart murmur?

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à Draw your own depiction of the heart, including all chambers, major blood vessels, and
valves. Which parts carry oxygenated blood? Which parts carry deoxygenated blood? Where is
the blood being pumped from/to?

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STRUCTURE OF BLOOD VESSELS

There are three main types of blood vessels:

- Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
o Arteries are highly elastic (expanding when blood surges through, then
contracting again). This keeps the blood pumping through the body.
o Arteries branch into smaller arteries called arterioles.
- Veins carry blood toward the heart.
o Veins have much thinner walls and a larger inner circumference. The contraction
of skeletal muscles keeps the blood moving through veins. One-way valves keep
the blood moving in the right direction (sometimes against the pull of gravity).
o Veins are formed by smaller branching veins called venules joining together.
- Capillaries are tiny blood vessels where gases, nutrients, and wastes are exchanged
between the blood and the tissue cells.
o Capillaries are only wide enough for red blood cells to pass through one at a
time. The walls of capillaries are one cell thick.

à People often say that arteries carry oxygenated blood while veins carry deoxygenated blood.
Is this true?

à What are you feeling when you take your pulse?

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à Soldiers standing at attention are encouraged to wiggle their toes occasionally. Why would
this be?

à Describe the exchange of gases, nutrients, and wastes that would happen in different
capillary beds of the body. Consider the lungs, digestive tract, liver, kidneys, and brain.

If every blood vessel in the human body was filled with blood at the same time, the body would
need 200 L of blood. The nervous system causes the vasodilation (opening) or vasoconstriction
(closing) of arterioles to control which capillary beds receive blood. Thermoregulation is the
process the body uses to send blood toward the peripherals of the body in order to release
heat or away from the peripherals to preserve heat.

à Brainstorm situations where vasodilation and vasoconstriction would be used.

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 Arteriosclerosis
When the walls of arteries thicken and lose their elastic quality. Atherosclerosis is a common
type of this, where plaque builds up on the inside of artery walls. This can cause angina (chest
pain), blood clots, shortness of breath, heart attack, or heart failure. The risk is increased by
smoking, obesity (especially high intake of saturated fats), and lack of exercise.

Treatments include: medicines such as Aspirin (which prevent blood from clotting), urokinase
and t-Pa (which break down existing clots), or surgical treatment.

Angioplasty is a surgical procedure where a tube is inserted into a clogged artery. A tiny
balloon is inflated to force the artery open. A stent (a small, metal, permanent tube) can be
inserted to hold the vessel open.

à How does atherosclerosis cause its particular symptoms? How does angioplasty resolve
them?

Diabetic Capillary Occlusion

In Diabetes mellitus, blood sugar levels are high because the sugar can’t be absorbed into
tissue cells. If left untreated, this can make blood cells “sticky,” causing them to block
capillaries. This can lead to amputation of extremities or blindness.

à How can blockage of capillaries in Diabetes mellitus lead to amputation or blindness?

HEART BEAT

While the nervous system can control the heartrate and strength of the heartbeat, the heart
can also control its own beating.

Heart Transplant
When a failing or diseased heart is surgically replaced with a healthy heart from a donor.

à During a heart transplant, the heart is disconnected from the nervous system in the donor’s
body and transplanted into the patient’s body. Even before the patient’s body grows new nerve
connections for the heart, it can beat regularly. How is this possible?

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The sinoatrial (SA) node, located in the right atrium, is a bundle of specialized muscle tissue
that causes the muscles cells of both atria to contract and relax rhythmically. It is sometimes
called the pacemaker.

Pacemaker Implant
An electrical device that can be wired to the heart, artificially stimulating a regular heartbeat.

à What is a reason for a medical profession to recommend a pacemaker implant for their
patient?

The atrioventricular (AV) node, located between the right atrium and ventricle, receives the
signal from the SA node and continues the signal through the bundle of His. The bundle of His
are specialized fibres that continue the signal down the septum and divide into Purkinje fibres.
The Purkinje fibers cause both ventricles to contract almost simultaneously.

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These electrical signals can be measured using an electrocardiogram (ECG, or EKG which uses
the German spelling):
- P wave = the electrical activity just before atrial contraction
- QRS spike = the electrical activity just before ventricular contraction
- T wave = the electrical activity as the ventricles recover from contraction
o Note: the electrical activity as the atria recover from contraction is
overshadowed by the QRS spike

Changes in the waves of an ECG can help with diagnosing different heart conditions.

Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib)

When the electrical signals in the ventricles aren’t coordinated, so the ventricles “quiver”
rather than contracting as a whole. This results in cardiac arrest. An ECG would show
squiggles rather than the P-QRS-T shape. A defibrillator can be used to “shock” the heart,
synching up the electrical signals again.

à Sometimes medical dramas make the mistake of using defibrillators when a patient has
flatlined (no electrical signals from the heart). Explain why defibrillation should be used when a
patient is in V-fib instead.

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BLOOD PRESSURE

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted against the walls of blood vessels when blood passes
through.
- Systolic pressure = The maximum pressure in blood vessels, occurring when ventricles
contract to pump blood through the body
- Diastolic pressure = The lowest pressure in blood vessels, occurring when ventricles are
relaxed between heartbeats

à What’s a mnemonic to help you remember the difference between systolic and diastolic
blood pressure?

Sphygmomanometer
A blood pressure cuff that measures blood pressure (in mmHg), usually at an artery in the
arm. The blood pressure is presented as a faction, systolic over diastolic, with an average
healthy blood pressure being below 120/80 and above 90/60.

à What would you find if you measured an individual’s blood pressure in the following
scenarios?
- Sleeping
- Exercising
- Emotionally upset

As blood vessels get further on their path away from the heart, the blood pressure decreases.

à Explain the graph above.

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CARDIAC OUTPUT & STROKE VOLUME

Cardiac output is the volume of blood pumped by the heart per unit time (usually in mL/min). It
is measured by multiplying heart rate (the number of heartbeats per minute) by stroke volume
(the volume of blood pumped out of the heart in one heartbeat).

An average person has a stroke volume of 70 mL and a resting heart rate of 70 beats/min, so
the cardiac output is 4900 mL/min. There is roughly 5 L of blood in the average human body, so
it takes one minute for all the blood to circulate the body and return to the heart.

The following are considered indicators of cardiovascular fitness:

- Low resting heart rate
- High stroke volume (which can be increased via regular cardiovascular exercise)
- Short recovery time (time for the heart rate to return to normal after strenuous
exercise)

PATHWAYS OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Blood vessels are organized along three pathways. In each, blood starts at the heart, travels to a
capillary network, and returns to the heart, forming a complete circuit.

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Pathway 1: Pulmonary Pathway
Deoxygenated blood is carried through the pulmonary artery to the capillary beds at the alveoli
of the lungs, where oxygen diffuses into the blood and carbon dioxide diffuses out of the blood.
The now oxygenated blood is carried through the pulmonary vein back to the heart.

à What structures of the heart are involved in the pulmonary pathway?

Pathway 2: Systemic Pathway

Oxygenated blood is carried through the aorta, branching into smaller arterioles, until it
reaches various capillary beds (such as those in the small intestine, kidneys, or muscles).
Oxygen and nutrients are transported from the blood into the tissue cells while carbon dioxide
and wastes are transport from the tissue cells into the blood. From the capillaries, the blood is
transported venules that join into the superior and inferior vena cava to return to the heart.

à What structures of the heart are involved in the systemic pathway?

Pathway 3: Coronary Pathway

Oxygen and nutrients cannot be absorbed into the heart tissue from the inside of the heart, so
coronary arteries supply oxygenated blood to capillary beds at the outside of the heart. Oxygen
and nutrients are transported into the heart cells while carbon dioxide and wastes are
transported into the blood.

à What structures of the heart are involved in the coronary pathway?

Coronary Bypass
A surgical procedure where a segment of healthy artery or vein is taken from elsewhere in
the body and used to create a new pathway around a blocked vessel near the heart. A double
or triple bypass would indicate two or three blockages needing to be bypassed.

à How would a coronary bypass solve the problem of blocked coronary arteries?

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