9. Blood Vessels + Blood Flashcards
(12 cards)
Describe arteries
Carry oxygen rich blood away from the heart. Have thick elastic walls that expand and contract.
Describe capillaries
Smallest blood vessels where the exchange of nutrients and waste between the blood and body cells occur.
Describe veins
- Carry blood back to the heart.
- Thinner walls than arteries.
- Have valves and muscles in them that help squeeze the blood back to the heart.
Describe venous pooling
Blood pooling in the veins in the legs after exercise. This leads to a slower recovery.
Define vasodilation
An increase in the diameter of a blood vessel to allow more blood to flow through
Define vasoconstriction
A decrease in the diameter of a blood vessel allowing less blood to flow through
List the 4 components of blood
Red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma
Describe red blood cells
They carry 02 around the body. Contain haemoglobin.
Describe the systemic circulation loop
When oxygenated blood is transported from the left ventricle to the rest of the body and back to the right atrium
Describe the pulmonary circulation loop
When deoxygenated blood is transported from the heart to the lungs and return oxygenated
Define Blood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure on the artery walls.
Compare systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Systolic blood pressure is when the heart is contracting where as diastolic blood pressure is when the heart is relaxing.
