Biology Flashcards
(19 cards)
Identify different human organ systems.
Skeletal, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, nervous, digestive, reproductive, immune.
Explain the role of the circulatory system.
The circulatory system carries oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to cells, and removes waste products, like carbon dioxide.
State the 3 components of the circulatory system.
the heart, blood, and blood vessels.
Explain the structure and function of the blood.
Blood is mostly made up of plasma, which contains hormones, salts, blood cells, nutrients, and gases. It makes up about 55% of blood. The blood cells that are found within the blood are red blood cells - These are used to transport oxygen to cells and remove carbon dioxide to be excreted out of the body at the lungs.
White blood cells - These are used to defend the body against pathogens
Platelets - These cause clotting of the blood, this stops bleeding when damage occurs.
Blood cells include: Red blood cells (transport oxygen), white blood cells (defend against pathogens), and platelets (cause clotting).
Explain the structure and function of the blood vessels.
Arteries transport mostly oxygenated blood away from the heart. The blood is under high pressure and so they have thick outer walls and thick layers of muscle and elastic fibres.
Vein - ; veins carry mostly deoxygenated blood towards the heart. The blood has low pressure, therefore have thinner walls and a thinner wall of muscle and elastic fibres. However they also contain valves to stop the backflow of blood.
Capillary - Facilitates exchange of gases, nutrients and waste throughout the body. They have very thin, one cell thick walls.
Explain the structure and function of the heart.
Blood flows through the heart in the following order: vena cava → right atrium → right ventricle → pulmonary artery → lungs → pulmonary veins → left atrium → → left ventricle → aorta → body.
Discuss the adaptations of red blood cells and how they increase the rate of oxygen transport.
RBC have a biconcave shape, this increases S.A available for haemobloin. When there is more haemoglobin, more O2 and CO2 can be carried which increases the rate of gas exchange. When there is more gas exchange this results in a high rate of respiration. RBC have a thin membrane as well. This adaptation ensure gas exchange can happen efficiently as CO2 and O2 do not need to travel a long distance to diffuse into and out of the blood. This in term will increase the rate of respiration.
Explain the role of the respiratory system from breathing to gas exchange.
The respiratory system helps the body take in oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. This begins with breathing, when we inhale, oxygen-rich air enters the lungs. When we exhale, carbon dioxide is released. Respiratory muscles, like the diaphragm, help move air in and out of the lungs. The diaphragm moves down to let air in and up to push air out. Inside the lungs are tiny air sacs called alveoli, surrounded by capillaries. This is where gas exchange takes place. Oxygen moves from the alveoli into the blood, while carbon dioxide moves from the blood into the alveoli to be exhaled.
Red blood cells then carry oxygen to the body, and return carbon dioxide to the lungs to be breathed out.
Explain the structure and function of the respiratory system.
The respiratory system includes the nasal cavity, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, diaphragm, lungs, and ribs.
Explain how and where gas exchange occurs at the alveoli.
Step 1: Blood low in oxygen, and high in carbon dioxide enters the capillary.
Step 2: Carbon dioxide moves from the blood in the capillaries to the air in the alveoli.
Step 3: Oxygen from the air we breathe in moves from the alveoli to the blood in the capillaries.
Step 4: Oxygen is transported by the red blood cells to our bodies tissues.
Discuss the adaptations of the alveoli and how they increase the rate of gas exchange.
One of the adaptations of an alveoli is that is has a shape that maximizes surface area for gas exchange, this means there is a high rate of gas exchange where O2 diffuses into the blood and CO2 into the alveoli. Another adaptation is the production of surfactant, this lubricant allows for gasses to dissolve more easily which means rate of gas exchange will increase also. When G.E rate increases, more oxygen and CO2 exchange and therefore respiration is more efficient.
Explain the difference between respiration, gas exchange, and breathing.
Respiration is O2 + C6,H12,O6 (glucose) → CO2 + H2O + ATP energy
Breathing is the process of taking air in (inhalation) and out of the lungs (exhalation)
Gas exchange is the process where CO2 diffuses across the capillaries and into the alveoli and O2 diffuses out of the alveoli and into the capillaries.
State the purpose of digestion.
The purpose of digestion is to break down foods into tiny parts that can be absorbed and used to fuel the body.
All living organisms must consume food to gain the nutrients and fuels necessary for carrying out life processes.
State the different types of nutrients.
The six main types of essential nutrients are: Protein, Carbohydrates, Fats, Vitamins, Minerals, and water.
Label the parts of the digestive system.
Mouth, Oesophagus, Stomach, Small intestine, Large intestine, Rectum, Anus.
Compare and contrast the processes of chemical and mechanical digestion.
Mechanical digestion is the process of physically breaking down food using teeth or churning of the stomach. Whereas chemical digestion does not use a physical action, instead uses saliva and gastric acid (containing enzymes) to break down large insoluble foods into smaller soluble pieces. An example of mechanical is chewing food and chemical would be gastric acid in the stomach.
Discuss how the adaptations of the small intestine allow digested nutrients to be absorbed into the blood quickly.
The small intestine has thin walls, a network of capillaries and millions of long length villi. The thin walls allows shorter distance for nutrients to travel from the small intestine into the blood stream therefore increasing the rate of nutrient absorption. The Villi are long length allow there to be maximum amount of S.A for nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream.. This will increase efficiency of absorption and help food get through the digestive system quicker. The network of capillaries surrounding the S.I means that there is again, maximum S.A for nutrients to absorb into because all the nutrients need to go into the bloodstream so with plenty of capillaries around, this means there are many points of diffusions available increasing rate of absorption.
Discuss how the respiratory system and circulatory system work together to carry out respiration.
To move the body, the cells must respire, meaning they need a constant supply of oxygen to produce energy. The respiratory system allows for O2 rich air to enter the body and bloodstream as well as removing CO2 from the blood and exhaling it. As well as this, the circulatory system allows O2 rich blood to reach respiring cells and CO2 rich blood to be delivered back to the heart and lungs. The heart pumps blood continuously to ensure oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged efficiently. Both these systems are working hard to ensure oxygen rich blood reaches the respiring cells and CO2 is removed efficiently to respire
Explain the role of respiration and its importance in releasing energy required for other life processes.
Respiration is the chemical process of converting glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide, water and energy. This energy is then used by the human body for various purposes, including growth and development. Working with the reproductive system, the energy from respiration is needed for cell division when growing a new life. The energy is also needed for growth and repair of cells (mitosis) throughout our entire lives.
Another reason why we need energy for these processes, is because they use something called active transport. This process requires energy in the form of ATP. Without ATP, all other life processes such as those above could not occur. If ATP was not produced constantly through respiration, we would not be able to communicate with other parts of our body- a very dangerous possibility.
