Transport Flashcards
(41 cards)
What are the components of the circulatory system?
Heart, Blood, Blood vessels
What is the composition of blood?
red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets
What is the role of plasma?
Plasma is a watery fluid carrying platelets, red and white blood cells, carbon dioxide, digested food (nutrients), amino acids and soluble nutrients. It also carries urea, hormones, antibodies, antitoxins, proteins and heat energy (after absorbing it)
The role of plasma is to transport dissolved substances around the body. By going through the bloodstream (blood vessels) and delivering the nutrients to various cells and tissues throughout the body.
What is the role of red blood cells?
A biconcave structure for a large surface area to volume ratio (lots of oxygen can get to center of cell through diffusion). No nucleus for more space for haemoglobin. The function is to transport oxygen around the body by binding to hemoglobin.
What are the two parts of blood?
Liquid - plasma
Cellular - red + white blood cells
What are the types of white blood cells?
Lymphocytes, Phagocytes
What are white blood cells for?
To protect the body against invasion of pathogens such as bacteria and virus. They do this by phagocytosis and creating antibodies.
What is the process of separating the layers of blood?
Centrifuge
What is the percentage of components in blood?
55% plasma 45% blood cells
What is haemoglobin?
A carrier protein which weakly binds to oxygen to create oxyhemoglobin
Percentage of different types of white blood cells?
70% of white blood cells are phagocytes
25% of white blood cells are lymphocytes
What are phagocytes?
A type of white blood cell. They break down pathogens by phagocytosis. Which is engulfing the pathogen (spreading cytoplasm to trap the pathogen) in order to destroy it. As digestive enzymes are released to break them down.
What are lymphocytes?
A type of white blood cell that produces antibodies. Antibodies stick to antigens (pathogens with a marker on their surface membrane) and destroy them. They can cause antigens to burst, bacteria to stick together (in order to be ingested by phagocytes), neutralize the toxins that pathogens produce.
What are platelets?
Small fragments of cells that help your blood clot and close wounds. Open wounds allow pathogens to enter to blood clotting stops bleeding and prevents infection.
The platelets stick together to release fibrogen which turns to fibrin and forms a net that stops the bleeding. Then it creates a scab (crust)
What are antigens and antibodies?
Antigens are foreign substances in our body. (Pathogens, bacteria, virus)
Antibodies are a protein produced by white blood cells that bind to specific antigens to destroy them. Due to signals from the immune system.
What is the immune system?
A system to locate and destroy pathogens that enter the body to prevent infections.
What is vaccinations?
Also known as immunization it is the act of inserting a vaccine into ones body so that they can build an immunity to a pathogen (virus/infection)
A vaccine contains dead/weakened/inactive forms of a pathogen. For bacterial or viral diseases. Vaccines expose us to antigens so we can develop immunity to it.
What is herd immunity?
When a whole community becomes immune to a disease therefore stopping the outbreak of it (epidemic) because they all took the vaccine.
What are the weaknesses of vaccines?
Can cause severe reactions such as seizures. Sometimes might not gain full immunity to disease. Can cause mild symptoms such as fevers or a sore arm.
What is another name for red blood cells?
Erythrocytes
How are memory cells produced after a vaccination?
Once the body produces antibodies in order to destroy and antigen, it also creates antibody-producing memory cells which remain alive for long.
Why do multicellular organisms need a transporting system?
Large multicellular organisms have a smaller surface area to volume ratio meaning they cannot absorb nutrients easily through diffusion. Therefore they need a circulatory system to supply cells with what we need.
What does the circulatory system provide?
Oxygen, removal of CO2 and urea
Why can unicellular organisms rely on diffusion for movement of substances in and out of the cell?
Unicellular organisms have a high surface area to volume ratio so they can easily have substances diffuse in and out of the cell (They’re also only one cell so it very easy to pass through)