Transport Definitions Flashcards
(25 cards)
Aorta
The main artery that takes oxygenated blood away from the heart, specifically the left ventricle, to the rest of the body.
Artery
Type of blood vessel that carries blood under high pressure, away from the heart to the tissues of the body. Most arteries carry oxygenated blood apart from the pulmonary artery.
Atria
The two chambers at the top of the heart that receive blood from the veins and pump blood to the ventricles. Much thinner walls compared to the ventricles due to the distance the blood has to travel and therefore the blood does not need a high pressure.
Blood
A tissue contains red blood cells (which carry oxygen), white blood cells (phagocytes and lymphocytes), platelets (involved in clotting) and plasma (carries carbon dioxide, glucose and amino acids).
Lymphocyte
A type of white blood cell that produces antibodies that are specific to a pathogen.
Plasma
The liquid component of blood that transports waste products like carbon dioxide, urea and heat and useful products like hormones, dissolved nutrients like glucose and amino acids and antibodies.
Phagocyte
A type of blood cells that engulf pathogens.
Platelets
Fragments of cells found in blood that are involved in clotting.
Properties of arteries
Arteries have a narrow lumen, thick elastic, muscular and outer layers.
Red blood cells
Cells found in blood that contains haemoglobin that transports oxygen.
Properties of red blood cells
They have a biconcave shape to increase surface area so more oxygen can be absorbed, no nucleus and contain haemoglobin so more oxygen can be carried.
Coronary heart disease (CHD)
A disease caused by the build-up of fatty deposits inside the coronary arteries, causing them to narrow and reduce blood flow to the heart, resulting in less oxygen and glucose to the heart, reducing aerobic and increasing anaerobic respiration, eventually resulting in a heart attack.
Haemoglobin
Red protein found in red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen.
Heart
The organ that pumps blood around the body in the closed, double circulatory systems in humans.
Veins
A blood vessel that carries blood at a low pressure back to the heart, often deoxygenated apart from the pulmonary vein. Contains a wider lumen, thinner elastic, muscular and outer layers and valves.
Hepatic artery
Artery that supplies the liver with oxygenated blood.
Hepatic portal vein
Vein that carries blood from the intestines to the liver, high in glucose.
Hepatic vein
Vein that carries blood away from the liver back to the heart.
Pulmonary artery
The artery that takes deoxygenated blood to the heart, specifically the right ventricle to the lungs.
Pulmonary vein
The vein that carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart, specifically the left atrium.
Renal arteries
The arteries that supply blood to the kidneys.
Renal veins
Veins that take blood away from the kidneys.
Vena cava
The vein that takes deoxygenated blood back to the heart, specifically the right atrium, from the body.
Ventricles
The lower chambers of the heart the receive blood from the atria and pump blood out of the heart into the arteries at high pressure.
