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c. immunoglobulins
a. Aorta - transports oxygenated blood to all parts of the body from the left
ventricle of the heart.
b. Pulmonary artery - transports deoxygenated blood to the lungs from the
right ventricle of the heart.
c. Pulmonary vein - transports oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left
atrium of the heart.
d. Vena cava - brings in deoxygenated blood from all parts of the body to
the right atrium of the heart.
3. There are four chambers: left atrium, right atrium, left ventricle and right
ventricle. Explain why the left ventricle has the thickest muscle wall. (Tip: Where
does it pump its blood to? Does it undergo high pressure?)
a. It must be able to withstand very high pressure because it pumps blood to
all parts of the body.
4. There are four main valves: bicuspid valve, tricuspid valve and two semi-lunar
valves. State their function.
(Tip: All valves ensure a one-way flow of blood)
a. Bicuspid valve - prevents the backflow of blood between the left
ventricle and the left atrium.
b. Tricuspid valve - prevents the backflow of blood between the right
ventricle and the right atrium.
c. Semi-lunar valves - while one of them prevents the backflow of blood
between the left ventricle and aorta, the other prevents it between the
right ventricle and the pulmonary artery.
5. There are four structures involved in the beating of the heart: sinoatrial node
(SAN), atria-ventricular node (AVN), bundle of His and Purkinje fibres. State the
functions of the SAN and AVN.
(Tip: The two nodes act like batteries and generate electrical impulses that
cause the cardiac muscles to contract)
a. The two nodes act like batteries to produces electrical impulses that cause
the cardiac muscles to contract.
6. The pacemaker of a patient's heart fails to function. An electronic pacemaker is
used to replace the original pacemaker. Explain how this works.
(Tip: Think about the function of the SAN - the electronic pacemaker has the
same function)
a. The electronic pacemaker generates electrical impulses that make the
cardiac muscles contract and the heartbeat.