Lab 10 Blood and the Heart BIO202L

Student Name: Bhupinder Kaur

Access Code (located on the lid of your lab kit): Click here to enter text.
Pre-Lab Questions:

“1. Research the process of erythropoiesis, and explain the role erythropoietin plays. Why is
this a popular “doping” drug for athletes? “
Erythropoesis is the process of making red blood cells which are also known as erythrocytes.
Erythropoietin plays an important role in production of red blood cells. Erythropetin is secreted
by the kidneys when there is cellular hypoxia. It acts on the RBCs to protect them from
destruction and also stimulates the bone marrow to increase the production of RBCs.
Erythropoetin is a popular doping drug for athletes because RBCs transport oxygen to cells. This
allows more oxygen to muscles and therefore increases stamina enabling muscles to operate
more effectively.
“2. How would the hemoglobin content differ in a person living in Philadelphia (Elevation: 39
feet) compared to someone living in Denver (Elevation: 5280 feet)? Why? “
The person living in Denver will have higher hemoglobin content as compared to someone
living in Philadelphia, because there is less oxygen at higher elevation. So the body forms more
hemoglobin to compensate.
Experiment 1: Heart Valves and Pumps Table 2: Experimental Observations

Observations (with valve) and mL H2O Observations (without valve) and mL H2O
Displaced? Displaced?

More water flowed through the straw. 10ml Less water flowed through the straw. 6ml of
of water displaced. water displaced.

Post-Lab Questions
“1. What happened when you pressed on the balloon stretched over the jar? What does this
result represent? “
Water flowed out when I pressed on the ballon stretched over the jar. This represents the
pumping action of heart valve.
“2. What structure in this experiment mimics a heart valve? “
The ballon neck that was cut mimics the heart valve.
“3. How did the valve influence the experimental results? If possible, indicate the difference (in
mL) in water displaced with the valve versus without the valve. Does the valve enhance the
water flow, and why? “
The valve prevented the flow. The difference in water displaced was about 4ml. The valve
prevents the water from flowing back, the water once pumped out stays out and is unable to
flow back.
“4. What other organs or body systems incorporate valves? How are they used? “
Lab 10 Blood and the Heart BIO202L

Many organs besides the heart also have valves. For eg. Lungs, kidney, liver, pancreas. The
valves in the lungs are used to redirect air from unhealthy to healthy part of lung to avoid
trapping air and also letting trapped air and fluids to escape.
Lab 10 Blood and the Heart BIO202L

Experiment 2: Effect of Chelation Therapy on Arterial Plaque Levels

Table 3: Eggshell Observations

Day Water Observations 4% EDTA Observations 8% EDTA Observations

1 No change No change No change

2 No change No change No change

3 No change No change No change

4 No change No change No change

5 No change No change Bubbles starting to form

6 No change Bubbles start to appear More bubbles

Little cracks noticed on the

7 No change Bubbles and foam present
shell

Water level decreased, no Wrinkles present on the Egg shell appears shrinked
8
changes to eggshell eggshell and more cracks present

Water level decreased

9 Shell appears to be folded Egg shell shrinking
more, no eggshell changes

More bubbles present, egg Egg shell starting to

10 More water decreased
shell starting to get thin disappear

Egg shell appears more Less bubbles, egg shell is

11 No changes to eggshell
thinner thinner

Egg shell appears muh Egg shell starting to get

12 Eggshell starting to shrink
more thinner transparent.

Egg shell appears thinner Egg shell beginning to

13 Eggshell shrinking more
and transparent disappear

Egg shell appears more Egg shell disappeared and

14 Little changes
transparent all transparent.
Lab 10 Blood and the Heart BIO202L

Post-Lab Questions
“1. Describe the differences you observed between the water beaker, the 4% EDTA beaker, and
the 8% EDTA beaker. “
Water beaker was constant. 4% EDTA beaker had little egg shell changes while 8% EDTA beaker
had major changes.
“2. Does the beaker without EDTA serve as a positive or negative control? How do you know?
The beaker without EDTA served as negative control because it had no changes.
“3. Research and determine the composition of eggshell. State your findings below, and,
indicate why this composition makes eggshell a good material for EDTA to chelate. “
Egg shell is made of calcium carbonate that is a calcium mineral. It is also very porous. This is a
good material for EDTA to chelate because it has pores so it helps in absorption of waste and
excretes it from the body.
“4. EDTA is a synthetic amino acid, which the body perceives as a foreign substance. EDTA is
therefore delivered to the kidneys and removed from the body in urine. Explain how this
process also leads to the removal of heavy metals. “
Since EDTA is perceived as a foreign substance, anything that EDTA will bind to will also be
removed from the body in urine.
“5. Based on your results, do you believe chelation therapy would be an effective treatment for
atherosclerosis? Support your argument with experimental evidence. “
Based on my results, I don’t believe chelation therapy would be an effective treatment of
atherosclerosis because EDTA only binds to minerals and metals. Atherosclerosis is a buildup of
cholesterol which is fat. So EDTA will not bind to fat, therefore chelation therapy would be
ineffective.

Experiment 3: Microscopic Anatomy of Blood

Post-Lab Questions
“1. What makes red blood cells unique, compared to other cells in the body? “
Red blood cells don’t have any nucleus while other cells do. Red blood cells are also specialized
to transport oxygen while other cells don’t.
“2. How is new blood made? “
New blood is made by a process called erythropoiesis. Erythropoetin is secreted by the kidneys
which stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells.
“3. What is the main function of platelets? “
The main function of platelets is to stop bleeding by forming a clot.
“4. Describe how the body stops bleeding. “
The body stops bleeding by sending platelets to the site to form a clot.
“5. Sickle cells are named so because of their characteristic shape. What problems can this
shape cause? “
Sicke cells are shaped like half moon. This shape can cause blockage because it doesn’t allow
the cell to bend in narrow passages.
“6. Explain how the absence of a nucleus affects a red blood cell’s life span. “
Lab 10 Blood and the Heart BIO202L

The absence of a nucleus means that the red blood cell cannot replicate and its life is short.

Experiment 4: Blood Typing Experiment

Table 4: Blood Typing Results

A (Blood Sample A) B (Blood Sample B) C (Blood Sample C)

1 (Anti-A Serum) Agglutination No agglutination No agglutinatio

2 (Anti-B Serum) No Agglutination Agglutination No Agglutination

3 (Anti-Rh Serum) No Agglutination No Agglutination No Agglutination

Blood Type: A Rh- B Rh- O Rh-

Post-Lab Questions
“1. What determines blood type? “
Blood type is determined by the presence of antigens on the surface of red blood cells.
“2. What type of blood antigens are expressed if a person is blood type AB negative? “
Blood type AB- has both A and B antigens
“3. Why doesn’t a transfusion reaction occur the first time an Rh negative patient is exposed to
Rh positive blood? “
Because there are no antibodies in the blood the first time Rh negavtive patient is exposed to
Rh positive blood.

Experiment 5: Virtual Model – The Heart Coloring Activity

Insert screenshot of the myocardium:

Lab 10 Blood and the Heart BIO202L

Insert screenshot of the mitral valve:

Post-Lab Questions
1. What component of the heart separates the left and right ventricles?
Interventricular septum
1. Which is more superior: the arch of the aorta or the atrioventricular septum?
The arch of aorta is more superior.
2. What component of the heart prevents the flow of the blood from the right ventricle to the right
atrium?
Atrioventricular septum.

Experiment 6: Sheep Heart Dissection

“Insert photo of dissected sheep heart showing at least one atrioventricular valve with your name and
access code handwritten clearly in the background: “
Lab 10 Blood and the Heart BIO202L

Post-Lab Questions
1. What surprised you about the anatomy of the sheep’s heart?
The similarity between the sheep’s heart and human heart surprised me. Also how close all
the valves are also surprised me.
3. Research diseases of the heart valves. How might a valvular insufficiency affect heart function?
How would valvular stenosis (tightening or less ability to open easily) affect heart function?
Valvular insuffiency allows blood to leak backwords so this affects heart function as the heart
has to pump harder to get the blood flow to rest of the body. In valvular stenosis, the valve
opening becomes narrow so less blood flows through it. So the heart needs to work harder to
get blood to the body.