Name: Dexter Dawson

The Circulatory System Study Guide

Primary Functions of the Circulatory System

● Transport of respiratory gases (carbon dioxide and oxygen)

● Transports nutrients to (and waste from) all body tissues
● Delivers endocrine hormones to target organs and tissues
● Contains cells that fight pathogens
● Regulates pH and ion concentration of body fluids.
● Helps stabilize body temperature by transporting heat

The Nature of Blood

● Blood is a mixture that contains the following components:

1. Red Blood Cells

2. Oxygen & Carbon Dioxide
3. Plasma (mostly water)
4. Hormones
5. Nutrients
6. Immune Cells
7. Waste (Urea)
8. Platelets

● Red Blood Cells are biconcave discs that do not have nuclei.
● They bend and fold easily fitting through the smallest of vessels.
● Their primary function is to utilize haemoglobin, a molecule specially designed to hold and carry
oxygen and deliver it to the body’s trillions of cells, while removing Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
● Often called “White Blood Cells” the blood contains phagocytes and lymphocytes which work
together to fight pathogens such as viruses and bacteria.
● Platelets are not cells but fragments which form a fibrous network, causing blood to clot.
● Plasma is a straw colored liquid (mostly water) which contains all of the blood components
aside from the RBC’s.
● Plasma makes up about 60% of your blood and contains:

1. Carbon Dioxide
2. Glucose
3. Amino Acids
4. Proteins
5. Vitamins
6. Minerals
7. Hormones
8. Urea

Multiple alleles: Blood type

 ● There are multiple alleles which determine one’s blood type.
● Genes code for different surface proteins on RBC’s called antigens.
● Additional Rh Factor (+ or -) antigens yield 8 potential blood types.
● Name the 8 blood types: A+, A-, B+, B-, O+, O-, AB+, AB-.
● Four babies were born within minutes of each other in a large hospital, when a sudden explosion
occurs. All four babies are found alive among the rubble, but none had yet been given their
identity bracelets. The babies prove to be of four different blood groups: A, B, AB, O. The four
pairs of parents have the following blood groups: A & B, O & O, AB & O, and B & B. Match
parents to babies.

A & B Parents = A, B, AB or O so probably AB

O & O Parents = O so probably O
AB & O Parents = A or B so probably A
B & B Parents = B or O so probably B

● It takes about a minute for blood to make the entire trip to and from the heart.
● The average adult has about 12-16 pints of blood.
● Millions of RBC’s are recycled every second in your spleen. They’re replaced by new cells
generated in red marrow.
● The rarest blood type is AB- and the most common is O+.
● RBC’s live for about 120 days before they must be replaced.

The Human Heart

● The heart pumps blood through a closed system of blood vessels.

● The heart has 4 chambers and separates deoxygenated (blue) blood from oxygenated (red)
using a 2 pump system.
● How much blood does your heart pump in your lifetime? About 159 million litres, or 1 million
barrels of blood.
● How many times does it beat? Over 3 billion times.
● Insert an image of the heart here showing major structures and indicating the pathway of blood
through the heart using red and blue arrows. (remember to insert images you choose “insert”
“image” then paste a URL and upload your image.
https://www.saburchill.com/chapters/chap0082.html

Blood Vessels

● A closed system of veins, arteries, and capillaries provide pathways through which blood is
pumped throughout the body.
● Arteries are blood vessels which move oxygenated (red) blood.
● Arteries are thick, muscular, and elastic so they can ‘stretch’ when necessary and ‘push’ blood
along.
● Pressure in the Carotid artery is so powerful that slicing it would cause blood to squirt about 12
feet and you would bleed to death in seconds!
● Major Arteries of the Head and Neck: Carotid Arteries, Vertebral Arteries, Subclavian Arteries,
Brachiocephalic Arteries.
● Major Arteries of the Upper Limb and Thorax: Axillary Arteries, Subclavian Arteries, Brachial
Arteries, Subscapular Arteries, Radial and Ulnar arteries.
 ● Major Arteries of the Pelvis and Leg: Iliac arteries, Femoral arteries, Anterior & Posterior Tibial
arteries, Fibular arteries
● The average resting human heart rate is about 70bpm for adult males and 75bpm for adult
females
● The smallest of blood vessels, capillaries are microscopic tubes where gas exchange takes place.
● All of your trillions of cells have access to capillaries to rid themselves of carbon dioxide and
acquire oxygen.
● Capillaries permeate all of your body tissues. At their smallest, RBCs must move single file
through them.
● Veins are not as thick or elastic as arteries, as they move deoxygenated (blue) blood at lower
pressure back to the heart.
● veins have valves which act against gravity, stopping blood from going in the wrong direction.
● Veins are located within skeletal muscle, so that when they contract to move the body, they
squeeze the veins and force blood along the vessel.
● Major veins of the Head and Neck: Jugular vein, Sigmoid sinus, Transverse sinus, Sagittal sinus
veins, Superior & inferior petrosal sinuses.
● Major Veins of the Upper Limb and Thorax: Brachiocephalic vein, Subclavian vein, Axillary
veins, Cephalic vein, Basilic vein, Brachial veins, Radial vein, Ulnar vein.
● Major Veins of the Pelvis and Leg: Iliac vein, Femoral veins, Great saphenous veins, Anterior
and Posterior tibial veins, Fibular veins, Popliteal veins.
● What is “Blood Pressure?” How is it measured? Blood pressure is essentially the speed and
force in which blood is transported through the blood vessels. It is measured with a
sphygmomanometer, in which your arm is met with an arm cuff which is pumped up and cuts
off blood flow. The cuff releases air slowly and the systolic and diastolic measurements are
then taken by the instrument.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/hypertension/understanding/what-does-blood-pressure-measure.asp
x