CHAPTER 9: ANIMAL TRANSPORT 1.

Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium

Circulatory systems
The circulatory system ensures that blood flows
around the body, providing vital nutrients to the
cells that need them and taking away metabolic
waste products. The system consists of a pump,
blood vessels, and valves.
Single circulation means that the blood passes
through the heart just once. Fishes have a single
circulation system.
Double circulation means that the blood passes
through the heart twice. Mammals have a double
circulation system.
(RA)
2. Deoxygenated blood enters the right ventricle
(RV)
3. Deoxygenated blood is pumped by the RV to
the lungs (to become oxygenated)
4. Oxygenated blood enters the left atrium (LA)
5. Oxygenated blood enters the left ventricle
(LV)
6. Oxygenated blood is pumped by the LV to the
rest of the body
7. Body cells use up the oxygen for respiration
and cause the blood to become deoxygenated
8. Deoxygenated blood returns to the heart and
the cycle repeats

The double circulation system is more efficient Heart structure & function
because it maintains a higher blood pressure
The right side of the blood contains deoxygenated
compared to a single circulation system. Moreover,
blood, which is pumped to the lungs for
it enables the separation of oxygenated and
oxygenation. The oxygenated blood returns to the
deoxygenated blood which is a crucial aspect of gas
left side of the heart, where it pumps it to the rest of
exchange and respiration.
the body.
Blood flow around the body
All mammals use a double circulation system. It is
important to understand how the blood flows
through the body.

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Heart Function
structure
Atrium The right and left atrium contracts to
pump blood into the right and left
ventricles respectively
Ventricles The right ventricle contracts to pump
blood to the lungs (for oxygenation)
The left ventricle contracts to pump
blood to the rest of the body
Pulmonary Carries blood away from the right
artery ventricle to the lungs
Pulmonary Carries blood from the lungs to the
veins left atrium
Aorta Large artery which carries oxygenated
blood from the left ventricle to the
rest of the body
Vena cava Large vein which carries
deoxygenated blood from the body
back to the heart (into the right
atrium)
Valves Valves prevent the backflow of blood,
and ensure that it always flows in one
direction
Semilunar valves are found within
arteries (aorta & pulmonary artery)
Atrioventricular valves are found in
between the atrium and ventricles on
both sides of the heart. They prevent
the backflow of blood into the atria
when the ventricles contract
Septum Separates deoxygenated blood (right
side) from oxygenated blood (left
side)
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Muscular differences
Ventricles have a thicker muscular wall compared to
the atria because the ventricles must pump blood
through a greater distance than the atria.
With that same logic, the walls of the left ventricle
are thicker than the right ventricle. This is because
the left ventricle must generate more force in order
to pump the blood through a greater distance (to the
rest of the body) compared to the right ventricle (to
the lungs).
Veins vs arteries
Sometimes students associate arteries with
oxygenated blood, and veins with deoxygenated
blood.
However, this is inaccurate. Afterall, the pulmonary
veins carry oxygenated blood and the pulmonary
arteries contain deoxygenated blood.
The true definition of veins and arteries are as
follows
● Arteries carry blood away from the heart
● Veins carry blood towards the heart
This rule always applies, as you can see from a few
examples here.
● Vena cava is a vein because it returns blood
to the heart
● Pulmonary artery is an artery because it
carries blood away from the heart
● Pulmonary vein is a vein because it carries
blood to the heart
● Aorta is an artery because it carries blood
away from the heart
Coronary heart disease Some risk factors for developing coronary heart
disease are
Like all other muscles, the heart muscles themselves
need a supply of blood too in order to function. The ● Poor diet
artery that supplies the heart muscles with blood is ● Stress
called the coronary artery. ● Smoking
● Genetics
● Age
● Gender
The treatment of coronary heart disease can be by
medication or surgery.

Medication Blood thinning medication is used to

Plaque is a fatty, waxy substance that forms deposits
in artery walls. This causes the artery lumen to
become narrower.
reduce chance of forming blood
clots, thereby reducing the chance of
a heart attack
Surgical Stents are a tube shaped device
which is placed inside the coronary
artery to physically hold it open

Angioplasty uses a spherical balloon

that can be inflated once it is inside
the artery to force it to open

A bypass is the process of making a

separate “new” artery to allow for an
alternative blood path that the heart
can use to receive blood (rather than
solely relying on the coronary
artery)
Heart activity
The heart rate is the rate at which the heart beats.
There are a few different ways in which this can be
measured.
Coronary heart disease describes the buildup of
plaque in specifically the coronary artery, which ● Pulse rate
causes vascular narrowing and limits the blood flow This is the most common way to measure the
to the heart. A complete blockage may occur if a heart rate.
blood clot gets jammed inside the artery, which
leads to a heart attack. ● Listening to heart valves closing

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 By using a stethoscope, it is possible for Sometimes blood can travel directly from the
doctors to listen to the closing of heart valves arterioles to venules without going through the
to measure heart rate. capillaries via shunt vessels, which directly connect
the arterioles and venules. Shunt vessels therefore
● Electrocardiogram (ECG)
act as an alternative pathway for blood to flow
With each heartbeat, an electrical signal through.
travels through the heart. This signal causes
Refer to the diagram below which demonstrates the
the heart to contract and pump blood.
relationship between the different blood vessels
An electrocardiogram detects these electrical mentioned above.
signals to derive accurate measurements of
heart activity.
Physical activity increases the energy demand in
muscles such as the arms and legs. With an
increased rate of respiration, the blood must travel
quicker to supply the muscles of oxygen and
nutrients, whilst removing the waste products such
as carbon dioxide. It is for this reason that the heart
rate goes up with exercise, in order to meet the
respiratory demands of the body.
Blood vessels
Types of blood vessels
You must know the structures of each of these blood
Blood vessels are tubular structures used for
vessels.
carrying blood throughout the body.
1. Arteries
The arteries carry blood directly from the heart (at
● Thick muscular walls to withstand
high pressures). As these arteries get closer to the
blood being carried at high pressures
tissues and organs that need the blood, they begin
● Narrow lumen which expands as
to branch out into smaller vessels called the
blood pulsates through which
arterioles. The arterioles then branch into even
maintains the blood pressure
narrower vessels called the capillaries.
● Valves absent (not necessary since
It is at the level of the capillaries that oxygen and backflow will not happen when blood
nutrients leave the blood and enter the tissues, is carried at such high pressures)
while waste products such as carbon dioxide leave 2. Arterioles
the tissues and enter the blood. The blood therefore ● Muscular and elastic walls which can
becomes deoxygenated. constrict and dilate in order to
regulate blood flow
The capillaries begin to join together to form larger
tubes called the venules, which then join to form >> See chapter 15: Coordination and
veins which are even larger.
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 response : Homeostasis
3. Capillaries
● Thin walls (one cell thick) to allow for
rapid diffusion of nutrients and wastes
● Tiny lumen (size of single RBC) to
allow blood cells to pass as closely to
the walls as possible to allow for rapid
diffusion
● Valves absent (not necessary because
backflow of blood cannot happen due
to extremely small lumen)
4. Venules
● Thinner walls than arterioles
5. Veins
● Thin walls with minimal muscle and
elastic fibers (thick walls not necessary
since blood is traveling at low
pressures)
● Large lumen to reduce blood flow
resistance
● Valves to ensure that blood does not
backflow
6. Shunt vessels
● Like arterioles, the elastic walls can
constrict and dilate in order to regular
blood flow
Blood vessels of various organs
Heart
● Vena cava - a large vein that delivers
deoxygenated blood to the right atrium
● Aorta - a large artery that delivers
oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to
the rest of the body
Lungs
● Pulmonary artery - transports deoxygenated
blood from the heart to the lungs
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● Pulmonary vein - transports oxygenated
blood from the lungs to the left atrium
Kidneys
● Renal artery - transports oxygenated blood to
the kidneys
● Renal vein - transports deoxygenated blood
away from the kidneys
Liver
● Hepatic artery - transports oxygenated blood
to the liver
● Hepatic vein - transports deoxygenated blood
away from the liver
● Hepatic portal vein - transports blood from
intestines, spleen, pancreas and gallbladder
to the liver
Blood
Components of blood
The blood is made up of a mixture of:
● Plasma
● Red blood cells (RBCs)
● White blood cells (WBCs)
● Platelets
The plasma makes up about 50% of blood. It is a
yellowish liquid that all other blood components are
dissolved in.
Red blood cells have hemoglobin which binds with
oxygen for transport around the body.
White blood cells are a part of the immune system
that helps to destroy pathogens. There are two types
of white blood cells
1. Phagocytes - WBCs that engulf and digest
pathogens via phagocytosis
2. Lymphocytes - WBCs which produce
antibodies
 >> See chapter 10: Diseases and immunity

Lastly, the platelets are substances that form blood

clots which act to prevent blood loss. At the site of
damage, platelets immediately stick together and
release chemical signals which attract nearby cells
and clump them together. A series of chemical
reactions take place, including the important
reaction:

Fibrinogen → Fibrin

Fibrin forms a threat which forms a mesh that traps

RBCs to establish a thick clot. The clot seals off the
damaged site.

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