TRANSPORT IN HUMANS (pg143)

Large organisms have a large volume in relation to their surface area. Therefore diffusion of substances
eg oxygen would take a long time. These organisms have developed transport systems . [*Table 13.1 pg
143]
THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN MAN
This is made of: 1) a transporting medium: blood
2) tubes through which blood can travel: blood vessels
3) a pump to push the blood through the tubes: the heart

THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF BLOOD

Blood is made of plasma (55%) and cells (45%).
i) PLASMA is a straw coloured fluid made of 90% water and 10% dissolved substances (food, carbon
dioxide, plasma preteins, hormones, mineral salts). The function of plasma is to transport carbon dioxide,
hormones, heat, white blood cells ect
ii) CELLS: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets

THE HEART
The function of the heart is to maintain a constant circulation of blood around the body by its constant
pumping action. The walls of the heart is made of cardiac muscles which contract and relax throughout
life and never gets tired.
The heart is divided into a right side and a left side. Each side has two parts or chambers.
*atrium: receive blood
*ventricle: pumps blood away from the heart.

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  Contractions of the heart chambers are called systole. When the chambers relax it is called
diastole.
 The bicuspid and tricuspid valves are together known as: Atrioventricular valves.
 All valves prevent the backflow of blood. This causes blood to flow only in one direction.
 Semi-lunar valves are found at the start of the pulmonary artery and aorta. They prevent the
backflow of blood into the ventricles when the heart is relaxed.
 BLOOD VESSELS:
1) ARTERIES carry blood away from the heart.
2) CAPILLARIES tiny vessels that pass close to all body cells.
3) VEINS carry blood back to the heart.
 Arteries  arterioles  capillaries  venules vein

DISEASES
1) Hypertension: this is high blood pressure. It is caused by the blood at high pressure pushing against
the inside walls of arteries. CAUSES: stress, lack of exercise, obesity, smoking.
2) Heart attack: if a coronary artery becomes blocked, the heart will not be supplied with food and oxygen
and that part of the heart dies. This could result in a heart attack.

CIRCULATION: Mammals have a double circulation

a) The pulmonary circulation: blood travels from the right side of the heart to the lungs to be
oxygenated then back to the left side of the heart.
b) The systematic (body) circulation: blood travels from left side of heart to body where it
becomes deoxygenated then back to the right side of the heart.

A double circulatory system is needed in mammals because blood loses a lot of pressure when passing
through the lungs. It must return to the heart to be given enough pressure to reach all the body organs.
The blood must then be given pressure by the heart to reach the lungs again.

BLOOD CLOTTING
 When the skin is cut a blood clot forms preventing further blood loss and entry of disease causing
organisms.
 Prothrombin (inactive protein in the blood) is converted to thrombin (active) by platelets exposed to
the air. This thrombin then converts fibrinogen (inactive protein) to fibrin.
 Fibrin forms a network of fibres over the cut which trap blood cells forming a clot. The clot dries up
forming a scab. New skin forms below the scab which then drops off.

[Name the blood vessels supplying lungs, kidney, liver, brain, intestine (pg 149)]
[Draw diagrams to show difference in arteries, capillaries, veins]

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 THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
The immune system helps fight off infections. The white blood cells (wbc) called lymphocytes are
activated when pathogens (microorganisms) enter the body.
Antigen: found on the surfaces of bacteria or viruses and cause lymphocytes to make and release
antibodies.
Antibodies: are protein molecules which destroy pathogens (microorganisms). Antibodies are
specific. They combine with the particular antigen that produces them. Antibodies against one
strain of disease will not affect another strain. Antibodies can dissolve the pathogens or cause it to
clump together so phagocytes (a type of wbc) can engulf them.

1) Natural active innate immunity: these are the natural resistances a person is born with. Eg.
Mucus membranes, physical barriers like skin protect the body from bacteria entering.

2) Natural passive immunity: antibodies made by mother passed to foetus and through milk of
mother. This lasts only for a few months.

3) Natural acquired active immunity: people infected with a disease and survive, gain immunity
to the diseases the body knows how to fight the disease.

4) Artificial active acquired immunity: This is done by vaccines. Vaccines are weakened forms
of the pathogen which cause a mild form of the disease. The body produces antibodies against the
disease and ‘remembers it’ so giving immunity.

5) Artificial passive immunity: the person suffering with the disease is injected with an anti-
serum. This contains the antibodies so it acts quickly but is only effective for a few weeks.

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 TRANSPORT IN PLANTS (pg 160)

There is a need to transport substances in plants.

In plants there are two types of transport vessels:
1) Xylem vessels – transports water and minerals
2) Phloem tubes – transports food made by the plant from the source (leaves) to the sink (root, fruits)

XYLEM VESSELS
These are long, narrow, hollow tubes with no cytoplasm or nuclei. The walls are thickened with lignin
which is strong so the xylem also supports the plant upright. Lignin is a major component in wood.

PHLOEM TUBES
These are made of cells joined end to end with the end walls having small holes. Each cell called a sieve
tube element has cytoplasm but no nucleus. Each sieve tube has a companion cell next to it which has a
nucleus.

VASCULAR BUNDLES
A group of xylem vessels and phloem tubes, found close together is called a vascular bundle. It can be
seen in roots and shoots.

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 DEFINITIONS
1) Transpiration: the loss of water vapour from the surface of leaves which creates a pull.
2) Transpiration stream: the flow of water through a plant, from the roots to the leaves, via the xylem
vessels.
2) Transpiration rate: the rate at which a plant loses water. Factors affecting it are temperature (higher
temp., higher transpiration rate); humidity (higher humidity, lower transpiration rate); air movement
(higher wind speed, transpiration rate); light intensity (higher light intensity, stomata opens, higher
transpiration)
3) Translocation: the transport of food (sugars and amino acids) in the phloem tube of plants

What is the importance of transpiration?

-It helps cool the plant
-Pulls water up the leaves for photosynthesis
-The moving water carries dissolved minerals to the leaves.

HOW DOES WATER MOVE UP THE XYLEM?

1) CAPILLARITY: the water molecules sticks together and to the surface of the xylem, causing the
water to rise up the xylem
2) ROOT PRESSURE: water is at high pressure in the roots and low pressure in the leaves. The water
will move from high to low pressure up the xylem.
3) TRANSPIRATION PULL: as water is loss from the leaves due to transpiration, it creates a tension
that ‘pulls’ the water up the xylem.

How are plants adapted to conserve water?

Xerophytes are plants which live in places where water is in short supply such as deserts. An example is
the cactus plant. These types of plants are adapted to these conditions by having:
 Fine spine-like leaves to reduce the # of stomata and so reduce transpiration
 Thicken stems or leaves capable of storing large amounts of water
 An extensive root system to absorb water quickly when it rains
 A think epidermis covered with a thick waxy cuticle to reduce water loss and reflect light
 The ability to trap carbon dioxide at night so that the stomata can be closed during the day