The Cardiovascular and

Respiratory Systems
 Gas Exchange
O2
• Gas exchange takes
place in the alveoli.
• Oxygen diffuses into CO2
the blood.
• Carbon dioxide in the
blood diffuses into the
alveolus.
• Let’s examine this up close

Capillary
 How does the body use oxygen?
Oxygen is for respiration.
• In biology, respiration means different things.
• Cellular respiration is the release of energy from the
breakdown of food in the presence of oxygen
(occurs in the?????)
• At the organism level, respiration is the process of gas
exchange - the release of carbon dioxide and the uptake of
oxygen that occurs between RBCs and alveoli

• Breathing is the actual mechanical intake of air

 How the Lungs Work
BREATHING
• Lungs are
sealed in
pleural
membranes
inside the
chest cavity.
• At the bottom
of the cavity is
a large, flat
muscle known
as the
diaphragm.
 How the Lungs Work
• During inhalation, the
diaphragm contracts and
the rib cage rises up.
• This expands the volume
of the chest cavity.
• The chest cavity is sealed,
so this creates a partial
vacuum inside the cavity.
• Atmospheric pressure fills
the lungs as air rushes
into the breathing
passages.
 How the Lungs Work
• Often exhaling is a
Air Exhaled
passive event.
• When the rib cage lowers
and the diaphragm Rib cage
lowers
relaxes, pressure in the
chest cavity is greater
than atmospheric
pressure.
• Air is pushed out of the
lungs.

Exhalation
 Diseases of the Respiratory System
• Asthma: Condition in which breathing is impaired by
constriction of bronchi and bronchioles, cough, and
thick mucus secretions. The severity and incidence
of asthma has risen dramatically in recent years,
especially in children. May be fatal if not treated.
Causes: Attacks may be precipitated by inhalation of
allergens (e.g.: pollen, cats, and cockroach proteins),
pollutants, infection, or emotional stress.
Treatment: Alleviates symptoms (e.g.: immuno-
suppressors, bronchodilators), but is not a cure.
• Bronchitis: Inflammation of the mucous membranes
of the bronchi. May present with cough, fever, chest
or back pain, and fatigue.
Causes: Associated with smoking, pollution, and
bacterial or viral infections.

• Pneumonia: Acute inflammation of the lungs.

Symptoms include high fever, chills, headache,
cough, and chest pain.
Causes: Bacterial, fungal, or viral infections.
Treatment: Antibiotics or other antimicrobials.
• Emphysema: Permanent and irreversible
destruction of alveolar walls, resulting in loss of
lung elasticity and gas exchange surface.
Symptoms include shortness of breath,
difficulty exhaling, cough, weakness, anxiety,
confusion, heart failure, lung edema (swelling),
and respiratory failure.
Causes: Smoking, pollution, old age, and
infections.
Treatment: Oxygen to help breathing. No cure.
• Lung Cancer: Cancerous growth that invades and
destroys lung tissue. Very high fatality rate.
Symptoms include bloody sputum, persistent cough,
difficulty breathing, chest pain, and repeated attacks
of bronchitis or pneumonia.
Causes: Smoking (50% of all cases) and pollution
(radon, asbestos). Smokers are 10 times more likely
to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers.
Treatment: Surgery is most effective, but only 50% of
all lung cancers are operable by time of detection.
Other treatments include radiation and chemotherapy.
The Circulatory System AKA
Cardiovascular System
Function of the Circulatory System
• Circulate blood throughout entire body for
– Transport of oxygen to cells
– Transport of CO2 away from cells
– Transport of nutrients (glucose) to cells
– Movement of immune system components
(cells, antibodies)
– Transport of endocrine gland secretions
 The main organs and their
functions
• Heart is the pump
• Arteries and veins are main tubes (plumbing)
– Arteries Away from Heart
– Veins to Heart
• Capillaries is where diffusion happens
(oxygen, CO2, and glucose diffuse in or out of
blood)
• Blood – transports material to every cell of the
body
 Blood Facts
The average adult has about FIVE liters of blood inside of
their body, which makes up 7-8% of their body weight.
Blood is living tissue that carries oxygen and nutrients to
all parts of the body, and carries carbon dioxide and other
waste products back to the lungs, kidneys and liver for
disposal. It also fights against infection and helps heal
wounds, so we can stay healthy.
There are about one billion red blood cells in two to three
drops of blood. For every 600 red blood cells, there are
about 40 platelets and one white cell.

http://www.bloodbankofalaska.org/about_blood/index.html
 Cardiovascular Disorders
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the
leading cause of death in Western
countries.
• Modern research efforts have improved
diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
• Major cardiovascular disorders include
atherosclerosis, stroke, heart attack,
aneurysm, and hypertension.
 Hemophilia
• Hemophilia is an inherited clotting
disorder due to a deficiency in a clotting
factor that produces abnormal bleeding.
• Bumps and falls cause bleeding in the
joints; cartilage degeneration and
resorption of bone can follow.
• The most frequent cause of death is
bleeding into the brain with accompanying
neurological damage.
 Atherosclerosis
• Atherosclerosis is due to a build-up of
fatty material (plaque), mainly
cholesterol, under the inner lining of
arteries.
• The plaque can cause a thrombus (blood
clot) to form.
• The thrombus can dislodge and lead to
the bursting of a blood vessel.
 Stroke, Heart Attack, and
Aneurysm
• Stroke results when an embolus lodges in
a cerebral blood vessel or a cerebral blood
vessel bursts; a portion of the brain dies
due to lack of oxygen.
• Heart attack occurs when a portion of
heart muscle dies due to lack of oxygen.
• Aneurysm is a ballooning of a blood
vessel, usually in the abdominal aorta or
arteries leading to the brain.
• Death results if the aneurysm is in a large
vessel and the vessel bursts.
• Atherosclerosis and hypertension weaken
blood vessels over time, increasing the
risk of aneurysm.
Coronary Bypass Operations
• A coronary bypass operation involves
removing a segment of another blood
vessel and replacing a clogged
coronary artery.
• It may be possible to replace this
surgery with gene therapy that
stimulates new blood vessels to grow
where the heart needs more blood flow.
Coronary bypass operation
 Clearing Clogged Arteries
• Angioplasty uses a long tube threaded
through an arm or leg vessel to the point
where the coronary artery is blocked; inflating
the tube forces the vessel open. Stents are
put in place to keep it open.
• Stents are small metal pieces that are
expanded inside the artery to keep it open.
• Stents are coated with heparin to prevent
blood clotting and with chemicals to prevent
arterial closing.
Angioplasty