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The Cardiovascular System

Blood vessels, blood pressure and vascular control

  • 3 things to know
  • A2 2

Overview

The double circulation, arteries, arterioles, capillaries and veins, venous return, systolic and diastolic pressure, resistance exercise, vasoconstriction, vasodilation and pre-capillary sphincters.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What is meant by a double circulatory system?

Key term

Describe the structure of an artery and link it to its function.

Key term

How do arterioles control blood flow?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is meant by a double circulatory system?

    Model answer

    Blood passes through the heart twice on each complete circuit of the body. The pulmonary circuit serves the lungs and the systemic circuit serves the rest of the body.

  2. 2

    Describe the structure of an artery and link it to its function.

    Model answer

    Arteries have thick walls of smooth muscle and elastic tissue around a small lumen. The walls withstand and smooth out the high pressure of blood leaving the heart.

  3. 3

    How do arterioles control blood flow?

    Model answer

    Arterioles are small arteries with a thick layer of smooth muscle in their walls. The muscle contracts or relaxes to change their diameter and so control flow into the capillaries.

  4. 4

    Describe the structure of a capillary and link it to its function.

    Model answer

    Capillaries have walls one cell thick and a very narrow lumen. The thin walls let oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients diffuse between the blood and the tissues.

  5. 5

    Describe the structure of a vein and link it to its function.

    Model answer

    Veins have thin walls with little muscle and a wide lumen. Pocket valves stop the low-pressure blood flowing backwards.

  6. 6

    Explain how the skeletal muscle pump aids venous return.

    Model answer

    Skeletal muscles squeeze the veins that run between them as they contract. The squeeze pushes blood towards the heart, and pocket valves stop it flowing back.

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AThe target heart rate is about 168 bpm.
BMaximum heart rate is 220 − 18 = 202 bpm.
CThe working is 0.75 × (202 − 65) + 65 = 167.75 bpm.

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