what are the components of blood?
- plasma
- white blood cells (Leukocytes - think leukaemia)
- red blood cells (Erythrocytes)
- platelets (Thrombocytes)
what is the function of red blood cells?
responsible for binding with oxygen and transporting it around the body.
what is the function of white blood cells?
-destroys and removes unwanted cells (can be old, broken or foreign e.g. bacteria)
- helps fight off bacteria/infection
what is the function of platelets?
responsible for clotting blood
what is the function of plasma?
helps deliver nutrients and get rid of waste
what does the right atrium and ventricle do?
pump blood to the lungs
what does the left atrium and ventricle do?
pump blood the rest of the body
explain why the left ventricle has a thicker wall then the right ventricle?
because the left ventricle pumps blood to the whole body whereas in comparison to the right ventricle where it only pumps to the lungs. Hence, it is thicker as it has more workload then the right ventricle.
define pulmonary circulation
a system of blood vessels that forms a closed circuit between the heart and the lungs, allowing for blood to become oxygenated and carbon dioxide to be removed.
define systemic circulation
a system of blood vessels that allows the transportation of oxygenated blood and nutrients to the rest of the cells and tissues in the body and to carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
what is maximum heart rates?
- also known as MHR, is the maximum rate to which the heart can beat per minute
- you can estimate by 220 minus your age
- athletes can use MHR to figure out the intensity of their training sessions
- the training zone is usually around 60-80% MHR
what is blood pressure and its two phases?
blood pressure is force exerted on the walls of the blood vessels. the phases are:
1. systolic
2. diastolic
what is systolic pressure?
the blood pressure in the arteries during a contraction of the heart.
what is hypertension?
high blood pressure
what is diastolic pressure?
the blood pressure during the relaxation and filling of the heart.
explain what a stroke volume is.
the volume of blood ejected by one ventricle during a contraction (systolic).
what is hypotension?
low blood pressure
how does blood pressure change during exercise?
the systolic pressure increases depending on the intensity while to diastolic pressure stays relevantly the same with little changes.
