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Year 10
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Blood vessels and blood cells

I can explain the structure and function of different types of blood vessels and blood cells in the circulatory system.

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Year 10
OCR

Blood vessels and blood cells

I can explain the structure and function of different types of blood vessels and blood cells in the circulatory system.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Arteries carry blood away from the heart at high pressure. They have thick walls and a smaller lumen.
  2. Veins carry blood back to the heart. They have thinner walls and contain valves to prevent backflow.
  3. Capillaries facilitate the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between blood and tissues.
  4. Red blood cells transport oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients.
  5. White blood cells fight infections whilst platelets enable blood clotting and plasma makes up the main blood volume.

Keywords

  • Arteries - blood vessels with a small lumen and thick muscular walls that carry blood away from the heart

  • Veins - blood vessels with a wide lumen and pocket valves that carry blood back towards the heart

  • Capillaries - thin (one cell thick) blood vessels that allow exchange of materials (oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients) between the blood and the tissues of the body

  • Red blood cells - oxygen carrying cells containing haemoglobin

  • White blood cells - blood cells responsible for fighting infection

Common misconception

Arteries always carry oxygenated blood.

The pulmonary artery is the only artery in the body that carries deoxygenated blood as it is pumped back to the lungs to be re-oxygenated. Consequently, the pulmonary vein is the only vein in the body that carries oxygenated blood.

A good way to remember the difference between arteries and veins is that arteries carry blood away from the heart. A for away and A for artery.
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Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The heart operates as a double circulatory system. This means:
it beats twice every minute.
it has two circuits - one that supplies blood to the arms and one to the legs.
Correct answer: there are two loops - one to the lungs and one to the rest of the body.
it works in tandem with the respiratory system to circulate blood.
Q2.
The circuit transports blood to the body tissues to supply oxygen and delivers deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
Correct Answer: systemic, systemic circuit, sistemic
Q3.
Name the chamber identified in red in the image below.
An image in a quiz
left atrium
left ventricle
Correct answer: right atrium
right ventricle
Q4.
Match the following components of the circulatory system.
Correct Answer:pulmonary vein,carries oxygenated blood back from the lungs
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carries oxygenated blood back from the lungs

Correct Answer:tricuspid valve,situated between the right atrium and the right ventricle
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situated between the right atrium and the right ventricle

Correct Answer:left atrium,receives oxygenated blood from the lungs
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receives oxygenated blood from the lungs

Correct Answer:left ventricle,pumps blood out into the aorta
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pumps blood out into the aorta

Correct Answer:right atrium,receives deoxygenated blood from the body
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receives deoxygenated blood from the body

Correct Answer:right ventricle,pumps blood to the lungs to pick up fresh oxygen supplies
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pumps blood to the lungs to pick up fresh oxygen supplies

Q5.
The is the muscular wall in that divides the left and right sides of the heart.
Correct Answer: septum
Q6.
Veins contain special pocket to help prevent the backflow of blood.
Correct Answer: valves, valve

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following blood vessels carries blood away from the heart?
Correct answer: artery
capillary
vein
atria
Q2.
The only vein carrying oxygenated blood is the vein.
Correct Answer: pulmonary
Q3.
Which of the following is not true?
Arteries have a thick muscular wall.
Capillary walls are one cell thick.
Gaseous exchange occurs in the capillaries.
Correct answer: Blood is pumped at high pressure in veins.
Veins have pocket valves to prevent the backflow of blood.
Q4.
Red blood cells carry in the haemoglobin.
Correct Answer: oxygen, O2
Q5.
Match up the following blood vessels and constituents of the blood with their main function.
Correct Answer:red blood cells,carry oxygen
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carry oxygen

Correct Answer:white blood cells,fight infection
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fight infection

Correct Answer:platelets,clot the blood
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clot the blood

Correct Answer:plasma,makes up the majority of the blood volume to help it flow
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makes up the majority of the blood volume to help it flow

Correct Answer:arteries,carry blood away from the heart at high pressure
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carry blood away from the heart at high pressure

Correct Answer:capillaries,enable gaseous exchange due to being one cell thick
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enable gaseous exchange due to being one cell thick

Q6.
Place the following sequence of events in the order they happen from air entering the lungs.
1 - Oxygen enters the bloodstream by binding to haemoglobin.
2 - Blood travels back from the lungs to the heart in veins.
3 - Blood is pumped out of the heart in arteries.
4 - Gaseous exchange happens at capillaries for oxygen to enter the muscles.
5 - Deoxygenated blood returns to the heart in veins.