The Circulatory System

Major Function:
Circulates oxygen, nutrients, and wastes through the
body through bloodstream.
Organ / Tissue Function

Heart Pumps blood through circulatory system

Arteries Vessels that carry blood AWAY from the heart

Veins Vessels that carry blood TO the heart

Capillaries Tiny vessels joining veins and arteries

 Key Concept: Systems

Related concepts: Energy, Environment, Balance

Global context: Personal and cultural

expression

Exploration: products, systems and the way of lives.

Outline how does the circulatory system help
maintain homeostasis?
Ensures all cells have a stable
level of oxygen, glucose, and
other nutrients to keep them
alive and functioning

Heart rate is consistent

 The task:
Watch the video to identify the
parts of the circulatory system and
the function of each part
https://youtu.be/_lgd03h3te8

Time 12 min
ATL: Organization skills, communication skills
 Check your understanding
• The circulatory system is made up the heart,
blood vessels, and blood.

• Circulation, or transport, is its function.

Check your understanding

• State the function of the circulatory system?

• Determine what pumps blood through your
body?
• List the parts of the circulatory system?
• Compare and contrast the arteries, veins and
blood vessels?
Part 1: The heart
Your Task: label the heart’s diagram
Time: 10 min
ATL: Thinking skills

Pulmonary
aorta artery

Vena Pulmonary
cava vein

Right Aortic valve

atrium
pulmonary Left autrium

tricuspid Mitral valve

Right Left
ventricle ventricle
 Check your understanding
• http://www.kscience.co.uk/animations/heart_labelling.htm
 Heart Structure
• The structure of the human heart includes the following key components:
Chambers
• Two atria (singular = atrium) – smaller chambers near top of heart that collect
blood from body and lungs
• Two ventricles – larger chambers near bottom of heart that pump blood to body
and lungs
•
Heart Valves
• Atrioventricular valves (between atria and ventricles) – mitral valve on left side ;
tricuspid valve on right side
• Semilunar valves (between ventricles and arteries) – aortic valve on left side ;
pulmonary valve on right side
•
Blood Vessels
• Vena cava (inferior and superior) feeds into the right atrium and returns
deoxygenated blood from the body
• Pulmonary artery connects to the right ventricle and sends deoxygenated blood to
the lungs
• Pulmonary vein feeds into the left atrium and returns oxygenated blood from the
lungs
• Aorta extends from the left ventricle and sends oxygenated blood around the body
•
•Hint: The left ventricle pumps blood around the entire body and so has a
noticeably thicker heart muscle than the right ventricle
• The human heart is a four chambered organ, consisting of two atria
and two ventricles
• The atria act as reservoirs, by which blood returning to the heart is
collected via veins (and passed on to ventricles)
• The ventricles act as pumps, expelling the blood from the heart at high
pressure via arteries
•
The reason why there are two sets of atria and ventricles is because
there are two distinct locations for blood transport
• The left side of the heart pumps oxygenated blood around
the body (systemic circulation)
• The right side of the heart pumps deoxygenated blood to
the lungs (pulmonary circulation)
There is therefore a separate circulation for the lungs (right side of heart)
and for the rest of the body (left side of heart)

• The left side of the heart will have a much thicker muscular wall
(myocardium) as it must pump blood much further
Watch how the heart contraction moves blood through the
heart.

http://www.kscience.co.uk/animations/heart.htm
 The Heart Beat
The contraction of the heart is myogenic – meaning that the signal for
cardiac compression arises within the heart tissue itself
•In other words, the signal for a heart beat is initiated by the heart muscle
cells rather than from brain signals

Within the wall of the right atrium are a specialized cluster of which direct
the contraction of heart muscle tissue. This cluster of cells are collectively
called the sinoatrial node (SA node or SAN)

The sinoatrial node acts as the primary pacemaker – controlling the rate at
which the heart beats (i.e. pace ‘making’).The SA node triggers roughly 60
– 100 cardiac contractions per minute (normal sinus rhythm)
The second node is atrioventicular node (AV node)
 The Role of the Pacemaker(SA node)
• The electrical conduction of a heart beat occurs according to the
following events:
• The sinoatrial node ( SA ) called pacemaker, sends out an electrical
impulse that stimulates contraction of the heart muscle
• This impulse directly causes the atria to contract and stimulates
another node at the junction between the atrium and ventricle
• This second node – the atrioventricular node (AV node) – sends
signals down the ventricles causing ventricles to contract
•
This sequence of events ensures there is a delay between atrial and
ventricular contractions, resulting in two heart sounds
• This delay allows time for the ventricles to fill with blood following
atrial contractions so as to maximize blood flow
 The cardiac cycle
• The cardiac cycle describes the series of events that take place in the heart
over the duration of a single heart beat
• It is comprised of a period of contraction (systole) and relaxation
(diastole)

• Blood pressure is the force with which blood pushes against the wall of
an artery. It is 120/70mmHG(millimeters of mercury).

• The upper number is the systolic pressure, the pressure of the artery
when left ventricle contracts.
• The lower number is the diastolic pressure, the pressure in the artery
when the left ventricle relaxes.

• Link: Interactive Cardiac Cycle Tutorial

 The Role of a Pacemaker
• http://ib.bioninja.com.au/standard-
level/topic-6-human-physiology/62-the-blood-
system/heart-beat.html
Watch the link below to explore the circulation of blood around
the body

http://www.kscience.co.uk/animations/blood_system.htm
 Part 2: The Blood
Your task: Read the article given to answer the
following questions:

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/human-biology/circulatory-
pulmonary/a/components-of-the-blood

1- Explain the function of red blood cells, white

blood cells and platelets.
2- Explain the blood clotting in the body.
Blood is the transport tissue in your body.

It carries needed materials to the cells and carries waste materials away from
the cells. The liquid part of blood is called plasma.

The solid part of blood is made up of different kinds of blood cells. Plasma is
90% water and is beige in color.

Plasma contains digested food, chemicals, and waste products. These

substances are carried to and from the cells by the plasma.

The three kinds of blood cells that make up the

solid part of blood are:
red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Red blood cells contain hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is red and
gives blood its color. It links up with oxygen and carries this
oxygen to all parts of the body. The same hemoglobin in the
red blood cells also picks up most of the carbon dioxide
waste that is made by the cells.

White blood cells are larger than red blood cells fight
infection and disease. They destroy harmful bacteria, viruses
and other small invaders.

Platelets are pieces of cells that are small

and colorless.

They help to stop bleeding by giving off a

chemical that helps blood to clot.
Steps of blood clotting: