What does the cardiovascular system do?The cardiovascular system (CVS) moves vital nutrients, gases and hormones around the body. The CVS is made up of the heart, lungs and blood vessels, all working together. Show
A number of complex nerve and hormone systems keep the CVS in balance with the body’s changing needs for oxygen and nutrients. The heartThe heart is a pear-shaped organ in the centre of the chest. It is divided into a right side and left side, and each side is made up of two chambers: the atrium (top) and the ventricle (bottom). The movement of blood through the heart is controlled by the contraction of the heart muscle, and special valves inside the heart that open and close at the right moments. The two sides of the heart work in partnership.
The heart muscle needs its own blood supply to carry out its work, which it receives via the left and right coronary arteries. How the heart beatsEach heartbeat starts with an electrical signal generated from the part of the heart called the pacemaker (the sinoatrial or SA node). This signal travels through nerves in the heart and stimulates the heart muscle to contract, which forces blood to move. The movement of blood through the arteries can be felt as a ‘pulse’ in the wrist and the neck. A healthy person usually has a resting heart rate of between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Problems with the cardiovascular systemThere are several reasons why the CVS may not work properly.
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GCSE Edexcel Cardiovascular systemThe cardiovascular system is made up of three main parts - the heart, the blood vessels and the blood that flows through them. Part of Physical Education Applied anatomy and physiology
quiz Test
The three main functions of the cardiovascular systemThe cardiovascular system has three main functions:
Regulating body temperatureIn the heat, blood vessels close to the surface of the skin enlarge. This process is called vasodilation. This allows more heat to be lost from the blood. When a person takes part in exercise their face can become pink due to vasodilation of the blood vessels close to the skin's surface. In the cold, blood vessels at the skin's surface close. This process is called vasoconstriction and takes blood away from the surface of the skin to help prevent it from losing heat. Blood pressureWhen the heart contracts it pushes blood into blood vessels which creates blood pressure. A blood pressure reading consists of two values:
The average blood pressure for an adult is 120/80 mmHg. The first number is the systolic value and the second number is the diastolic value. Blood pressure is determined by Q (cardiac output) and the resistance to the blood flow (R). Resistance to blood flow is caused both by the diameter of the blood vessels and by the thickness of the blood. Furthermore, if a person has a condition called atherosclerosis (plaque in the arteries), their resistance to blood flow will increase and so will blood pressure. This can have serious health implications such as causing chronic high blood pressure, angina or even heart attack or stroke. The heart's performance as a pumpThe heart's function is to pump the blood and circulate it round the body. We assess the heart's performance by measuring how much blood it pumps out each minute. This is called cardiac output. To calculate cardiac output, we also need to know about heart rate and stroke volume. Heart rateHeart rate (HR) is the number of times the heart beats (or the ventricles pump blood out) in one minute. The average resting HR is approximately 70 beats per minute (bpm). Stroke volumeStroke volume (SV) is the amount of blood pumped out of the ventricles each time they contract. The average resting SV is approximately 70 ml. Cardiac valuesCardiac output (Q) is the amount of blood pumped from the heart every minute and can be calculated by multiplying heart rate (HR) by stroke volume (SV). curriculum-key-fact Q = HR × SV SV is 70 to 90 millilitres at rest. The fitter you are, the larger your stroke volume. We can calculate a typical cardiac output at rest and during exercise: Q at rest = SV × HR Q at rest = 70 × 70 Q at rest = 4900 ml/min Q at rest = 4.9 l/min Q during exercise = SV × HR Q during exercise = 120 × 180 Q during exercise = 21600 ml/min Q during exercise = 21.6 l/min
GCSE Subjects
What are the 4 main functions of the cardiovascular system?Circulates OXYGEN and removes Carbon Dioxide. Provides cells with NUTRIENTS. Removes the waste products of metabolism to the excretory organs for disposal. Protects the body against disease and infection.
What are the 5 primary functions of the cardiovascular system?5 Major Functions of the Cardiovascular System. Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Transport.. Nutrient and Waste Product Transport.. Disease Protection and Healing.. Hormone Delivery.. Body Temperature Regulation.. What is the major function of cardiovascular?The cardiovascular system delivers oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and other important substances to cells and organs in the body. It plays an important role in helping the body meet the demands of activity, exercise, and stress.
What are the major functions of the cardiovascular system quizlet?The four major functions of the cardiovascular system are:. To transport nutrients, gases and waste products around the body.. To protect the body from infection and blood loss.. To help the body maintain a constant body temperature 4. To help maintain fluid balance within the body.. What are the 3 major functions of the circulatory system?The circulatory system carries oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to cells, and removes waste products, like carbon dioxide. These roadways travel in one direction only, to keep things going where they should.
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