Name the 3 components of the circulatory system (also known as the cardiovascular system).

1Heart.


2Blood vessels.


3Blood.

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What is the role of the circulatory system?

The role of the circulatory system is to transport substances around the body via the blood.


Examples of substances it transports include:

  1. Nutrients such as oxygen, glucose, and amino acids.
  2. Waste products such as carbon dioxide and urea.
  3. Other useful substances such as hormones and antibodies.

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What do we mean when we say that humans have a ‘double’ circulatory system?

Our circulatory system has two loops/circuits - one that passes through the lungs, and another that passes around the body.


So because there are two loops we call it a 'double' circulatory system.

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What is the advantage of having a 'double' circulatory system?

It makes the circulatory system more efficient. The blood loses a lot of pressure as it passes through the lungs, so by returning to the heart, the pressure can be increased again before it passes around the body. This allows blood to move around the body more quickly.

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What is the role of the heart?

To pump blood to the lungs and body.

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Is the heart a cell, tissue, organ, or organ system?

The heart is an organ.

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How many chambers does the heart have? Name each of them.

The heart has 4 chambers:


  1. Right atrium.
  2. Right ventricle.
  3. Left atrium.
  4. Left ventricle.

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Which artery carries blood from the heart, to the lungs?

The pulmonary artery carries blood from the heart to the lungs.

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What do we call the vein that carries blood away from the lungs to the heart?

The pulmonary vein carries blood away from the lungs.

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Which side of the heart pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs?

The right side of the heart pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs.

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Name the blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood into the left atrium of the heart.

The pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood to the left atrium of the heart.

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What are the four main blood vessels associated with the heart?


State whether each carries oxygenated or deoxygenated blood, and which heart chambers its connected to.

  1. Vena cava (right) - carries deoxygenated blood from the body into the right atrium.


  1. Pulmonary artery (right) - carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.


  1. Pulmonary vein (left) - carries oxygenated blood from the lungs into the left atrium.


  1. Aorta (left) - carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the body.

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Do the atria or the ventricles have thicker muscular walls? Why?

Ventricles have thicker muscular walls as they have to pump the blood around the lungs or body, whereas the atria only have to pump blood into the ventricles.

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Which ventricle has a thicker muscular wall? Why?

The left ventricle has a thicker muscular wall as it has to pump blood around the entire body, whereas the right ventricle only has to pump blood around the lungs. This means the left ventricle has to generate a higher pressure.

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What is the purpose of valves in the heart?

To prevent the back-flow of blood.

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What do we call the valves between the atria and ventricles?

Atrioventricular valves.


The right atrioventricular valve may also be called the tricuspid valve, while the left atrioventricular valve may also be called the bicuspid valve.

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What do we call the valves between the ventricles and the arteries?

Semilunar valves.

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Describe the route that blood takes as it passes around the body.


Name each of the heart chambers and the blood vessels connecting them.


Start with the vena cava.

Vena cava ➔ right atrium ➔ right ventricle ➔ pulmonary artery ➔ lungs ➔ pulmonary vein ➔ left atrium ➔ left ventricle ➔ aorta ➔ body ➔ vena cava


(the cycle then repeats)

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What is the purpose of coronary arteries?

Coronary arteries supply the heart muscle with oxygenated blood.

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What is the approximate value of the natural resting heart rate?

70 beats per minute.

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