Ch -8 The Circulatory System

I. Define:

1. Blood Pressure: When the blood flows in the artery it exerts a pressure on the elastic wall of
the artery which is called blood pressure. It is greater during systole (contraction) than during
diastole (relaxation) of the heart. In a normal adult the blood pressure is 120/80 where systolic
is 120 and diastolic pressure is 80 mm of Hg (mercury).

2. Pulse rate: Pulse rate indicates the rate at which the heart beats. Each heartbeat results
from the contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole) of the heart. Both the ventricles
contract at a time and pour the blood into the main artery (dorsal aorta). The systole and
diastole take 0.8 secs., which is 75 beats per minute.

3. Hepatic Portal System: Systems of veins carrying blood capillaries of intestine to liver in
mammals is called hepatic portal system. The blood from the intestine carries digested
carbohydrates and proteins, i.e., glucose and amino acids to the liver which converts them into
glycogen and urea respectively.

4. Diapedesis: The passage of White Blood Corpuscles through unruptured wall of blood
vessels is known as diapedesis. It also helps in engulfing the germs and also protects the body
from getting infected.

5. Haemopoiesis: Formation of blood corpuscles like WBC and RBC by the bone marrow and
lymph nodes is called haemopoiesis. Bone marrow and lymph nodes are called haemopoietic
tissues.

7. Phagocytosis: When WBC engulfs the damaged tissues bacteria and germs, the
phenomenon is called phagocytosis.

8. Electrocardiogram (ECG): Electrocardiogram is the recorded report of an electrocardiograph

which is produced by the heart muscle during the cardiac cycle of contraction and relaxation.

9. Pace maker: The tissue present on the wall of the right auricle where initiation of heart beat
starts is known as a pace maker.

II. Question and Answer:

Q1. Explain double circulation.

Ans1. In mammals the heart produces two separate circulations, the pulmonary to the lungs
and systemic to the rest of the body. These two separate circulations are jointly called double
circulation.

Pulmonary Circulation: From the right ventricle deoxygenated blood goes to lung for
purification and comes back to left auricle through pulmonary vein after purification which is
known as pulmonary circulation.

Systemic Circulation: Distribution of blood from left ventricle to different parts of the body
and back to hearts as deoxygenated blood is known as systemic circulation.

Q 2. Why is circulatory system also known as transport system?

Ans2. Circulatory system is also called transport system because it transports food, water,
hormones, enzymes, electrolytes, antibodies and respiratory gases to or away from the body
tissues.

Q3. Write about origin and functions of Red Blood Corpuscles.

Ans3. Origin: R.B.Cs. or erythrocytes are minute biconcave disc-like structures, flat in the
centre and thick and round at periphery. They are formed in red bone marrow of the long
bones, especially in the ribs, breast bone and ilium of hip girdle.
Function: They help in the transportation of oxygen to the different parts of body. It also
transport carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs.

Q4. State any five functions of blood.

Ans4. (i) It transports oxygen from lungs to body tissues.
(ii) It transports carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs partly in combination with
haemoglobin and partly as solution in blood plasma.
(iii) It transports digested food to different organs of the body which is utilized by cells.
(iv) It helps in keeping the temperature of the body uniform by distributing heat.
(v) It forms a clot wherever there is a cut in a blood vessel. The clot not only prevents further
loss of blood but also prevents the entry of disease germs.

Q5. Name the blood vessels entering the heart and leaving the heart.
Ans5. Blood Vessels entering the heart: The right atrium receives two large vessels:
(i) Anterior vena cava (ii) Posterior vena cava
Blood Vessels leaving the heart: Arising from the ventricle are two large blood vessels :
(i) The pulmonary artery (ii) The aorta
The coronary arteries arising from the base of aorta.

Q6. Name the Blood vessels entering liver and kidney and Blood vessels leaving liver and
kidney.
Ans6. (a) Blood vessels entering liver:
(i) Hepatic artery (from aorta into liver).
(ii) Hepatic portal vein (from stomach and intestine into liver).
(b) Blood vessel entering kidney:
Renal artery (from aorta into kidney).
(c) Blood vessel leaving liver:
Hepatic vein (from liver into posterior vena cava)
(d) Blood vessel leaving kidney:
Renal vein (from kidney into posterior vena cava).

Q7. Describe in brief die cardiac cycle.

Ans7.Cardiac Cycle : It is the sequential phenomenon of contraction and relaxation of heart.
The action potential causes atria and then ventricles to undergo contraction (systole) followed
by their relaxation (diastole). Systole forces blood to move from the atria to the ventricles and
to the pulmonary artery and the aorta. The heart beats 72 times in a minute. So several
cardiac cycles are done per minute. The duration of cardiac cycle is 0-8 seconds. Two heart
sounds are heard by stethoscope during each cardiac cycle.

Q8. When are the sounds ‘LUBB’ and ‘DUB’ produced during heart beat ?
Ans8.The first sound ‘LUBB’ is produced when the atrio-ventricular valves get closed sharply at
the start of ventricular systole. The second sound ‘DUB’ is produced at the beginning of
ventricular diastole when the semilunar valves, at the roots of aorta and pulmonary artery get
closed.

Q9. What is the Rh-factor?

Ans9.The Rh-factor was first discovered in the Rhesus monkey. It was found that Rh (rhesus)
antigens were causing many of the transfusion failures that were unexplained by A-B-O
system. There are at least eight different Rh antigens so far. The person bearing Rh-factor is
Rh+ve and person who does not possess this factor is Rh-ve.

III. Give Reasons:

1. The circulatory system also known as transport system because it carries various substances
from one organ to another.

2. The people have a common belief that the heart is located on the left side of the chest
because the narrow end of the roughly triangular heart is pointed to the left side and during
working the contraction of the heart is most powerful at this end giving a feeling of the heart
being on the left side. Actually it is right in the centre between the two lungs and above the
diaphragm
3. Veins have valves at intervals in their inner lining whereas the arteries do not have valves.
Because in arteries blood flows with pressure but in veins the pressure falls considerably and
the back flow of blood is prevented by the valves.

4. SA node called pace maker of the heart because the wave of contraction which conducts
heart beat originates in it.

5. It necessary to know the blood groups before giving transfusion of blood because in blood
transfusion, it is necessary that the kind or the type of blood to be transfused should be
matched with the type of blood of the receiving person. Otherwise, the RBC of the donor
blood will stick to each other and block the passage of blood vessels of the receiver leading to
death. Hence, it is necessary to know the blood groups before transfusion of blood.

6. The blood does not clot inside the blood vessels because there is no free thromboplastin
available to convert into active prothrombin into active thrombin.

7. The number of leucocytes increase during infection to fulfill the defence demand of the
body.

IV. Differentiate between

1: Blood and Lymph.

Blood Lymph
(i) Blood contains plasma, RBCs, WBCs and Lymph contains only the soluble parts of
platelets. plasma.
(ii) It contains albumin, globulin and It does not contain these substances.
fibrinogen.
(iii) It is a opaque red coloured fluid of alkaline It is a colourless fluid resembling blood in
reaction. other respects.

2: Arteries and Veins.

Arteries Veins
(i) These carry blood from the heart to These collect blood from different organs of
different organs of the body. the body.
(ii) These contain oxygenated blood
These contain deoxygenated blood.
(Pulmonary artery contains deoxygenated
(Pulmonary vein contains oxygenated bloods).
blood)
(iii) Blood flows rapidly with jerks under Blood flows slowly at a constant slow speed.
pressure.
(iv) The walls are thick and elastic. The walls are thin and non-elastic.
(v) Valves are absent. Valves are present.
3: Red blood cells and White blood cells.

RBCs WBCs
(i) These are minute biconcave disc like
structures, flat in centre, thick and round at These are amoeboid and can produce
the periphery and nuclei are absent in mature pseudopodia and have a nucleus.
RBCs.
(ii) These contain respiratory pigment
Haemoglobin is not present.
haemoglobin.
WBCs help in protection of the body against
(iii) RBCs help in transport of oxygen and CO2.
infections from the germs.
(iv) The number of RBCs in adult male is 5 Their number is usually about 4000-8000 per
million per cu. millimeter. cubic millimeter.
(v) Their average life span is about 120 days. Their average life span is about two weeks.

4: Open circulatory system and Closed circulatory system.

Open circulatory system Closed circulatory system

(i) Blood may flow in vessels but also remains Blood flows in definite vessels known as
in direct contact with tissues. arteries and veins.
(ii) Blood spaces or sinuses are present. Blood spaces or sinuses are absent.
(iii) Haemocoel is present. Haemocoel is absent.
(iv) Found in insects, e.g., cockroach, housefly,
Found in annelids and higher vertebrates.
etc.

5: Diastole and Systole.

Diastole Systole
It is the condition of the heart when the It is the condition of the heart when the
chambers relax. chambers of the heart contract.
It is the condition when the blood enters the It is the condition when the blood is pumped
chamber, e,g., when left atrium relaxes, blood out of the heart, e.g., when the left ventricle
enters from the pulmonary vein under low contracts, the blood is pumped to the body
pressure. under high pressure.

6: Blood plasma and Serum.

Blood plasma Serum

It is transparent fluid part of blood that It is a transparent fluid secreted from blood
contains blood corpuscles, fibrinogen and clot that do not contain blood corpuscles,
prothrombin. fibrinogen and prothrombin.
V. Picture Study:

1: Given alongside is a diagram of the external features of the heart.

i) Name the parts ‘1’ to ‘7’.

Ans.(i) 1. Aorta 2. Left atrium,3. Left ventricle, 4. Dorsal aorta, 5. Inferior vena cava, 6.Superior
vena cava, 7. Pulmonary artery.

(ii) What happens if the coronary artery gets an internal clot?

Ans.(ii) If the coronary artery gets an internal clot, the corresponding part of the heart does
not get its blood supply. This will result in loss of contraction or even death of the cardiac cells
resulting in a heart attack or coronary arrest which may prove to be fatal.

(iii) Which type of blood does part ‘5’ carry ?

Ans.(iii) Part ‘5’ which is the inferior vena cava carries deoxygenated blood which is rich in
CO2 and metabolic wastes.

(iv) Mention one structural difference between part ‘5’ and ‘4’.
Ans.(iv) Part ‘5’ is more muscular and lumen is narrow while part ‘4’ is less muscular and
lumen is wider.
2: The figures given below are cross-sections of blood vessels.

(i) Identify the blood vessels A, B and C.

Ans .(i) (A) Artery, (B) Vein, (C) Capillary.

(ii) Name the parts labeled 1-4.

Ans. (ii) 1. Connective tissue
2. Lumen.
3. Tunica media.
4. Tunica interna/Endothelium.

(iii) Mention two structural differences between A and B.

Ans.(iii) Two structural differences between arteries and veins are :
(a) Arteries are thick-walled and veins are thin walled.
(b) There are no valves in arteries while valves are present in veins.

(iv) Name the type of blood A that flows (a) through A, (b) through B.
Ans.(iv) (a) Oxygenated blood flows through A.
(b) Deoxygenated blood flows through B.

(v) In which of the above vessels referred to in (iv) above does exchange of gases actually take
place ?
Ans.(v) The exchange of gases takes place in (C) capillaries.
3: Given below is a simple diagram of the circulation of blood in a mammal showing the main
blood vessels, the heart, lungs and body tissues. The blood vessel labeled 6 contains
deoxygenated blood and 2 the valve leading to it has three semi-lunar pockets.

(i) Name the blood vessels of organs marked by number 1 to 8.

Ans.(i) 1. Veins from tissues.
2. Superior vena cava
3. Aorta
4. Right ventricle
5. Left ventricle
6. Pulmonary Artery
7. Pulmonary vein
8. Lungs.

(ii) What do you mean by the term ‘double circulation’ of blood in mammals ?
(ii) The heart is said to have double circulation because the blood passes through the heart
twice.
(a) It first leaves through the right ventricle, goes to the lungs and then returns to the left
auricle of heart (pulmonary circulation).
(b) It leaves through the left ventricle, circulates through the body, and again returns to the
right auricle of heart (systemic circulation).

(iii) What is diastole ?

(iii) Diastole is the phase of relaxation of the heart muscles during which the heart chambers
fill with blood and the supply of blood to the cardiac muscle is improved.

4: The diagram given below represents the human heart in one phase of its activity. Study the
same and then answer the questions that follow:

(i) Name the phase.

Ans.(i) Ventricular systole.
(ii) Which parts of the heart are contracting in this phase ? Give a reason to support your
answer.
Ans.(ii) Both ventricles are contracting in this phase, because both bicuspid and tricuspid
valves are closed in order to prevent the back flow of blood into auricles and the semilunar
valves are open.
(iii) Name the part numbered 1 to 6.
(iii) 1. Pulmonary artery,
2. Aorta,
3. Pulmonary vein,
4. Left auricle,
5. Bicuspid valve (mitral valve),
6. Right ventricle.

(iv) What type of blood flows through the parts marked ‘1’ and ‘2’?
Ans.(iv) ‘1’—carries deoxygenated blood. ‘2’—carries oxygenated blood.

(v) How many valves are closed in this phase?

Ans.(v) Two (Bicuspid and Tricuspid) valves.

5: The diagram below represents a certain category of blood vessels showing the role of a
special structure in their walls :

(i) Name the kind of blood vessels shown.

Ans.(i) Veins.

(ii) What is the structure shown inside the blood vessels?

Ans.(ii) Pocket valves.
(iii) What is the role of these structures?
Ans.(iii) These structures maintain the flow of blood in one direction only by preventing its
back¬flow.
(iv) Are these structures present in any other kind of blood vessel? If so, name it.
Ans. (iv) Yes. These are present in lymph vessels.

(v) Towards which side of the figure (Top or Bottom) is the heart located?
Ans.(v) The heart is located towards the top side of the figure.