Unit 8: Transport in animals
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8.1. Blood:
➢ Plasma: liquid part of the blood
Function:
Carries dissolved substances such as urea, hormones,
carbon dioxide, mineral ions and glucose.
➢ Red blood cell:
Function: carries/ transport oxygen
Features:
1. Biconcave: to increase the surface area to the uptake of oxygen.
2. No nucleus: to make space for more haemoglobin to carry more oxygen.
3. Haemoglobin: the protein that contains iron to bind oxygen.
➢ White blood cell:
Phagocyte:
Function: phagocytosis (crawling around bacteria and eating it)
Lymphocytes:
Function: make antibodies which attack and destroy bacteria and viruses.
➢ Platelets: fragments of cells
Function: blood clotting.
Roles of blood clotting:
1. Preventing blood loss
2. Preventing the entry of pathogens.
N.B: pathogens are organism that causes disease.
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8.2. Blood vessels:
Arteries Veins Capillaries
• Carry blood away from • Carry blood towards • Carry blood close to
the heart the heart the cells
• Under high pressure • Under low pressure • For the exchange/
Function • Oxygenated except • Deoxygenated except diffusion of
pulmonary artery pulmonary vein substances
• Allows white blood
cells to leave it
• Thick wall • Thin wall • very thin wall
Structure • Elastic wall • Wide lumen • very narrow lumen
• Narrow lumen • valves • pores in the wall, so
it is permeable
• Valves: Prevent backflow of blood
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8.3. Heart:
➢ Structure of the heart:
Muscle wall of the left and right ventricles:
Left ventricle has the thickest wall
It needs to generate greater pressure to pump blood to the whole body
Which chamber pumps blood to the liver? …………………………………………………
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➢ Blood vessels of the heart:
Blood vessel Carries……. From To
Vena cava Deoxygenated blood The body Right atrium
( superior & inferior)
Pulmonary artery Deoxygenated blood Right ventricle lungs
Pulmonary vein Oxygenated blood lungs Left atrium
Aorta Oxygenated blood Left ventricle The body
➢ How to monitor the activity of the heart:
1. Measuring the pulse rate:
• Use your finger tips to press on an artery
• On the side of the wrist or neck
• Count the number of pulses per minute.
NB: the heart and pulse rate of athletes are lower than those of normal people because their heart
muscle becomes stronger [so it can pump the blood with less beats]
2. Electrocardiogram (ECG)
3. Listening to the sounds of valves closing using stethoscope.
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➢ Function of the coronary arteries:
Supply the heart muscle with oxygen and glucose for respiration to release energy for contraction
➢ Coronary heart disease:
The blockage of the coronary arteries, so in the area below the blockage:
• Less oxygen and glucose reach the heart muscle
• Less respiration
• Less energy release
• Heart muscle cells die
• Heart might stop working
➢ Causes of coronary heart disease:
1. Diets containing a large amount of animal fat
2. Diet containing too much salt
3. Smoking
4. Stress
5. Lack of exercise
➢ People can reduce their chances of having a heart attack by:
1. Eating diet that doesn’t contain too much animal fat or salt
2. Not smoking
3. Trying to reduce the stress in their lives
4. Taking regular exercise.
What is the effect of exercise on the heart?
During exercise, Adrenaline hormone is produced. This leads to:
1. An increase in the heart rate
2. An increase in the force of contraction of the cardiac muscle.
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