C A S A

THE NUTRITIONAL FUNCTION

THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

The Circulatory System is responsible for transporting materials throughout the entire body. It transports nutrients,
water, and oxygen to your billions of body cells and carries away wastes such as carbon dioxide that body cells produce. The heart, blood, and blood vessels work together to service the cells of the body.

RED BLOOD CELLS

The function of red blood cells is to carry oxygen to all the cells of the body.
They have no nucleus, meaning that there is more room for haemoglobin.
They are small and flexible, in order to pass through small blood vessels.
They are shaped as small biconcave discs, providing maximun surface area
to volume ratio for absorbing oxygen.
They contain a substance called haemoglobin. In the lungs this substance
combines with oxigen to form oxyhaemoglobin. In the tissues it gives up
the oxygen to form haemoglobin again.
O2 + haemoglobin

oxyhaemoglobin

WHITE BLOOD CELLS

The main function of white blood cells is defence against disease.
They have a large nucleus.
They are larger than red blood cells and their shape varies.
They have a flexible shape, in order to engulf microorganisms.
There are two main types of white blood cells that can multiply if needed.
Macrophage: this type of white blood cell kills microbes by ingesting them.
Lymphocytes: this type of white blood cell sends out antibodies which kill microbes.

PLATELETS
Platelets are fragments of cells. Their function is to clot the blood
so you do not bleed to death if you cut yourself.

PLASMA
Plasma is a yellow fluid. It consists mainly of water with many substances dissolved in it. These substances include soluble food, salts, carbon dioxide, urea,
hormones, antibodies and plasma proteins. Its function is to transport these
substances around the body.
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C A S A

THE NUTRITIONAL FUNCTION

ACTIVITIES
1)Which fluid transports food to cells?
A)
bile
B)
blood
C)
saliva
D)
urine
2)Wich cell has a variable shape?
A)
all of them
B)
platelet
C)
red blood cell
D)
White blood cell

3)Which structure is only a cell fragment?

A)
plasma
B)
platelet
C)
red blood cell
D)
white blood cell
4)What colour is plasma?
A)
blue
B)
green
C)
red
D)
yellow

5)The diagram shows some of the components of blood.

A
B
C
A) Name the labelled structures
A............................
B............................
C.............................
B) What are the jobs of these structures?.
A..............................................................................................................................................................
B..............................................................................................................................................................
C..............................................................................................................................................................
C) Which part of the blood is not shown in the diagram?........................................................................
6)

A) Which cellular structure is missing from a red blood cell and how does this help in carrying oxygen?
.................................................................................................................................................................
B) Explain how red blood cells are adapted to carry out their function.

7)

...................................................................................................................................................................
A) What is the main component of plasma?
...................................................................................................................................................................
B) List four other components of plasma.

8)

...................................................................................................................................................................
A) Name two types of white blood cell.
...................................................................................................................................................................
B) How are the white blood cells different from the red blood cells?.
...................................................................................................................................................................
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C A S A

THE NUTRITIONAL FUNCTION

THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

BLOOD VESSELS
VEINS: Veins carry mainly deoxygenated blood, blood that has given up its oxygen to
the body tissues. They carry the blood back to the heart from the body at low pressure. They have valves to prevent the blood flowing backwards. Veins have a large
lumen, or hole, in the middle.
ARTERIES: Arteries carry mainly oxygenated blood. They carry blood away from the
heart, towards the body, at high pressure. They have very thick, muscular, elastic
walls to withstand the high pressure. The high pressure in the arteries causes a pulse that can be felt in
the wrist and neck.
CAPILLARIES: Capillaries are only one cell thick and have very thin, permeable walls, to allow oxygen and
nutrients to diffuse out of them. When something is permeable, it has tiny holes in it that allow small
substances to flow through. These capillaries are the site of exchange between the blood and the cells of
the body.
Fluid leaks out of the capillaries and bathes the surrounding cells. This is called tissue fluid. The tissue
fluid delivers the food and oxygen to the cells and receives waste products, which are reabsorbed back
into the capillaries.
THE HEART
The heart consists of a special type of muscle called cardiac muscle. It contracts continuously without getting tired. The heart is a
double pump. The left side pumps oxygenated blood out of the
aorta at high pressure to other arteries, to deliver substances
around the body. The right side of the heart carries deoxygenated blood and pumps it to the lungs to be oxygenated.
The left side of the heart has much thicker walls, as it has to
pump blood at high pressure all the way around the body. The
top two chambers of the heart are called atria (the singular of
which is atrium). They receive blood from the body and the
lungs. The bottom two chambers of the heart are called ventricles. They pump the blood out of the heart.

QUICK TEST (ORAL)

1-Which side of the heart contains deoxygenated blood?.
2-Name two blood vessels that enter the heart:
3-Name two blood vessels that leave the heart.
4-What are aortic and pulmonary valves for?.
5-Why do arteries have elastic, muscular walls?.
6-Which blood vessel contains valves?.
7-Which blood vessels are the site of exchange of substances between the blood and the body?.
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C A S A

THE NUTRITIONAL FUNCTION

ACTIVITIES
1)What type of muscle is the heart made of?
A)
cardiac
B)
coronary
C)
circulatory
D)
capillary
2)
A) The capillaries in the body go to all organs. Suggest an organ they might go to.
.................................................................................................................................................................
B) What type of blood is in the vein coming from the lungs?.
.................................................................................................................................................................
C) What substance is passed out of the blood in the capillaries in the body?.
.................................................................................................................................................................
3)Each statement refers to a blood vessel. Put a tick in the correct box to show which blood vessel the statement
refers to.
Statement

Artery

Vein

Capillary

Takes blood away from the heart

Carries mainly oxygenated blood
Blood is under high pressure
Where an exchange of substances takes place
Carries blood to the heart
Contains valves
Has walls one cell thick
Carries deoxygenated blood
Has thick muscular walls

4)

A) What type of blood vessel is the aorta?.

.................................................................................................................................................................
B) The blood returns from the lungs. Describe the route it takes through the heart on its way to the body
cells.
.................................................................................................................................................................
C) What type of blood returns to the heart from the body?
.................................................................................................................................................................
Visit this web page, listen the audio and answer: What is anemia?
http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/blood/anemia.html

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