Introduction

Chapter 1. Chapter 27: Cardiovascular System

Interactive Study Guide
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Welcome to the Interactive Study Guide for Chapter 27: Cardiovascular System! This Study Guide will help you master your understanding of the chapter's Driving Questions, using interactive Infographics and activities, as well as targeted assessment questions. Click "Next" to get started, or select a Driving Question from the drop-down menu to the right.

Death in Bogalusa:

From tragic deaths in a southern town, insight into heart disease

DRIVING QUESTIONS

  • What structures make up the cardiovascular system, and how does blood flow through the system?
  • What is the structure of the heart and of the different types of blood vessels?
  • What is the composition of blood, and what does blood do?
  • What is cardiovascular disease, and what are some of the risk factors for developing it?

Driving Question 1

What structures make up the cardiovascular system, and how does blood flow through the system?

Why should you care?

One in three deaths in the United States is caused by cardiovascular disease. This means that diseases of the heart and/or blood vessels account for more deaths than cancer. Cardiovascular disease is an effective killer because it largely goes undetected until there is a problem, and by then it is usually too late. Since your heart and blood vessels are essential to sustain life, any alteration in function or effectiveness of this system will typically lead to death. Why is your cardiovascular system so important for life? To answer that question, let’s take a look at the organs and structures that make up the cardiovascular system and determine the function of each.

What should you know?

To fully answer this Driving Question, you should be able to:

  1. List the components of the cardiovascular system and identify the function of each.
  2. Trace the route of blood flow through the cardiovascular system.

Infographic Focus

The Infographics most pertinent to the Driving Question are 27.2 and 27.3.

Test Your Vocabulary

Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:

Term Definition
Blood vessels (except the coronary veins) that carry blood toward the heart.
The chambers of the heart that receive blood. The right atrium receives low-oxygen blood from the body, and the left atrium receives high-oxygen blood from the lungs.
A disease of the heart or blood vessels or both.
A restriction of blood flow to the heart resulting in damage to the heart muscle.
The large artery that receives blood from the left ventricle.
Blood vessels (except the coronary arteries) that carry blood away from the heart.
The muscular pump that generates force to move blood throughout the body.
The system that transports nutrients, gases, and other critical molecules throughout the body. It consists of the heart, blood vessels, and blood.
The blood vessels that deliver oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart muscle.
The circulation of blood between the heart and the lungs.
The chambers of the heart that pump blood away from the heart. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs, and the left ventricle pumps blood to the body.
The circulation of blood between the heart and the rest of the body.
Table
2
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List the components of the cardiovascular system and identify the function of each.

1.

What are the components of the cardiovascular system?
The major components of the cardiovascular system are the heart, blood vessels (arteries and veins), and blood.

Trace the route of blood flow through the cardiovascular system.

3.

Starting with oxygenated blood coming from the lungs, describe the path that the blood takes through the body, ending with the deoxygenated blood returning to the lungs.
The oxygen-rich blood goes from the lungs to the heart, where it is pumped through the arteries to all parts of the body. Once the blood has delivered the oxygen to the body, the deoxygenated blood makes its way back to the heart through a system of veins, where it is pumped by the heart to the lungs to receive more oxygen.

Review Questions

6.

What component(s) of the cardiovascular system is (are) essential to maintain bodily function? (Mark "yes" for all that apply.)

a. heart
b. veins
c. arteries
d. blood
Table
2
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Driving Question 2

What is the structure of the heart and of the different types of blood vessels?

Why should you care?

You have likely heard that clogged arteries are bad and may lead to a heart attack. Maybe you know someone who has had a stent (a mesh tube that holds open a weak or damaged blood vessel), placed in an artery to reestablish blood flow. If blood flow is so important to life, it is good to understand how blood is pushed around the body and the structures that carry it.

What should you know?

To fully answer this Driving Question, you should be able to:

  1. Draw the major components of a human heart and trace the path that blood (both oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor) follows as it flows through the organ.
  2. Compare and contrast arteries and veins.

Infographic Focus

The Infographics most pertinent to the Driving Question are 27.2 and 27.3.

Test Your Vocabulary

Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:

Term Definition
Blood vessels (except the coronary arteries) that carry blood away from the heart.
The chambers of the heart that receive blood. The right atrium receives low-oxygen blood from the body, and the left atrium receives high-oxygen blood from the lungs.
Blood vessels (except the coronary veins) that carry blood toward the heart.
The muscular pump that generates force to move blood throughout the body.
The large artery that receives blood from the left ventricle.
The circulation of blood between the heart and the rest of the body.
The circulation of blood between the heart and the lungs.
The chambers of the heart that pump blood away from the heart. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs, and the left ventricle pumps blood to the body.
The blood vessels that deliver oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart muscle.
Table
9
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Correct.
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Draw the major components of a human heart and trace the path that blood (both oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor), flows through the organ.

9.

In your notebook, draw an anatomically correct human heart and label all major structures.

Compare and contrast arteries and veins.

13.

Fill in the following table with the type of blood vessel (artery or vein) that has that characteristic (can be more than one answer in a cell):

Present in the pulmonary circuit
Low-pressure vessels
Supplies oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle itself
Carries oxygen-rich blood
Thin walled
Carries oxygen-poor blood
Present in the systemic circuit
High-pressure vessels
Have valves to control direction of blood flow in systemic circuit
Table
2
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Correct.
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Review Questions

15.

True or False: Arteries move blood away from the heart.

A.
B.
Correct.
Incorrect.

Driving Question 3

What is the composition of blood, and what does blood do?

Why should you care?

Every tissue in your body needs blood to survive. For some parasitic organisms, like fleas and ticks, blood is the only food source necessary to maintain excellent health. Other parasites, like the one that causes malaria, actually live in blood, and their life cycle depends on it. So what makes blood so important to many living organisms? In short, blood is a nutrient- and oxygen-rich liquid that can easily be transported all over the body to deliver vital components to almost every cell and carry away waste products generated by these cells. Blood is also an excellent delivery system for the immune cells, which must fight infection and patrol every area of the body. If you lose too much blood, your body will stop functioning and you will not survive.

What should you know?

To fully answer this Driving Question, you should be able to:

  1. Describe the main components of human blood and what each component does.
  2. Explain how capillaries contribute to the overall function of blood.

Infographic Focus

The Infographics most pertinent to the Driving Question are 27.5 and 27.6.

Test Your Vocabulary

Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:

Term Definition
Leukocytes are involved in the body’s defenses (the immune response).
The smallest blood vessels. Capillaries are the sites of gas, nutrient, and waste exchange between the blood and tissue cells.
Fragments of cells involved in blood clotting.
type of blood cell specialized for carrying oxygen.
Table
2
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Describe the main components of human blood and what each component does.

18.

Match the following definitions to the blood component.

Essential to cell survival
Liquid composed of water and protein
Lack a nucleus, carry oxygen
Involved in immune response
Waste product excreted by cells
Fragments of cells, involved in blood clotting
Table

2
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Explain how capillaries contribute to the overall function of blood.

21.

As oxygen-rich blood moves away from the heart, the vessels that it travels in get smaller and smaller until it reaches the capillaries, the smallest type of blood vessel. In a short paragraph, explain why capillaries are the destination for oxygenated blood and how their characteristics aid in the overall function of blood.
Capillaries, the smallest blood vessels, are found in every tissue in the body. They are thin walled, which aids in the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the tissue cells and the blood. The blood that flows through capillaries moves at a reduced rate (because of the small diameter of the vessel), which aids in nutrient and gas exchange by allowing time for this exchange. In summary, if you think of the circulatory system as a collection of roads, veins and arteries are like major multilane highways that can get you to the general area of your destination (like your foot), while capillaries are like the winding back roads that take you to individual houses (or cells). Capillaries allow the blood to (a) get to almost every cell in the body and (b) perform its function.

Review Questions

22.

Which is NOT a component of human blood?

A.
B.
C.
D.
2
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Driving Question 4

What is cardiovascular disease, and what are some of the risk factors for developing it?

Why should you care?

As stated previously, one in three deaths in the United States is caused by cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, it is likely that you will know, or already do know, someone who has had cardiovascular disease. With the obesity epidemic on the rise, so are the risk factors and prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Many of the risk factors that can lead to cardiovascular disease are preventable, especially when a successful prevention strategy is established early in life. It is important to know which risk factors are under your control and how to eliminate them from your life.

What should you know?

To fully answer this Driving Question, you should be able to:

  1. Describe some forms of cardiovascular disease or risk factors that can affect cardiovascular health.
  2. List and describe controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease and explain how each contributes to the development of disease.
  3. Compare and contrast the two forms of cholesterol in the blood and how an excess of one may lead to cardiovascular disease.
  4. Describe some preventive measures that lower an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease.

Infographic Focus

The Infographics most pertinent to the Driving Question are 27.1, 27.4, and 27.7 to 27.9.

Test Your Vocabulary

Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:

Term Definition
The overall pressure in blood vessels, expressed as the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure.
A disease process that restricts blood flow through arteries; also known as hardening of the arteries.
A form of cholesterol and protein in the blood that contributes to cardiovascular disease.
A restriction of blood flow to the heart, resulting in damage to the heart muscle.
A form of cholesterol and protein that is protective.
A disease of the heart or blood vessels or both.
The pressure in arteries when the ventricle is relaxed.
A lipid that is transported in the blood by specialized proteins.
disease characterized by chronically elevated levels of blood sugar.
Raised fatty deposits that accumulate inside arteries, limiting the flow of blood.
The pressure in arteries at the time the ventricle contracts.
A disruption in blood supply to the brain.
Anything (e.g., a behavior or exposure) that increases the probability of developing a disease.
Elevated (high) blood pressure.
The detectable force of blood entering arteries, e.g. the neck or wrist.
Table
2
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Incorrect.

Describe some forms of cardiovascular disease or risk factors that can affect cardiovascular health.

25.

The following is a list of common cardiovascular diseases or risk factors that can affect cardiovascular health. Next to each, list the definition, biological manifestation of the disease and the organ(s) or component(s) the disease affects. The first entry is filled out for reference.

Disease Definition Biological Manifestation Organ(s) or Component(s) Affected
Heart Attack Event that occurs when the heart muscle does not receive a steady or sufficient blood flow, causing damage. Typically caused by built-up fatty deposits (plaques) in the coronary arteries. Heart, coronary arteries
Stroke

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Hypertension

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High Cholesterol

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Atherosclerosis

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List and describe controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease and explain how each contributes to the development of disease.

26.

What is a controllable risk factor?
A controllable risk factor is a known risk factor for a disease that an individual can avoid. For example, being overweight can lead to many diseases, but body weight can be controlled through exercise and diet.

Compare and contrast the two forms of cholesterol and discuss how an excess of one may lead to cardiovascular disease.

30.

What is the difference between LDL and HDL?
The main difference between these two forms of cholesterol is the protein that they bind to (either low density or high density). LDL is carried to body cells and can be deposited in the blood vessels. HDL is processed in the liver and eliminated from the body.

Describe some preventive measures that lower an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease.

33.

For each of the risk factors, describe preventive measures that may reduce an individual’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Obesity:
none

Smoking:
none

High LDL:
none

High blood pressure:
none

Review Questions

35.

Which is NOT an example of cardiovascular disease?

A.
B.
C.
D.
2
Try again.
Correct.
Incorrect.

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