Form Three Science: Chapter Two c.
Semi-lunar valves
BLOOD CIRCULATION
AND TRANSPORT
Things to learnt in this chapter:
1. State the function of the heart and identify the
structure of the human heart.
2. Illustrate the path of the blood flow in the circulatory
system in the transport of substances.
3. Compare and contrast the structures of arteries,
veins and capillaries.
4. State the constituents of blood and their functions.
5. Match the blood group of the donor to that of the
recipient.
6. Describe the functions and identify the location of
the xylem and the phloem.
7. Discuss the role of transpiration and the factors that
affect transpiration.
2.1 The transport system in human.
HEART
1. The human heart is situated in the thorax, behind the
chest bone and between the lungs.
2. The main function of the heart is to pump the blood
throughout the whole body. This is to enable the
necessary substances to carry to the various organs
and the waste substances be carried to the excretory
organs.
3. The heart is slightly conical in shape and its position
is its apex slants towards the left.
4. The human heart is divided into four chambers, in
the middle by a muscular wall called septum, and
two valves (tricuspid and bicuspid valves) separating
top and bottom positions.
5. The top right chamber is called right atrium and the
bottom right chamber is called right ventricle. (So as
the left side, left atrium and left ventricle).
6. The septum prevents the oxygenated and
deoxygenated blood from mixing.
7. The presence of valves is to prevent blood flowing
from ventricles to the atria.
8. The atria have thinner walls as they only pump
blood from atria to the ventricles, which is very near.
The ventricle walls are thicker because they have to
pump the blood much harder so that the blood flow
to the whole body
9. When compared to the right ventricle wall, the left
ventricle wall is thicker because it has to pump the
blood to the whole body whereas the right one only
has to pump blood to the lungs which is a shorter
distance away.
10. The valves:
a. Tricuspid valve – between right atrium and right
ventricle
b. Bicuspid valve – between left atrium and left
ventricle
F3Sc, Chapter 2: Blood Circulation and Transport
☺ between the left ventricle and the aortic arch,
and between right ventricle and the
pulmonary arch – function – to prevent the
blood to flow back into the heart when
ventricles relax.
☺ In the veins (see later notes) – to prevent back
flow of the blood.
Blood circulation
1. The body tissues use up oxygen and turn blood into
deoxygenated blood.
2. The blood returns to the heart via two routes:
a. the one from the upper body will enter the heart
through superior or anterior vena cava
b. the one from the lower body will enter the heart
through inferior or posterior vena cava.
3. The blood from vena cava enters the heart into the
right atrium. When it is filled up with blood, it
contracts and forces the blood into the right ventricle,
via the tricuspid valve.
4. The right ventricle then contracts when it is full, which
happens immediately after the contraction of atrium.
5. When ventricle contracts, the pressure in it builds up
and eventually forces the closure of tricuspid valve.
The high pressure in the ventricle forces the blood out
through semi-lunar valve into the pulmonary arch,
later to the lungs.
6. Gaseous exchange occurs in the lungs and the blood
returns to the heart via pulmonary veins, carrying the
oxygenated blood. (Processes 3, 4, 5 & 6 collectively
called pulmonary circulation)
7. The oxygenated blood enters the left atrium, to be
pumped into the left ventricle via bicuspid valve when
the left atrium contracts.
8. When the left ventricle contracts, the pressure in it
builds up in the left ventricle causes the bicuspid valve
to close and the blood is forced open the semi-lunar
valve and rushed into the aortic arch. (Processes 8 and
9 are collectively known as systemic circulation)
9. When the ventricle relaxes , the pressures in both the
ventricles become lower. The semi-lunar valves close,
preventing the blood from the pulmonary artery and
aorta from flowing back into the ventricles.
Blood vessels
1. There are three types of blood vessels in human body,
artery, capillary and vein.
2. Arteries:
a. Most of our body’s oxygenated blood is carried
through arteries except pulmonary artery.
b. All of them have thick, muscular and elastic wall
so that they can withstand high blood pressure
when the heart pumps.
c. The small lumen of these vessels makes the blood
that flows through always maintain high pressure.
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 d. Because of muscular and elastic nature, these 5. Pulse rate is used to measure a person’s heartbeat.
vessels can constrict and dilate easily. 6. A pulse is detected when ventricle contracts, forcing
3. Veins the tricuspid and bicuspid valves to close and produce
a. Most of our body’s deoxygenated blood is a sound “lub”.
carried through veins except pulmonary vein. 7. When the ventricles relax, blood in the pulmonary
b. Compared to arteries, vein’s walls are not as artery and aorta try to rush back to the ventricles. It is
thick and their lumen are not as small, because this moment that semi-lunar valves close and produce
they do not have to withstand high blood another sound, “dub”.
pressure.
c. All the veins have small semi-lunar valve to Role of blood circulatory system
ensure the blood flows in one direction only.
4. Capillaries: 1. The circulatory system of our body carries substances
a. All capillaries are one cell thick. The cells are from one part of our body to another, for each specific
flattened, to be as thin as possible. function of our body.
b. This allows the materials in the blood to be 2. For a human being, circulatory system provides the
easily exchanged with the surrounding tissues. following functions to us:
c. The plasma from the capillaries can pass a. Transportation
through the capillary wall or pores into the b. Regulation of body system and condition
spaces between the tissue cells, forming the c. Protection against microorganisms.
tissue fluid. 3. Transportation:
d. The content of the tissue fluid is almost identical a. Oxygen from lungs to tissues:
to the content of the blood except it has no i. In the lungs (alveolus), oxygen combines with
plasma proteins, red blood cells, blood platelets haemoglobin in the erythrocytes, forming
and certain hormones. oxyhaemoglobin.
e. The capillaries joint the artery to the vein. ii. When these blood cells reach our tissues, the
oxyhaemoglobin break down into oxygen and
haemoglobin.
Items Artery Capillary Vein iii. Oxygen diffuses into the tissues leaving
Cross- haemoglobin in the blood.
section iv. The colour of oxygenated blood is bright red
while the one with deoxygenated blood is
purplish red.
b. Carbon dioxide from tissues to the lungs.
i. At the tissues the concentration of carbon
Lumen Narrow Very narrow Fairly wide
dioxide is very high (??)
Wall Thick One-cell Relatively
thick thin ii. The gas diffuses into the blood and got
Muscle Thick None Relatively carried to the lungs by two main ways:
layer thin - (20%) combines with haemoglobins to
Elasticity High No Low form carbominohaemoglobin, to be
Blood flow From the Artery to To the heart carried to the lungs and later dissociate,
heart vein with carbon dioxide diffuses into the
Pressure High Very low Low alveolus.
Speed of Very fast Very slow Slow - (60%) Diffuses into the plasma (through)
blood flow RBC and combine with the bicarbonate
Type of Oxygenated Both Deoxygenated ions there, forming sodium bicarbonate
blood
and potassium bicarbonate. These
Valve No No Yes
molecules are carried to the lung where
they dissociate and carbon dioxide is got
Heartbeats
rid of into the alveolus.
c. Nitrogenous wastes produced in the metabolic and
1. Normally a person’s heartbeat is 70 times per
physiological processes are carried to the
minute.
excretory organs (kidney and skin) to be excreted.
2. The heartbeat can vary according to external or
d. Hormones secreted in an organ is transported to a
internal factors.
specific target by the blood.
3. When a person is at rest, his heartbeat is low.
e. Heat from the warm part of the body to the colder
4. On the other hand, if vigorous activity is carried out,
part.
the heartbeat increases, to supply tissues with
4. Regulation of body system and conditions.
oxygen and necessary substances as well as carry
a. Our body have to be in a balanced and specific
away their waste products.
condition so that they can function well.
F3Sc, Chapter 2: Blood Circulation and Transport 2
 b. The blood circulation helps to detect any
changes in the body condition, such as pH,
temperature, amount of certain ions, etc.
c. The changed are then analysed by our central
nervous system and necessary changes will be
made to correct and accommodate the changes
found. Eg:
Temperature Body makes Temperature
drops changes
Normal
condition condition
Temperature Body makes Temperature
rises changes
Temperature regulation of a man.
5. Protection against microorganisms.
a. The blood carries white blood cells which can
help us in body defense by:
i. destroy the microorganisms, engulfing them
before digesting them
ii. producing antibodies which destroy the
microorganisms.
b. Blood contains platelets which helps the wounds
to clog, thus preventing the microorganisms
from entering the body.
Importance of a healthy heart.
1. The heart is one of the few important organs in our
body. (the others are liver and the brain)
2. A healthy and strong heart helps to provide
necessary materials and substances to our tissues and
organs and eliminates their wastes.
3. Therefore a weak heart will bring about various
illness which may eventually ends in death.
4. A healthy and strong heart can be achieved by:
a. avoiding smoking
b. reducing intake of fatty foods
c. having frequent physical activities (jogging)
d. maintaining a moderate body weight
e. avoiding alcoholic drinks
f. cutting down of mental and emotional stress
g. consuming balanced diets
2.2 The Human Blood
1. Basically human blood consists of 2 components:
Cells and plasma.
2. The plasma:
a. Colour: Pale-yellow liquid
b. Make up approximately 55% of blood by
volume
c. By content, it is 90% water.
F3Sc, Chapter 2: Blood Circulation and Transport
d. Other constituent: Dissolved materials, hormones,
food substances, excretory products, antibodies,
plasma proteins, etc.
e. Function: Transportation.
3. Cells: Consists of red blood cells (erythrocytes), white
blood cells (leucocytes) and platelets.
4. Normally, in 1 mm3 of human blood, there will be 5
million erythrocytes, 7 to 8 thousands of leucocytes
and 250 000 platelets.
rises 5. Erythrocytes
a. Production: Bone marrows.
b. Life span: app. 120 days.
Normal c. Structure: Biconcave disc, diameter 8 µm and
width 2 µm.
d. When old, it is destroyed by liver and spleen
e. Contains no nucleus
f. Function: Transport of respiratory gases.
drops g. Structure and functions:
i. Biconcave – provide the largest surface
area for the diffusion of gases.
ii. No nucleus – provide the largest space for
housing haemoglobin
iii. Contains haemoglobin.
6. Leucocytes:
a. Production: Bone marrows and lymph nodes
b. Life span: 2 days to 6 months
c. Structure: Irregular shape
d. When old, it is destroyed by liver and spleen
e. Contains looped of rounded nucleus
f. Function: Kill (engulf microorganisms and
releasing antibodies)
g. Structure and function: Irregular shape – able to
move into small spaces to kill microorganisms.
7. Platelets:
a. Production: Bone marrows.
b. Life span: Less than one week.
c. Contain no nucleus
d. Function: Helps in clotting of blood at wounds.
** Suggestion: Make a chart to summarise the shape, production site,
life span and functions of the various human blood constituents.
Blood Groups
1. Human blood can be classified into 4 main groups, O,
A, B and AB.
2. Each type of blood has its type of antibodies as well as
its own antigen on its erythrocytes.
Blood group Antigen Antibody
A A Anti-b
B B Anti-a
AB A and B None
O None Anti-a and anti-b
3. If blood with antigen A is mixed with blood with
antibody anti-a, the two will react and agglutination
will occur which may result in blood clogging.
4. So a person with blood group A can only donate his
blood to a person either with blood group A or AB.
5. From the above chart, we can create another chart:
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 Blood group Donate to Receive from
A A and AB A and O
B A and AB B and O
AB AB A,B,AB and O
O A,B,AB and O O
6. From the above chart we can conclude that AB
blood group can receive blood from all the other
donors, hence they are termed as universal acceptors
or universal recipient.
7. We also can conclude that blood group O can donate
blood to all the other blood groups, hence, universal
donor.

The importance of blood donation

1. Donate blood can help people overcome difficulties

such as in an operation.
2. Donate blood is noble and we should adopt a
positive attitude towards blood donation.
3. Since our body produces blood cells so it isn’t
dangerous to donate blood. It doesn’t bring about
any ill effects.
4. Situation which need blood badly:
a. major surgeries
b. to replace blood lost due to accidents
c. to make blood constituents like RBC, plasma
and platelets
d. for children suffering from thalassaemia
(bleeding disorder)
e. for mother suffering from childbirth
complication
f. for patients with anaemia and leukemia
g. to help control blood clot
5. To encourage blood donation, more campaigns and
education have to be done so that the public will
come forward to give their helping hands.

F3Sc, Chapter 2: Blood Circulation and Transport 4