Year 10 - Physical education
A practical exploration of the pathway of blood
Anatomy and physiology: the cardio-respiratory system
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit will examine the structure and function of both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It includes the correct anatomical names and location of different chambers, valves and blood vessels as well as the pathway of air through to the alveoli and how gaseous exchange occurs.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to demonstrate your knowledge of the pathway of blood through the heart and around the body.
Key Notes
- Deoxygenated blood travels from the body through the vena cava into the right atrium then down to the right ventricle.
- From the right ventricle blood is pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs for oxygenation.
- The pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium, then to the left ventricle.
- From the left ventricle blood is pumped out through the aorta to be distributed throughout the body.
- Valves in the heart prevent the backflow of blood.
Vocabulary To Learn
- atria: the upper chambers of the heart. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood and the left receives oxygenated blood
- ventricle: the lower chambers of the heart that receive blood from the atria before pumping it out to the body/lungs
- valve: structural feature that prevents backflow of blood
- oxygenation: the process of adding oxygen to a system, such as the bloodstream or muscle tissue
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils think deoxygenated blood at the muscle tissue goes straight to the lungs rather than via the heart first (i.e. they forget they need to go through the heart twice).
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Deoxygenated blood travels from the body through the vena cava into the right atrium then down to the right ventricle. From the right ventricle blood is pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs for oxygenation.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'atria'
the upper chambers of the heart. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood and the left receives oxygenated blood.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Pupils think deoxygenated blood at the muscle tissue goes straight to the lungs rather than via the heart first (i.e. they forget they need to go through the heart twice). Correction: Remind pupils the heart is a double circulatory pump consisting of a pulmonary and a systemic loop. Without this, blood pressure would be too low on return from the legs to efficiently get blood to the lungs for oxygenation.
More Lessons In This Unit
- A practical exploration of how the cardio-respiratory systems work together Study Guide
- Air pathway from the atmosphere to alveoli and gaseous exchange Study Guide
- Blood vessels and blood cells Study Guide
- Blood vessels, blood cells and the vascular shunt Study Guide
- Double circulatory system and structure of the heart Study Guide
- Mechanics of breathing and interpretation of a spirometer trace Study Guide
- Structure of the cardiovascular system Study Guide
- The cardiac cycle Study Guide
- The mechanics of breathing Study Guide
- The relationship between heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output Study Guide
- The structure of the heart Study Guide
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