Capillaries are the smallest of all blood vessels and form the connection between veins and arteries. As arteries branch and divide into arterioles and continue to reduce in size as they reach the muscle they become capillaries. Here the capillaries form a capillary bed, which is a vast expanse of very small vessels forming a network throughout the […]
Veins are blood vessels that carry deoxygenated (or very low levels of oxygen) blood back to the heart. The exception to this rule is the pulmonary vein, which carries oxygenated blood, from the lungs, back to the heart, ready to be pumped around the rest of the body. Venous return At the tissue level, capillaries drain blood
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The heartbeat is caused by impulses arising from two specialised groups of cells within the heart muscle. The Sino-Atrial (SA) node, situated in the wall of the right atrium initiates the beat, and the Atrioventricular (AV) node which is positioned between the ventricles and continues to distribute the wave of impulses. The heartbeat There are
The cardiac conduction system refers to how electrical impulses enable the heart to beat. The heart is unique in that it never tires and is able to generate its own electrical impulses without the need for stimulation from the central nervous system. On average the heart beats approximately 70 beats per minute. Skeletal muscles need
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The heart is a strong, powerful organ, consisting of cardiac muscle. The heart pumps continuously, without resting and without becoming fatigued. Its function is to pump blood to the lungs and around the body. The heart is one of the key organs in the Circulatory System. Anatomy of the heart The heart consists of four chambers and
The function of the circulatory system is to transport blood around the body. It consists of the heart and blood vessels. The main organ of the circulatory system is the Human Heart. The other main parts of the circulatory system include the Arteries, Arterioles, Capillaries, Venules, Veins, and Blood. The lungs also play a major part in the pulmonary circulation system. The function
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Cellular Respiration is the process that takes place in cells to convert food into energy. Here we explain the key terms ATP, ADP, and the formula for cellular respiration. Stored in muscles as ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the body converts molecules of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen into energy. Formula for cellular respiration When your body needs
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Oxygen debt is the oxygen your body needs to recover after anaerobic exercise. It is more than just the oxygen you needed whilst exercising because it takes energy to replace the oxygen deficit. When you have a short intense burst of exercise such as sprinting you generate energy for this anaerobically, or without oxygen. When
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Exercise affects the circulatory system, respiratory system, and muscles. Short-term effects occur immediately as we begin to exercise. Long-term effects are more concerned with adaptive changes over time with regular exercise. Short-term effects of exercise When we begin to exercise the body has to respond to the change in activity level in order to maintain a
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When you begin to exercise your body must immediately adjust to the change in activity level. Energy production must increase to meet demand. As a result, the predominant energy system and fuel source used changes throughout the exercise in order to maintain the required level of performance. Responses to anaerobic exercise In order to immediately
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