Test your knowledge – Questions: Chapter 13

Transport in Animals

1. Describe and explain how coronary heart disease (CHD) can be treated. [6]

2. One possible effect of too much fat in the diet is coronary heart disease.
Describe how too much fat in the diet may cause coronary heart disease. [6]
3. Name the components of human blood and explain how each component
carries out its function. [6]
4. Fig. 4.1 is a cross section of the heart to show the internal structure.

A B

H C

G D

E
F

Fig. 4.1

(a) Identify the blood vessels labelled A to H. [8]

(b) The mammalian circulatory system is described as closed and double.

What is meant by closed blood system and double circulatory system? [4]

(c) Name the type of muscle found in the walls of the heart chambers. [1]

(d) Name the process that creates pressure inside the heart chambers. [1]

(e) One heart beat takes 0,8 seconds. State the heart rate in beats per minute.
[1]
5. Fig. 5.1 shows an external view of a human heart as seen from the front.

pulmonary artery B

pulmonary vein
A
C
X
left ventricle

Fig. 5.1

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 (a) Name the structures A, B and C. [3]

(b) Suggest the consequences of a blockage at point X as shown on the diagram.

[3]
(c) The muscles in the walls of the ventricles contract and relax rhythmically.
(i) Describe how contraction of the muscles in the wall of the left ventricle affects
the blood inside the ventricle. [2]

(ii) State how contraction of the muscles in the wall of the left ventricle affects the
valve between the left atrium and the left ventricle. [1]

(d) Describe two differences between the contents of a pulmonary artery and a
pulmonary vein. [2]

(e) Describe two differences between the structure of the wall of a pulmonary artery
and the wall of a pulmonary vein. [2]

6. Fig. 6.1 gives information about the relative thickness of the walls of three chambers
of the heart:

• left ventricle
• right ventricle
• right atrium

thickness /
mm

chamber D chamber E chamber F

Fig. 6.1

(a) State which of these chambers is identified by the letters D, E and F. [3]

(b) Explain, with reference to its function, why the wall of chamber F is much thicker
than the walls of chambers D and E. [3]

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7. Fig. 7.1 shows an artery lying on the surface of living heart muscle as seen by an
instrument called an endoscope. The lumen of the artery has become narrowed at the
point labelled X.

Fig. 7.1

(a) Name the artery shown in Fig. 7.1. [1]

(b) Explain how the lumen of the artery has become narrowed at point X. [5]

8. A blockage (atheroma) can grow to a point where it restricts blood flow in a coronary
artery, causing coronary heart disease (CHD).
Figure 8.1 shows a method of reducing the symptoms of CHD.
A stent is a tubular device, containing a ‘balloon’, which can be inserted into the
damaged artery. The stent can be opened up by inflating the balloon.

coronary artery blockage

stent balloon the balloon is gently the balloon is then

inflated and the stent let down and
expands removed, leaving the
stent in position

Fig. 8.1

(a) Explain how the inserted stent would reduce the symptoms of CHD. [4]

(b) Apart from a stent, suggest how doctors might treat a patient with narrowing of
the coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle. [2]

(c) Suggest four pieces of advice that a doctor might give to such a patient to try to
reduce the likelihood of further narrowing of the arteries. [4]

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9. Obesity is one of the risk factors that increases the chance of coronary heart disease
(CHD).
Explain how poor diet and obesity can affect the health of the heart. [7]

10. Fig. 10.1 shows how different parts of blood help a clot to form when tissue is
damaged.

skin surface area of damaged tissue

mesh
of fibrin

platelet B
red blood cells
Fig. 10.1

(a) Identify structure A and cell B. [2]

(b) During blood clotting, platelets need to be activated to release a specific enzyme.
Name two substances involved in activation of platelets. [2]
(c) The enzyme released by platelets causes soluble fibrinogen to form an insoluble
fibrin mesh. Outline the roles of fibrin and red blood cells in blood clotting. [2]
(d) Describe two reasons why blood clotting is important. [2]

11. Figure 11.1 represents a transverse section of an artery and a vein.

endothelial

artery vein
Fig. 11.1

(a) Draw a line to show the relative position of the endothelium of the vein. [2]

(b) State two other ways in which the wall of an artery is different from the wall
of a vein. [2]

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 12. Fig. 12.1 is a drawing of an alveolus together with an associated blood capillary.

epithelium of
endothelium alveolus
of capillary
alveolar air space

red blood cell

plasma

Fig. 12.1

(a) Oxygen diffuses from the alveolus into the red blood cell. Red blood cells carry
oxygen around the body in the bloodstream.

(i) Name the compound in red blood cells that combines with oxygen. [1]

(ii) Name the metal ion required for the formation of the compound in (i). [1]

(iii) In the red blood cells, the oxygen is picked up by this compound.
State and explain how three features of red blood cells, other than the
presence of this compound, make them efficient in collection of oxygen
and its transport to the tissues. [6]

(b) The line A – B in Fig. 12.1 represents an actual distance of 1.5µm.

Calculate the magnification of the drawing. Show your working. [2]

(c) In addition to the red blood cells shown in Fig. 12.1, various types of white blood
cell can be found in the blood system. Some of these white blood cells are
lymphocytes.
Describe one feature that would allow you to identify a white blood cell as a
lymphocyte when viewed under a light microscope. [1]

13. Fig. 13.1 shows drawings of human blood cells as seen using a light microscope.

A B
platelet

D C

Fig. 13.1

(a) Cell type B is a white blood cell. Name this type of white blood cell, giving a reason
for your identification. [2]

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 (b) The part labelled C in Fig. 13.1 is the liquid part of blood.

(i) Name this liquid part of blood, and state four substances transported in it.
[5]
(ii) Name two mineral ions which may be found in liquid C, and for each ion, state
its function in blood. [2]

(c) Blood cell A is a red blood cell.

(i) State the function of red blood cells. [1]

(ii) Use your knowledge of the structure of this cell to explain why it appears to be
more lightly coloured at its centre than at its edge. [2]

(iii) State what will happen to the numbers of red blood cells if a person spends a
long time at high altitude (high above sea level). [1]

(iv) Explain the significance of this change in red blood cell numbers. [5]

(d) Platelets are responsible for the formation of a blood clot when the blood vessels in
the skin are broken.

(i) State two ways how blood clotting is important when the blood vessels in
the skin is broken. [2]

(ii) Why is it important that clotting occurs only when a blood vessel is cut or
damaged? [1]

14. Fig. 14.1 gives information about the blood pressure in various parts of the
mammalian blood system.

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 Fig 14.1
(a) With reference to Fig. 14.1,
(i) describe the changes in blood pressure in the arteries; [2]
(ii) explain the changes in the arteries you have described; [2]
(iii) suggest why it is important that the blood pressure drops steeply in the
arterioles. [2]
(b) Fig. 14.1 shows that blood pressure is at its lowest in the veins. Explain how blood
at low pressure is returned to the heart. [4]
(c) (i) Explain why blood contains more protein than tissue fluid. [1]
(ii) State three further ways in which blood differs from tissue fluid. [3]

15. Fig. 15.1 shows two blood vessels, X and Y, in transverse (cross) section.

connective tissue

X Y

Fig. 15.1
(a) State which of the blood vessels, X or Y, is a vein. Give three reasons
for your choice. [3]
(b) Fig. 15.2 gives information about the blood pressure in various parts of the
mammalian blood system.

Fig. 15.2

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 (i) Calculate the drop in blood pressure in section J of Fig. 15.2. Show your
working. [2]
(ii) Calculate the drop in blood pressure from the start of region K to the end of
region M. Show your working. [2]
(iii) Explain what brings about the drop in pressure between K and M. [2]
(iv) Explain why it is important that the pressure in region L is not as great as the
pressure in region J. [2]
(v) State which section, J to N, of Fig. 15.2 shows the pressure in the veins. [1]
(c) Fig. 15.3 shows the structure of part of a capillary.

diameter 8 µm

Fig. 15.3

(i) State which of the regions J to N on Fig. 15.2 represents the capillaries. [1]
(ii) Select two structural features of capillaries and explain how each feature helps
with the exchange of materials between the blood and the tissue fluid. [4]

16. Fig. 16.1 shows a simplified diagram of how tissue fluid is formed and how it
returns to the blood circulation.

lymph vessel
capillary

blood plasma lymph

tissue fluid
Fig. 16.1

(a) Shortly explain the difference between blood plasma, tissue fluid and lymph. [3]
(b) The excess fluid from the tissues drains into the lymphatic system. This fluid
returns to the blood through a vein, which leads to the right atrium.
(i) Name two substances that are likely to be present in greater quantities in the
lymph than in blood plasma. In each case, state a reason for the greater
quantity. [4]
(ii) Suggest why the return of lymph to the circulation might present a problem if a
person had a diet that is too high in fat. [1]

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(c) Some components of the blood flowing through the capillaries move out into the
spaces between the cells.
(i) Apart from plasma, name another blood component that moves out of the
capillaries. [1]
(ii) Name two components of the blood that do not move out through the capillary
walls. [2]
(iii) Name four transported substances that would move out of the blood into the
tissues. [4]

17. Outline the functions of the lymphatic system. [3]