LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

QUARTER: 4th/ SEMESTER: 2nd/ WEEK: 4

Name: _______________________________________________ Score: _______

Grade & Section: _________________________ Subject: GENERAL BIOLOGY 2
Name of Teacher: _________________________________ Date: _____________

I. Title: Transport/Circulation in Plants and Animals

II. Type of Activity: Concept notes with formative activities
LAS for summative assessment ( Written Work Performance Task)

III. MELC: Compare and contrast the following processes in plants and animals:
reproduction, development, nutrition, gas exchange, transport/circulation,
regulation of body fluids, chemical and nervous control, immune systems, and
sensory and motor mechanisms (STEM_BIO11/12-IVa-h-1).
IV. Learning Objective/s:

 Identify the organs for the transport/circulation in plants and animals.

 Trace the transport/circulation in plants and animals.
 Show appreciation of the importance of transport/circulation in the plant
and animal physiology.
V. Reference/s:
Online Resource/s:
Bite Size (2021). Transport in plants. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk
/bitesize/guides/zps82hv/revision/3.
Johnson S. (2020). The Transport System of Plants & Animals. Retrieved
from https://sciencing.com/part-nephron-responsible-reabsorption-
water-8515890.html.
OpenStax Biology (2018). Animal Circulatory Systems. Retrieved from
https://organismalbio.biosci.gatech.edu/nutrition-transport-and-
homeostasis /animal-circulatory-systems/.
VI. Concept Notes
TRANSPORT/CIRCULATION IN PLANTS AND ANIMALS

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 The circulatory system is the method of transport in plants and animals.
Animals must have nutrients and oxygen reach every cell in their body. Plants must
have nutrients and carbon dioxide reach every cell in their “body.”

Both plants and animals must

also have waste products removed from
their systems. The circulatory system is
how these things are carried around the
living organism. 

Transport in Plants

Xylem moves water from roots to

the leaves, and phloem moves food from
the leaves to the rest of the plant. During
transpiration water evaporates from the
leaves and draws water from the roots.

Xylem and Phloem

Plants have tissues to transport

water, nutrients and minerals.

Xylem transports water and mineral salts from the roots up to other parts of
the plant, while phloem transports sucrose and amino acids between the leaves and
other parts of the plant.

This table explains what is transported by the xylem and phloem:

Tissue What is moved Process

Xylem Water and minerals Transpiration stream

Phloem Sucrose and amino acids Translocation

Xylem
Mature xylem consists of elongated dead cells, arranged end to end to form
continuous vessels (tubes).

Mature xylem vessels:

 contain no cytoplasm
 are impermeable to water 
 have tough walls containing a woody material called lignin

Phloem

Phloem consists of living cells arranged end to end. Unlike xylem, phloem
vessels contain cytoplasm, and this goes through holes from one cell to the next. It

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transports sucrose and amino acids up and down the plant. This is
called translocation. In general, this happens between where these substances are
made (the sources) and where they are used or stored (the sinks).

This means, for example, that sucrose is transported:

 from sources in the root to sinks in the leaves in spring time
 from sources in the leaves to sinks in the root in the summer

Applied chemicals, such as pesticides, also move through the plant by

translocation.

Vascular bundles
Xylem and phloem tissues are found in groups called vascular bundles. The
position of these bundles varies in different parts of the plant. In a leaf, for example,
the phloem is usually found closer to the lower surface.

Root
Xylem vessels are tough and strong, so the vascular bundles are in the center
of the root to resist forces that could pull the plant out of the ground.

Stem
The stem must resist compression (squashing) and bending forces caused by
the plant’s weight and the wind. The vascular bundles are arranged near the edge of
the stem, with the phloem on the outside and the xylem on the inside.

Transpiration stream
Transpiration is the evaporation of water at the surfaces of the spongy
mesophyll cells in leaves, followed by loss of water vapor through the stomata. It
produces a tension or ‘pull’ on the water in the xylem vessels by the leaves. Water
molecules are cohesive, so water is pulled up through the plant.
The transpiration stream has several functions. These include:
 transporting mineral ions
 providing water to keep cells turgid in order to support the plant
 providing water to leaf cells for photosynthesis
 keeping the leaves cool by evaporation

Root Hair Cells

The root hairs are where most water

absorption happens. They are long and thin so
they can penetrate between soil particles, and
they have a large surface area for absorption of
water.
Water passes from the soil water to the
root hair cell’s cytoplasm by osmosis. This
happens because the soil water has a
higher water potential than the root hair cell
cytoplasm:

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 Solution Water potential Concentration of dissolved solutes
Soil water High Low
Root hair cell cytoplasm Low High
Transport in Animals

Types of Circulatory Systems

To transport nutrients and gases through the body. Simple diffusion allows
some water, nutrient, waste, and gas exchange in animals that are only a few cell
layers thick; however, bulk flow is the only method by which the entire body of larger,
more complex organisms is accessed.
Circulatory System Architecture
The circulatory system is effectively a network of cylindrical vessels: the
arteries, veins, and capillaries that emanate from a pump, the heart. In all vertebrate
organisms, as well as some invertebrates, this is a closed-loop system, in which the
blood is not free in a cavity. In a closed circulatory system, blood is contained inside
blood vessels and circulates unidirectionally from the heart around the systemic
circulatory route, then returns to the heart again.
As opposed to a closed system, arthropods– including insects, crustaceans,
and most mollusks– have an ‘open’ circulatory system. In an open circulatory
system, the blood is not enclosed in blood vessels but is pumped into an open cavity
called a hemocoel and is called hemolymph because the blood mixes with
the interstitial fluid. As the heart beats and the animal moves, the hemolymph
circulates around the organs within the body cavity and then reenters the hearts
through openings called ostia. This movement allows for nutrient exchange, and in
some organisms lacking direct gas exchange sites, a basic mechanism to transport
gasses beyond the exchange site. Because the gas exchange in many open-
circulatory systems tends to be relatively low for metabolically active organs and
tissues, a tradeoff exists between this system and the much more energy-
consuming, harder-to-maintain closed system.
In (a) closed circulatory systems, the heart
pumps blood through vessels that are
separate from the interstitial fluid of the body.
Most vertebrates and some invertebrates, like
this annelid earthworm, have a closed
circulatory system. In (b) open circulatory
systems, a fluid called hemolymph is pumped
through a blood vessel that empties into the
body cavity. Hemolymph returns to the blood
vessel through openings called ostia.
Arthropods like this bee and most mollusks
have open circulatory systems.
 
Circulatory System Variation in Animals
The circulatory system varies from simple systems in invertebrates to more
complex systems in vertebrates. The simplest animals, such as the sponges
(Porifera) and rotifers (Rotifera), do not need a circulatory system because diffusion
allows adequate exchange of water, nutrients, and waste, as well as dissolved
gases. Organisms that are more complex but still only have two layers of cells in
their body plan, such as jellies (Cnidaria) and comb jellies (Ctenophora) also use

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diffusion through their epidermis and internally through the gastrovascular
compartment. Both their internal and external tissues are bathed in an aqueous
environment and exchange fluids by diffusion on both sides. Exchange of fluids is
assisted by the pulsing of the jellyfish body.

Simple animals consisting of a single cell layer such as

the (a) sponge or only a few cell layers such as the (b)
jellyfish do not have a circulatory system. Instead,
gases, nutrients, and wastes are exchanged by diffusion.
 
For more complex organisms, diffusion is
not efficient for cycling gases, nutrients, and
waste effectively through the body; therefore,
more complex circulatory systems evolved. In
an open system, an elongated beating heart
pushes the hemolymph through the body and
muscle contractions help to move fluids. The
larger more complex crustaceans, including lobsters, have developed arterial-like
vessels to push blood through their bodies, and the most active mollusks, such as
squids, have evolved a closed circulatory system and are able to move rapidly to
catch prey. Closed circulatory systems are a characteristic of vertebrates; however,
there are significant differences in the structure of the heart and the circulation of
blood between the different vertebrate groups due to adaptation during evolution and
associated differences in anatomy. The figure below illustrates the basic circulatory
systems of some vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.

(a) Fish have the simplest

circulatory systems of the
vertebrates: blood flows
unidirectionally from the two-
chambered heart through the
gills and then the rest of the
body. (b) Amphibians have
two circulatory routes: one for
oxygenation of the blood
through the lungs and skin,
and the other to take oxygen
to the rest of the body. The
blood is pumped from a
three-chambered heart with
two atria and a single
ventricle. (c) Reptiles also
have two circulatory routes;
however, blood is only
oxygenated through the
lungs. The heart is three
chambered, but the ventricles
are partially separated so
some mixing of oxygenated
and deoxygenated blood
occurs except in crocodilians
and birds. (d) Mammals and
birds have the most efficient
heart with four chambers that
separate the oxygenated and

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deoxygenated blood; it pumps only oxygenated blood through the body and deoxygenated blood to
the lungs.
Fish have a single circuit for blood flow and a two-chambered heart that has
only a single atrium and a single ventricle. The atrium collects blood that has
returned from the body and the ventricle pumps the blood to the gills where gas
exchange occurs and the blood is re-oxygenated; this is called gill circulation. The
blood then continues through the rest of the body before arriving back at the atrium;
this is called systemic circulation. This unidirectional flow of blood produces a
gradient of oxygenated to deoxygenated blood around the fish’s systemic circuit.

The result is a limit in the amount of oxygen that can reach some of the
organs and tissues of the body, reducing the overall metabolic capacity of fish.

In amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, blood flow is directed in two

circuits: one through the lungs and back to the heart, which is called pulmonary
circulation, and the other throughout the rest of the body and its organs including the
brain (systemic circulation). In amphibians, gas exchange also occurs through the
skin during pulmonary circulation and is referred to as pulmocutaneous circulation.

Amphibians have a three-chambered heart that has two atria and one
ventricle rather than the two-chambered heart of fish. The two atria (superior heart
chambers) receive blood from the two different circuits (the lungs and the systems),
and then there is some mixing of the blood in the heart’s ventricle (inferior heart
chamber), which reduces the efficiency of oxygenation. The advantage to this
arrangement is that high pressure in the vessels pushes blood to the lungs and
body. The mixing is mitigated by a ridge within the ventricle that diverts oxygen-rich
blood through the systemic circulatory system and deoxygenated blood to the
pulmocutaneous circuit. For this reason, amphibians are often described as
having double circulation. Most reptiles also have a three-chambered heart like the
amphibian heart that directs blood to the pulmonary and systemic circuits. However,
the ventricle is divided more effectively by a partial septum, which results in less
mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.

Some reptiles (alligators and crocodiles) are the most “primitive” animals to
exhibit a four-chambered heart. Crocodilians have a unique circulatory mechanism
where the heart shunts blood from the lungs toward the stomach and other organs
during long periods of submergence, for instance, while the animal waits for prey or
stays underwater waiting for prey to rot. One adaptation includes two main arteries
that leave the same part of the heart: one takes blood to the lungs and the other
provides an alternate route to the stomach and other parts of the body. Two other
adaptations include a hole in the heart between the two ventricles, called the
foramen of Panizza, which allows blood to move from one side of the heart to the
other, and specialized connective tissue that slows the blood flow to the lungs.

In mammals and birds, the heart is divided completely into four chambers: two
atria and two ventricles. Oxygenated blood is fully separated from deoxygenated
blood, which improves the efficiency of double circulation and is probably required
for supporting the warm-blooded lifestyle of mammals and birds. The four-
chambered heart of birds and mammals evolved independently from a three-

6
chambered heart. The independent evolution of the same or a similar biological trait
is referred to as convergent evolution.
Function and Composition of Blood
Hemoglobin is responsible for distributing oxygen, and to a lesser extent,
carbon dioxide, throughout the circulatory systems of humans, vertebrates, and
many invertebrates. The blood is more than the proteins, though. Blood is a term
used to describe the liquid that moves through the vessels and includes plasma (the
liquid portion, which contains water, proteins, salts, lipids, and glucose) and the cells
(red and white cells) and cell fragments called platelets. Blood plasma is the
dominant component of blood and contains the water, proteins, electrolytes, lipids,
and glucose. The cells are responsible for carrying the gases (red cells) and immune
response (white). The platelets are responsible for blood clotting. Interstitial fluid that
surrounds cells is separate from the blood, but in hemolymph, they are combined. In
humans, cellular components make up approximately 45 percent of the blood and
the liquid plasma 55 percent. Blood is 20 percent of a person’s extracellular fluid and
eight percent of weight.

The Role of Blood in the Body

Blood, like the human blood illustrated below, is important for regulation of the
body’s systems and homeostasis. Blood helps maintain homeostasis by stabilizing
pH, temperature, osmotic pressure, and by eliminating excess heat. Blood supports
growth by distributing nutrients and hormones, and by removing waste. Blood plays
a protective role by transporting clotting factors and platelets to prevent blood loss
and transporting the disease-fighting agents or white blood cells to sites of infection.

The cells and cellular components of human blood

are shown. Red blood cells deliver oxygen to the
cells and remove carbon dioxide. White blood
cells— including neutrophils, monocytes,
lymphocytes, eosinophils, and basophils— are
involved in the immune response. Platelets form
clots that prevent blood loss after injury.
 

Red Blood Cells

Red blood cells, or erythrocytes (erythro- = “red”; -cyte = “cell”), are

specialized cells that circulate through the body delivering oxygen to cells; they are
formed from stem cells in the bone marrow. In mammals, red blood cells are small
biconcave cells that at maturity do not contain a nucleus or mitochondria and are
only 7-8 µm in size. In birds and non-avian reptiles, a nucleus is still maintained in
red blood cells.

The red coloring of blood comes from the iron-containing protein hemoglobin.
The principal job of this protein is to carry oxygen, but it also transports carbon
dioxide as well. Hemoglobin is packed into red blood cells at a rate of about 250
million molecules of hemoglobin per cell. Each hemoglobin molecule binds four

7
oxygen molecules so that each red blood cell carries one billion molecules of
oxygen.

Not all organisms use hemoglobin as the method of oxygen transport.

Invertebrates that utilize hemolymph rather than blood use different pigments to bind
to the oxygen. These pigments use copper or iron to the oxygen. Invertebrates have
a variety of other respiratory pigments. Hemocyanin, a blue-green, copper-containing
protein is found in mollusks, crustaceans, and some of the arthropods.
Chlorocruorin, a green-colored, iron-containing pigment is found in four families of
polychaete tubeworms. Hemerythrin, a red, iron-containing protein is found in some
polychaete worms and annelids. Despite the name, hemerythrin does not contain a
heme group and its oxygen-carrying capacity is poor compared to hemoglobin.

In most vertebrates, (a) hemoglobin delivers oxygen to the body and removes some carbon dioxide.
Hemoglobin is composed of four protein subunits, two alpha chains and two beta chains, and a
heme group that has iron associated with it. The iron reversibly associates with oxygen, and in so
doing is oxidized from Fe2+ to Fe3+. In most mollusks and some arthropods, (b) hemocyanin
delivers oxygen. Unlike hemoglobin, hemolymph is not carried in blood cells, but floats free in the
hemolymph. Copper instead of iron binds the oxygen, giving the hemolymph a blue-green color. In
annelids, such as the earthworm, and some other invertebrates, (c) hemerythrin carries oxygen.
Like hemoglobin, hemerythrin is carried in blood cells and has iron associated with it, but despite its
name, hemerythrin does not contain heme.

The small size and large surface area of red blood cells allows for rapid
diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide across the plasma membrane. In the lungs,
carbon dioxide is released and oxygen is taken in by the blood. In the tissues,
oxygen is released from the blood and carbon dioxide is bound for transport back to
the lungs. Studies have found that hemoglobin also binds nitrous oxide (NO). NO is
a vasodilator that relaxes the blood vessels and capillaries and may help with gas
exchange and the passage of red blood cells through narrow vessels. Nitroglycerin,
a heart medication for angina and heart attacks, is converted to NO to help relax the
blood vessels and increase oxygen flow through the body.

A characteristic of red blood cells is their glycolipid and glycoprotein coating;

these are lipids and proteins that have carbohydrate molecules attached. In humans,
the surface glycoproteins and glycolipids on red blood cells vary between individuals,
producing the different blood types, such as A, B, and O. Red blood cells have an
average lifespan of 120 days, at which time they are broken down and recycled in
the liver and spleen by phagocytic macrophages, a type of white blood cell.

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White Blood Cells
White blood cells, also called leukocytes (leuko = white), make up
approximately one percent by volume of the cells in blood. The role of white blood
cells is very different than that of red blood cells: they are primarily involved in the
immune response to identify and target pathogens, such as invading bacteria,
viruses, and other foreign organisms. White blood cells are formed continually; some
only live for hours or days, but some live for years.

The morphology of white blood cells differs significantly from red blood cells.
They have nuclei and do not contain hemoglobin. The different types of white blood
cells are identified by their microscopic appearance after histologic staining, and
each has a different specialized function. The two main groups are the granulocytes,
which include the neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils, and the agranulocytes,
which include the monocytes and lymphocytes.

(a) Granulocyte including

neutrophils, eosinophils and basophil
are characterized by a lobed nucleus
and granular inclusions in the
cytoplasm. Granulocytes are
typically first-responders during
injury or infection. (b) Agranulocytes
include lymphocytes and monocytes.
Lymphocytes, including B and T
cells, are responsible for adaptive
immune response. Monocytes
differentiate into macrophages and
dendritic cells, which in turn respond
to infection or injury.

Platelets and Coagulation Factors

Blood must clot to heal wounds and prevent excess blood loss. Small cell
fragments called platelets (thrombocytes) are attracted to the wound site where they
adhere by extending many projections and releasing their contents. These contents
activate other platelets and also interact with other coagulation factors, which convert
fibrinogen, a water-soluble protein present in blood serum into fibrin (a non-water
soluble protein), causing the blood to clot. Many of the clotting factors require vitamin
K to work, and vitamin K deficiency can lead to problems with blood clotting. Many
platelets converge and stick together at the wound site forming a platelet plug (also
called a fibrin clot). The plug or clot lasts for a number of days and stops the loss of
blood. Platelets are formed from the disintegration of larger cells called
megakaryocytes. For each megakaryocyte, 2000-3000 platelets are formed with
150,000 to 400,000 platelets present in each
cubic millimeter of blood. Each platelet is disc
shaped and 2-4 ¼m in diameter. They contain
many small vesicles but do not contain a
nucleus.

(a) Platelets are formed from large cells called

megakaryocytes. The megakaryocyte breaks up into

9
thousands of fragments that become platelets. (b) Platelets are required for clotting of the blood.
The platelets collect at a wound site in conjunction with other clotting factors, such as fibrinogen, to
form a fibrin clot that prevents blood loss and allows the wound to heal.
Functions and Types of Blood Vessels
The blood from the heart is carried through the body by a complex network of
blood vessels. Arteries take blood away from the heart. The main artery is the aorta
that branches into major arteries that take blood to different limbs and organs. These
major arteries include the carotid artery that takes blood to the brain, the brachial
arteries that take blood to the arms, and the thoracic artery that takes blood to the
thorax and then into the hepatic, renal, and gastric arteries for the liver, kidney, and
stomach, respectively. The iliac artery takes blood to the lower limbs. The major
arteries diverge into minor arteries, and then smaller vessels called arterioles, to
reach more deeply into the muscles and organs of the body.

The major human arteries and veins are shown.

(credit: modification of work by Mariana Ruiz Villareal)
 
Arterioles diverge into capillary
beds. Capillary beds contain a large number
(10 to 100) of capillaries that branch among
the cells and tissues of the body. Capillaries
are narrow-diameter tubes that can fit red
blood cells through in single file and are the
sites for the exchange of nutrients, waste, and
oxygen with tissues at the cellular level. Fluid
also crosses into the interstitial space from the
capillaries. The capillaries converge again
into venules that connect to minor veins that
finally connect to major veins that take blood
high in carbon dioxide back to the
heart. Veins are blood vessels that bring blood
back to the heart. The major veins drain blood
from the same organs and limbs that the major
arteries supply. Fluid is also brought back to
the heart via the lymphatic system.

The structure of the different types of blood vessels reflects their function or
layers. There are three distinct layers, or tunics, that form the walls of blood vessels.
The first tunic is a smooth, inner lining of endothelial cells that are in contact with the
red blood cells. The endothelial tunic is continuous with the endocardium of the
heart. In capillaries, this single layer of cells is the location of diffusion of oxygen and
carbon dioxide between the endothelial cells and red blood cells, as well as the
exchange site via endocytosis and exocytosis. The movement of materials at the site
of capillaries is regulated by vasoconstriction, narrowing of the blood vessels,
and vasodilation, widening of the blood vessels; this is important in the overall
regulation of blood pressure.

Veins and arteries both have two further tunics that surround the endothelium:
the middle tunic is composed of smooth muscle and the outermost layer is
connective tissue (collagen and elastic fibers). The elastic connective tissue
stretches and supports the blood vessels, and the smooth muscle layer helps

10
regulate blood flow by altering vascular resistance through vasoconstriction and
vasodilation. The arteries have thicker smooth muscle and connective tissue than
the veins to accommodate the higher pressure and speed of freshly pumped blood.
The veins are thinner walled as the pressure and rate of flow are much lower. In
addition, veins are structurally different than arteries in that veins have valves to
prevent the backflow of blood. Because veins must work against gravity to get blood
back to the heart, contraction of skeletal muscle assists with the flow of blood back to
the heart.

Arteries and veins consist of three layers: an outer

tunica externa, a middle tunica media, and an inner
tunica intima. Capillaries consist of a single layer of
epithelial cells, the tunica intima. (credit:
modification of work by NCI, NIH)
   

Gas, Nutrient, and Fluid Exchange Across Blood Vessels

Blood is pushed through the body by the action of the pumping heart. With
each rhythmic pump, blood is pushed under high pressure and velocity away from
the heart, initially along the main artery, the aorta. In the aorta, the blood travels at
30 cm/sec. As blood moves into the arteries, arterioles, and ultimately to the capillary
beds, the rate of movement slows dramatically to about 0.026 cm/sec, one-
thousand times slower than the rate of movement in the aorta. While the
diameter of each individual arteriole and capillary is far narrower than the diameter of
the aorta, and according to the law of continuity, fluid should travel faster through a
narrower diameter tube, the rate is slower due to the overall diameter of all the
combined capillaries being far greater than the diameter of the individual aorta.

The slow rate of travel through the capillary beds, which reach almost every
cell in the body, assists with gas and nutrient exchange and also promotes the
diffusion of fluid into the interstitial space. After the blood has passed through the
capillary beds to the venules, veins, and finally to the main venae cavae, the rate of
flow increases again but is still much slower than the initial rate in the aorta. Blood
primarily moves in the veins by the rhythmic movement of smooth muscle in the
vessel wall and by the action of the skeletal muscle as the body moves. Because
most veins must move blood against the pull of gravity, blood is prevented from
flowing backward in the veins by one-way valves. Because skeletal muscle
contraction aids in venous blood flow, it is important to get up and move frequently
after long periods of sitting so that blood will not pool in the extremities.

Blood Pressure and Velocity

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 The pressure of the blood flow in the body is produced by the hydrostatic
pressure of the fluid (blood) against the walls of the blood vessels. Fluid will move
from areas of high to low hydrostatic pressures. In the arteries, the hydrostatic
pressure near the heart is very high and blood flows to the arterioles where the rate
of flow is slowed by the narrow openings of the arterioles. During systole, when new
blood is entering the arteries, the artery walls stretch to accommodate the increase
of pressure of the extra blood; during diastole, the walls return to normal because of
their elastic properties. The blood pressure of the systole phase and the diastole
phase, graphed below, gives the two pressure readings for blood pressure. For
example, 120/80 indicates a reading of 120 mm Hg during the systole and 80 mm Hg
during diastole. Throughout the cardiac cycle, the blood continues to empty into the
arterioles at a relatively even rate. This resistance to blood flow is called peripheral
resistance.

Blood pressure is related to the blood

velocity in the arteries and arterioles. In
the capillaries and veins, the blood
pressure continues to decease but
velocity increases.

Exchange Across Capillaries

Proteins and other large
solutes cannot leave the
capillaries. The loss of the watery
plasma creates a hyperosmotic
solution within the capillaries,
especially near the venules. This
causes about 85% of the plasma
that leaves the capillaries to
eventually diffuses back into the capillaries near the venules. The remaining 15% of
blood plasma drains out from the interstitial fluid into nearby lymphatic vessels. The
fluid in the lymph is similar in composition to the interstitial fluid. The lymph fluid
passes through lymph nodes before it returns to the heart via the vena cava. Lymph
nodes are specialized organs that filter the lymph by percolation through a maze of
connective tissue filled with white blood cells. The white blood cells remove
infectious agents, such as bacteria and viruses, to “clean” the lymph before it returns
to the bloodstream. After it is “cleaned,” the lymph returns to the heart by the action
of smooth muscle pumping, skeletal muscle action, and one-way valves joining the
returning blood near the junction of the venae cavae entering the right atrium of the
heart.

Fluid from the capillaries moves into the interstitial

space and lymph capillaries by diffusion down a
pressure gradient and by osmosis. Out of 7,200 liters
of fluid pumped by the average heart in a day, over
1,500 liters is filtered. (credit: modification of work by
NCI, NIH)

12
 YOU CAN DO THIS!
Task 1. Find Out. Unscramble the below jumbled word related to circulation.

1. LATLETPSE
2. RHTUREA
3. MNIMAOA
4. ATNSRRIIATONP
5. AATOTSM

Task 2. Check this Out. Read and analyze the statements below. Select the best
answer.

1. Which of the following statements about the mammalian respiratory system is

false?

A. When we breathe in, air travels from the pharynx to the trachea.
B. The bronchioles branch into bronchi.
C. Alveolar ducts connect to alveolar sacs.
D. Gas exchange between the lung and blood takes place in the alveolus.

2. The respiratory system ________.

A. provides body tissues with oxygen
B. provides body tissues with oxygen and carbon dioxide
C. establishes how many breaths are taken per minute
D. provides the body with carbon dioxide

3. Air is warmed and humidified in the nasal passages. This helps to ________.
A. ward off infection
B. decrease sensitivity during breathing
C. prevent damage to the lungs
D. all of the above

4. Which is the order of airflow during inhalation?

A. nasal cavity, trachea, larynx, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
B. nasal cavity, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
C. nasal cavity, larynx, trachea, bronchioles, bronchi, alveoli
D. nasal cavity, trachea, larynx, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli

5. The transportation of food from the leaves to other parts of plant is called
____________.
A. Translocation B. Transpiration C. Respiration D. Expiration

13
Task 3. Fill them Out. Fill the word that should be in the line.

1. ______________ component of RBC transport oxygen from the lungs to all

the cells of body.

2. One complete cycle of contraction of the heart followed by its relaxation is

called __________.

3. _____________ are the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to
various parts of body.

4. _______________ are the extremely thin blood vessels which connect

arteries to veins.

5. The main excretory product in human being is _____________.

YOU CAN DO MORE!

Task 4. Let’s Explore. Write the correct words into the spaces provided to complete
the sentences.

1. Platelets play major role in blood ____________.

2. Throbic movements due to blood flow in arteries are called __________.

3. ___________ is fluid connective tissue that flows in blood vessels.

4. The movement of solvent molecules from their high concentration to their low
concentration through a semi-permeable membrane is called
______________.

5. A physical process which involves movement of molecules (solid, liquid and

gas) from the region of higher concentration to that of lower concentration is
called _____________.

6. Loss of water in the form of vapor through leaves is called _____________

Task 5. Look for. Search for the words mentioned.

Across

5. The instrument used for measuring heart beat

6. These carry blood from all parts of the body
back to the heart

Down

1. The process of removal of wastes produced in

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the cells of the living organisms is called ______
2. The process by which blood is filtered periodically through an artificial kidney
3. The vascular tissue for the transport of water and nutrients in the plant is called
the ________
4. The red pigment in the blood

Task 6. Let’s Compare. Compare the terms below.

Phloem Xylem

Veins Arteries

CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

Task 7. Let’s get Critical. Write the correct words into the spaces provided to
complete the sentences.

1. Pumping of heart is ________.

2. The tiny branches of blood vessels that connect arteries with the veins are
called ________.

3. Blood contains a pale yellow liquid called ________.

4. The red blood cells contain ________.

5. ________ destroy the germs that enter our body.

6. The Heartbeat is indicated by ________.

7. Bacteria are ________ organisms.

8. ________ help in preventing the blood from flowing back.

9. The lower chambers of the heart are called the ________.

10. The impure blood is transported from the right ventricle to the lungs
by________.

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Task 8. Let’s More Acquainted. Write the correct words into the spaces provided to
complete the sentences.

1. The ________ receives oxygenated blood from the left ventricle.

2. The veins that collect blood rich in carbon dioxide from all the parts of the
body is________.
3. The blood carried by the Pulmonary artery is ________.

4. The contraction and relaxation of the heart is called the ________.

5. Our heart beats ________ times per minute.

6. The transport system in plants is called ________.

7. The structure that transports water and minerals in plants is ________.

8. Water rises in the xylem tubes due to ________.

9. The tissue that transport food in plants is the ________.

10. The loss of water from the stomata is called________.

Task 9. Let’s be Familiar. Explain transpiration using the image below.

LEVEL UP!

Task 10. Let’s be Familiar. Answer the following briefly.

1. Why is blood red?

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 2. What type of blood cells protect us from infectious disease?

3. List the functions of blood.

Task 11. Let us Trace. Explain circulation using the diagram below.

Task 12. Let’s Create. Make a brochure on the structure of the circulatory system
following these instructions.

Travelling through the Circulatory System Brochure

1. Must include five graphics.

2. Must be tri-fold printed on both sides, for a total of six pages.

3. Back center page must be references, including all sites where graphics were
taken.

4. Topic of brochure must be “traveling through the circulatory system”.

5. Must include at least five components or structures in the circulatory system.

6. Include the species you have designed this for.

7. You will be graded using the provided rubric.

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