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Heart Attack

The document discusses heart attacks and the circulatory system. It describes how a heart attack occurs when plaque blocks the coronary arteries, preventing blood from flowing properly to the heart. It also explains the differences between arteries, veins, and capillaries, noting their distinct functions in circulating blood away from and back to the heart. Finally, it contrasts closed and open circulatory systems, stating that closed systems are more efficient as blood is conducted faster through blood vessels to different parts of the body in vertebrates.

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38 views4 pages

Heart Attack

The document discusses heart attacks and the circulatory system. It describes how a heart attack occurs when plaque blocks the coronary arteries, preventing blood from flowing properly to the heart. It also explains the differences between arteries, veins, and capillaries, noting their distinct functions in circulating blood away from and back to the heart. Finally, it contrasts closed and open circulatory systems, stating that closed systems are more efficient as blood is conducted faster through blood vessels to different parts of the body in vertebrates.

Uploaded by

ards mcaffee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Heart Attack

Students Name:

Institution:

Course Name and Number:

Tutor:

Due Date:
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QUESTION 1

The heart is one of the primary organs in the human body, and its proper functioning is

key in ensuring life. Being a vital organ, it plays major roles such as transportation, among other

functions in the body (Altman, 2002). The heart is made up of myogenic muscles, which give it

the ability to pump blood throughout the body without tiring. Inside the heart, there are four

chambers. The upper chambers are atria, while the lower chambers are called ventricles. Both the

atria and the ventricles are separated by valves, which are key in preventing the backflow of

blood.

Additionally, the chambers are divided into left and right sections by the septum. This

prevents oxygenated blood from mixing with deoxygenated blood found on the left and right

sides. Lastly, the heart is supplied by the coronary arteries and veins, which ensure that the heart

is well nourished and the cells receive oxygenated blood.

Atherosclerosis is a condition where there is blockage of the blood vessels by a plague

(Altman, 2002). This results in increased pressure on the vessels due to blood trying to force

itself through the tiny opening left by the plague. Due to the pressure, a piece of the plaque may

break off and move to the heart through circulation and dislodge itself there. A heart attack is

imminent when the plague has blocked the major coronary arteries. This would result in a heart

attack.

QUESTION 2

Arteries, veins and capillaries have distinctive differences (Altman, 2002). One of the

major distinctions between them is that arteries are responsible for carrying blood away from the

heart, with the main artery being the aorta. Capillaries are also responsible for carrying blood

away from the body and are sites where the exchange of nutrients occur. Lastly, veins are
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responsible for taking blood back to the heart. Other than the functional difference between these

blood vessels, the structural differences are also vast.

As mentioned above, all these blood vessels have distinctive functions in the body

(Altman, 2002). The veins are solely responsible for ensuring that blood flows back to the heart

and draining blood from the limbs and organs. Arteries, the aorta being the main artery, carry

blood away from the heart and distribute it to other parts of the body through the aortic branches.

Lastly, capillaries are the smallest blood vessels that function as a site for nutrient exchange and

are also key in carrying blood from the body. Capillaries also form sites for gaseous exchange

with tissues at the cellular level.

QUESTION 3

An open circulatory system, common in invertebrates, is a free flow of blood through the

body cavities since there are no blood vessels to conduct the blood to various parts (Altman,

2002). A closed circulatory system, found in vertebrates and few invertebrates, is a system where

blood is conducted to other parts of the body through blood vessels.

The main advantage of having a closed circulatory system over an open circulatory

system is that there is fast conduction of blood to other parts of the body. Consequently, it results

in blood having higher pressure, leading to more active organisms. Additionally, due to the fast

motility of blood, a closed system is more efficient than an open circulatory system (Altman,

2002).
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Reference

Altman, L. K. (2002, June 25), BASEBALL; heart disease can hit even the young, like Kile. The

New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/25/sports/baseball-heart-disease-

can-hit-even-the-young-like-kile.html

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