CHAPTER 14 ANSWERS: CARDIOVASCULAR

SYSTEM
14.2 INTRODUCTION TO THE
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM: REVIEW
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Describe the heart and how it functions. The heart is a muscular
organ in the chest that consists mainly of cardiac muscle and pumps
blood through blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The
heart has four chambers through which blood flows and valves that
keep blood flowing in just one direction. Contractions of the heart are
controlled by specialized cardiac muscle cells that send out electrical
impulses.
2. Compare and contrast the pulmonary and systemic
circulations. The pulmonary circulation includes just the heart, the
lungs, and the blood vessels that connect them. It carries blood
between the heart and lungs, where blood is oxygenated. The
systemic circulation includes the heart and blood vessels that serve
the rest of the body. It carries blood between the heart and all the cells
of the body, where it delivers oxygen and other substances to the cells
and picks up their wastes.
3. Self-marking
4. What is blood? What are its chief constituents? Blood is a fluid
connective tissue that circulates throughout the body in blood vessels.
It consists of a liquid part, called plasma, which contains many
dissolved substances; and cells, including erythrocytes, leukocytes
and thrombocytes.
5. Name three different types of substances transported by the
cardiovascular system. Answers will vary. Sample
answer: Oxygen, nutrients, and wastes.
6. Explain why the heart and lungs need blood from the systemic
circulation. Answers may vary. Sample answer: The heart and
lungs need blood from the systemic circulation because it carries
substances such as oxygen and nutrients that are needed for these
organs to carry out their functions.
7. Do blood vessels carrying deoxygenated blood from the body
back to the heart get increasingly larger or smaller? Larger.

14.3 HEART: REVIEW QUESTIONS AND

ANSWERS
1. What is the heart, where is located, and what is its function? The
heart is a muscular organ behind the sternum and slightly to the left of
the centre of the chest. Its function is to pump blood through the
blood vessels of the cardiovascular system.
2. Self-marking
3. Describe the coronary circulation. The coronary circulation
consists of blood vessels that carry blood to and from the heart
muscle cells. There are two coronary arteries that supply the two
sides of the heart with oxygenated blood. Cardiac veins drain
deoxygenated blood back into the heart.
4. Summarize how blood flows into, through, and out of the
heart. Deoxygenated blood flows into the right atrium through veins
from the upper and lower body (superior and inferior vena cava,
respectively), and oxygenated blood flows into the left atrium through
four pulmonary veins from the lungs. Each atrium pumps the blood to
the ventricle below it. From the right ventricle, deoxygenated blood is
pumped to the lungs through the two pulmonary arteries. From the
left ventricle, oxygenated blood is pumped to the rest of the body
through the aorta.
5. Explain what controls the beating of the heart. The normal,
rhythmic beating of the heart (sinus rhythm) is controlled by the
heart’s pacemaker cells in the sinoatrial node. Electrical signals from
pacemaker cells travel to the atria and cause them to contract. Then
the signals travel to the atrioventricular node and from there to the
ventricles, causing them to contract. Electrical stimulation from the
autonomic nervous system and hormones from the endocrine system
can also influence heartbeat.
6. What are the two types of cardiac muscle cells in the
myocardium? What are the differences between these two types
of cells? Cardiomyocytes and pacemaker cells. Cardiomyocytes make
up 99% of the cardiac muscle cells in the myocardium and are the
cells that contract to cause the heart to beat. Pacemaker cells make up
only 1% of the cardiac muscle cells in the myocardium and conduct
electrical impulses that cause the cardiomyocytes to contract
rhythmically.
7. Explain why the blood from the cardiac veins empties into the
right atrium of the heart. Focus on function (rather than
anatomy) in your answer. Answers may vary. Sample
answer: The cardiac veins carry deoxygenated blood that was
utilized by the heart muscle. It empties into the right atrium so that it
can then travel to the right ventricle and out to the lungs, where it can
become oxygenated again.
14.4 BLOOD VESSELS: REVIEW QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
1. What are blood vessels? Name the three major types of blood
vessels. Blood vessels are long, hollow, tube-like structures that carry
blood throughout the body. The three major types of blood vessels are
arteries, veins, and capillaries.
2. Self-marking
3. Compare and contrast how blood moves through arteries and
veins. Blood moves through arteries due to pressure from the beating
of the heart. Blood moves through veins by the squeezing action of
surrounding skeletal muscles. Valves in veins also help move blood
by preventing it from flowing backward.
4. What are capillaries, and what is their function? Capillaries are
the smallest blood vessels, which connect arterioles and venules.
They form capillary beds that function to exchange substances
between the blood and surrounding tissues.
5. Does the blood in most veins have any oxygen at all? Explain
your answer. Yes. The blood in most veins has hemoglobin that is
75% saturated with oxygen. This is relatively unsaturated compared
to the blood in arteries (which is 95–100% saturated), but there is still
some oxygen.
6. Explain why it is important that the walls of capillaries are very
thin. The walls of capillaries must be very thin because their main
function is to exchange substances between the blood and
surrounding tissues, including oxygen, water, nutrients, and wastes.
The thin walls of capillaries allow these substances to flow easily
across them.

14.5 BLOOD: REVIEW QUESTIONS AND

ANSWERS
1. What is blood? Why is blood considered a connective
tissue? Blood is a fluid connective tissue that circulates throughout
the body in the cardiovascular system. Blood is considered to be a
connective tissue because it forms in bones.
2. Identify four physiological roles of blood in the body. Answers
may vary. Sample answer: Four roles of blood in the body are
supplying tissues with oxygen and nutrients, removing metabolic
wastes produced by cells, helping to defend the body from pathogens
and other threats, and transporting hormones and other substances.
3. Describe plasma and its components. Plasma is the straw yellow
liquid component of blood that makes up about 55 per cent of blood
 by volume. It consists of water and many dissolved substances. It also
contains blood cells.
4. Self-marking

14.6 CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: REVIEW

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. What is cardiovascular disease? How much mortality do
cardiovascular diseases cause? Cardiovascular disease is a class of
diseases that involve the cardiovascular system. Worldwide,
cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality, causing
about a third of all deaths annually.
2. List risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Risk factors for
cardiovascular disease include advanced age, male sex, smoking,
obesity, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, and lack of exercise.
3. Self-marking
4. What is coronary artery disease? Identify two specific coronary
artery diseases. Coronary artery disease is a group of diseases that
result from atherosclerosis of coronary arteries. Two specific
coronary artery diseases are angina and myocardial infarction (heart
attack). In angina, cardiac cells receive inadequate oxygen, which
causes chest pain. In a heart attack, cardiac cells die because blood
flow to part of the heart is blocked. In addition to causing chest pain,
a heart attack may cause death or lead to heart arrhythmias, heart
failure, or cardiac arrest.
5. Explain how a stroke occurs, and how it affects the patient. A
stroke occurs when blocked or broken arteries in the brain result in
the death of brain cells. This may occur when an artery is blocked by
a clot or plaque or when an artery ruptures and bleeds in the brain. In
both cases, part of the brain is damaged and functions such as speech
and controlled movements may be impaired in the patient, either
temporarily or permanently.
6. Describe the cause of peripheral artery disease. Peripheral artery
disease occurs when atherosclerosis narrows peripheral arteries,
usually in the legs, often causing pain when walking.
7. What are the similarities between angina and ischemic
stroke? Answers may vary. Sample answer: Angina and ischemic
stroke both result in reduced or blocked blood flow to the body’s
tissues, which causes them to not receive adequate oxygen.
8. How can kidney disease be caused by problems in the
cardiovascular system? Answers may vary. Sample
answer: Kidney disease can be caused by problems in the
cardiovascular system such as atherosclerosis, because it can result in
reduced blood flow to the kidneys.
9. Name three components of the plaque that can build up in
arteries. Answers will vary. Sample answer: Cholesterol, white
blood cells, and smooth muscle cells.

14.7 CASE STUDY CONCLUSION AND

CHAPTER SUMMARY: REVIEW QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
1. Self-marking
2. Alex goes to the doctor and learns that his blood pressure is
135/90 mm Hg. Answer the following questions about his blood
pressure:

1. Is this a normal blood pressure? Why or why not? No, this

is not a normal blood pressure because higher than 120/80 mm
Hg.
2. Which number refers to the systolic pressure? Which
number refers to the diastolic pressure? 135 is the systolic
pressure; 90 is the diastolic pressure
3. Describe what the atria and ventricles of Alex’s heart are
doing when the pressure is at 135 mm Hg. 135 mm Hg is the
systolic pressure, when the atria relax and fill with blood and
the ventricles contract to push blood out of the heart.
4. Alex’s doctor would like him to lower his blood pressure.
Why do you think he would like Alex to do this, and what
are some ways in which he may be able to lower his blood
pressure? Answers may vary. Sample answer: High blood
pressure, or hypertension, can lead to several cardiovascular
diseases. Since Alex’s blood pressure is high, his doctor would
like him to lower it to avoid these serious health risks. Some
ways Alex may be able to reduce his blood pressure are:
lowering the salt in his diet, adopting a healthier diet, or using
medications.

3. What are three functions of the cardiovascular system? Answers

will vary. Sample answer: Three functions of the cardiovascular
system are to: transport oxygen and nutrients to cells in the body;
remove waste products; and defend the body against infection.
4. Which are the chambers of the heart that receive blood? The right
and left atria. Which are the chambers of the heart that pump
blood? The right and left ventricles.
5. Valves prevent blood from flowing backward in the
cardiovascular system. Why do you think this is
important? Answers may vary. Sample answer: The
 cardiovascular system needs to carry oxygen and nutrients to the
body’s cells and then remove carbon dioxide and other wastes from
those cells. It depends on a one-way flow of blood from the heart, to
the body’s cells, and then back again for this to work. Therefore,
preventing backwards flow is important because if it were to occur,
deoxygenated blood would remain near the body’s cells instead of
moving forward to get oxygenated again.
6. Compare the coronary arteries, pulmonary arteries, and arteries
elsewhere in the body in terms of their target tissues (i.e. where
they bring blood to) and whether they are carrying oxygenated or
deoxygenated blood. The coronary arteries bring oxygenated blood
to the heart. The pulmonary arteries bring deoxygenated blood to the
lungs. Arteries elsewhere in the body carry oxygenated blood away
from the heart to tissues throughout the body.
7. Due to a reduction in the amount of oxygen that gets to the cells
of the body, anemia causes weakness and fatigue. Explain how
oxygen is transported to the cells of the body, and which blood
cells are affected in anemia. Oxygen binds to the protein
hemoglobin, which is in red blood cells. Erythrocytes transport the
oxygen to the cells of the body. It is the erythrocytes that are affected
in anemia.
8. What are the two conditions that are precursors to virtually all
cases of cardiovascular disease? Hypertension (high blood pressure)
and atherosclerosis.
9. What are the main differences between the coronary circulation,
pulmonary circulation, and systemic circulation? The coronary
circulation carries blood to and from the muscle cells of the heart so
that these cells can receive necessary substances and have their
wastes removed. The pulmonary circulation carries blood between the
heart and lungs so that deoxygenated blood can become oxygenated.
The systemic circulation brings oxygenated blood from the heart out
to the cells of the body and returns deoxygenated blood back to the
heart.
10. Define sinus rhythm. The sinus rhythm refers to the normal
rhythmic beating of the heart.
11. Generally speaking, which is a more serious and immediately life-
threatening condition: heart failure or cardiac arrest? Explain
your answer. Cardiac arrest is generally more serious and
immediately life-threatening than heart failure because it occurs when
the heart no longer pumps blood or pumps blood so poorly that vital
organs can no longer function. This is a medical emergency requiring
immediate intervention. Heart failure, on the other hand, occurs when
the pumping action of the heart is impaired so that tissues get some
oxygen, but not enough. This is a chronic condition that tends to get
worse over time, although it can be managed with medications.