The human circulatory system

Biology

The human heart and double circulatory system, including calculating cardiac output

Human blood cells and blood vessels

Moving into and out of the blood: diffusion, osmosis and active transport

Diffusion and surface area to volume ratio, including Fick's law

The importance of exchange surfaces and transport systems in humans

Pupils will learn how the components of the human nervous system enable us to respond to changes outside and inside our bodies.

Pupils learned about biological molecules that are essential to life, including sugars and other carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, and the role of enzymes in catalysing the chemical reactions in which these substances are used and made.

This unit covers the human circulatory system, its link to the gas exchange system, and the adaptations of the heart, blood vessels, and blood components. It explains transport mechanisms like diffusion, osmosis, and active transport, and the need for exchange surfaces in multicellular organisms.

Transport and exchange surfaces in humans

An organ which pumps blood around the body.

Specialised tissue found in the heart which rhythmically contracts and relaxes together.

A section of the heart, known as an atrium or ventricle.

Flaps in the heart which prevent backflow of blood.

A blood cell that uses haemoglobin to bind and transport oxygen.

The fluid of the blood which carries blood cells and other substances.

Large blood vessels with thicker walls which transport blood away from the heart.

Large blood vessel which transports blood towards the heart.

Narrow blood vessel which allows exchange of substances between tissue and blood.

A membrane that will only allow some substances through and not others.

Diffusion is the net movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

The net movement of water molecules from high to low concentration through a selectively-permeable membrane.

The net movement of particles against a concentration gradient using energy.

The total area of the surface of an object.

The relationship between the surface area and the volume of a shape.

The net movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

A specialised surface which enables the efficient exchange of substances.

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