Transport in mammals: Practice Questions

Which property of water is most important for maintaining a stable body temperature in mammals through the blood?

Within red blood cells, which reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase?

The graph shows the pressure changes in the left side of the heart during one cardiac cycle. During which time interval are the semilunar valves open?

Which type of white blood cell is characterized by being the largest leucocyte and having a nucleus that is typically kidney-shaped or bean-shaped?

What describes the conditions at the venous end of a capillary bed that facilitate the return of most tissue fluid to the blood?

Explain how the high specific heat capacity of water helps maintain a stable internal environment for a mammal.

Contrast the structural features of muscular arteries and veins with respect to the thickness of the tunica media and the presence of valves.

State the names of the two main blood vessels that make up the pulmonary circulation in mammals.

Water plays a vital role as a solvent in the mammalian circulatory system.
(a) State two properties of water, other than its solvent action, that are important for transport in mammals.
(b) Describe the formation of tissue fluid from plasma at the arterial end of a capillary bed, with reference to hydrostatic pressure.

The cardiac cycle involves a sequence of pressure changes within the chambers of the heart. The following data represents the pressure in the left ventricle and the aorta over a period of 0.8 seconds:
At 0.1s: Ventricle = 2 kPa, Aorta = 10 kPa
At 0.3s: Ventricle = 16 kPa, Aorta = 14 kPa
At 0.5s: Ventricle = 4 kPa, Aorta = 12 kPa

(a) Explain the relationship between the blood pressure changes and the opening and closing of the semilunar valves.
(b) Describe how the thickness of the left ventricular wall relates to the pressure generated during systole compared to the right ventricle.