Question 1 Page 110 - Chapter 6 Class 10 - Life Processes

What are the components of the transport system in human beings? What are the functions of these components?

Answer

The transport system in humans is called the ‘ Circulatory System ’. The various organs of the circulatory system are Heart , Arteries , Veins and Capillaries . 

• The heart acts like a pump, which pumps out oxygenated and deoxygenated blood .
• Arteries , Veins and capillaries are the tubes through which the blood flows . 
• Blood flows from the heart to the body in Arteries .
• Veins carry blood from the body back to the heart .
• Capillaries are small blood vessels with thin walls that allow oxygen and nutrients to diffuse through to the organs and cells , and waste diffuses back to the capillaries which combine to become veins.

Human Heart :

• Human heart is a four chambered structure having 2 atria (left and right) and 2 ventricles (left and right)
• It is a double pump , which pumps blood around our body.
• The left side of the heart (left atrium and left ventricle ) acts as one pump which pumps blood to the body , except the lungs.
• The right side of the heart ( right atrium and right ventricle )only pumps blood into the lungs.
• The left side of the heart is separated from the right side, by a partition called septum.
• This separation is important to avoid mixing the oxygenated blood on the left side with the deoxygenated blood on the right.

Blood Vessels:

The blood vessels are of three types :

  Arteries : 

• They carry blood from the heart to all parts of the body. 
• Since they receive the blood directly from the heart which has a very high pressure , they are thick walled.
• The main artery is called Aorta , carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to all parts of the body . 
• The Pulmonary artery is connected to the right ventricle , which carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs .

Veins : 

• These blood vessels carry blood (deoxygenated) from the body back to the heart. 
• They are thin walled because of the low pressure of the blood which flows in them
• These have valves present in them which prevents backflow of blood.  
• The main vein , called Vena Cava, is connected to the right atrium and carries deoxygenated blood from all parts, back to the heart . 
• The pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the heart.

Capillaries : 

• These are thin walled, extremely narrow tubes which connect arteries to veins . 
• The various dissolved substances like oxygen, food etc. present in blood pass through the capillaries. 
• At the same time, the waste materials also enter the capillaries . Thus, an exchange takes place.