Year 10 Science Homework – Circulatory System

Useful information:

Q. What topic is this?

A. Circulatory system. This is a biology topic. In your GCSE this falls under chapter B2 - Organisation

Q. When did we learn this?

A. This content was taught in Year 10 – Autumn term

Q. Where can I get help with this content?

A. If you need to revise this topic, you may want to complete these Seneca Chapters from the Biology course:

o 2.3 Circulatory system

o 2.4 Non-communicable disease

You could also use these links to some useful bitesize pages:

o Exchange system: [Link]

o Transport system: [Link]
o Non-communicable disease: [Link]

Recall questions:

Answer these questions:

Question Answer
The lungs are a branching network of airways that deliver
Describe the parts of the oxygen to tiny, grape-like sacs called alveoli, where gas
lungs. exchange occurs to fuel your body and remove waste
Alveoli are tiny, thin-walled sacs with a massive surface area and
Describe the adaptations a rich blood supply, perfectly designed to let oxygen and carbon
of alveoli. dioxide swap places almost instantly
Gas exchange occurs when oxygen breathes into the alveoli and diffuses through thin
Describe the process of membranes into the bloodstream, while carbon dioxide moves from the blood into the
gas exchange. alveoli to be exhaled
Explain why the heart is The heart is called a double pump because its right side sends deoxygenated blood to the
described as a double lungs to pick up oxygen, while the left side simultaneously pumps that freshly oxygenated
pump. blood out to the rest of the body

Right Ventricle, Left ventricle, Right Atrium, Left Atrium

Name the four chambers
of the heart.
Explain the function of Valves act as one-way gates that snap shut to prevent blood from flowing backward,
valves in the heart. ensuring it always moves in the correct direction through the heart's chambers
Explain the difference in The left ventricular wall is significantly thicker and more muscular than the right
thickness of the left and because it must generate enough pressure to pump blood to the entire body, whereas
the right only needs to push blood a short distance to the lungs
right ventricular walls.
Arteries have thick, elastic walls to handle high-pressure blood moving away from the
Compare the structure of heart, while veins have thinner walls and valves to return low-pressure blood back to
the heart
arteries and veins.
Describe and explain the Capillaries are microscopic, one-cell-thick vessels that form vast networks to slow down
blood flow, allowing nutrients and oxygen to easily leak out to tissues while absorbing waste
structure of capillaries.
 Explain how the structure Red blood cells have a biconcave disc shape and lack a
of red blood cells makes nucleus to maximize their surface area for oxygen absorption
them suited for their and allow them to squeeze through tiny capillaries
function.

Describe the function of To fight infections

white blood cells.
Plasma serves as the fluid medium of the blood, transporting nutrients, hormones, and
Describe the function of waste products throughout the body while helping to regulate temperature and maintain a
balanced pH
plasma.

Exam Questions – Lower demand:

Q1.
Our lungs help us to breathe.

The image below shows the human breathing system.

(a) (i) Name part A.

Aveoli
_______________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Give one function of the ribs.

To protect internal organs
_______________________________________________________
(1)

(b) (i) Use the correct answer from the box to complete the sentence.

active transport diffusion osmosis

Oxygen moves from the air inside the lungs into the blood by the

diffusion
process of __________________________ .
 (1)

(ii) Use the correct answer from the box to complete the sentence.

arteries capillaries veins

Oxygen moves from the lungs into the blood through the walls

veins
of the __________________________ .
(1)

(iii) Inside the lungs, oxygen is absorbed from the air into the blood.

Give two adaptations of the lungs that help the rapid absorption of oxygen into the
blood.
Good blood supply
1. _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Large surface area

2. _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________ (2)
(Total 6 marks)

Q2.
Figure 1 shows a human heart.

Figure 1
(a) The vena cava carries blood into the heart from the body.

Which blood vessel in Figure 1 is the vena cava?

Tick (✓) one box.

A B C D

(1)

(b) Which chamber of the heart pumps blood to the body?

Tick (✓) one box.

Left atrium

Left ventricle

Right atrium

Right ventricle

(1)

(c) What is the name of the blood vessel that carries blood to the heart muscle?

Tick (✓) one box.

Aorta

Coronary artery
 Pulmonary artery

(1)

The heart and some blood vessels contain valves.

(d) Which type of blood vessel has valves?

Tick (✓) one box.

Artery

Capillary

Vein

(1)

(e) What is the function of valves?

To prevent blood backflow
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ (1)

Figure 2 shows a blood capillary.

Figure 2

(f) Explain one way the capillary is adapted for its function.

One key adaptation is that their walls are only one cell thick, which creates an
_______________________________________________________
incredibly short distance for oxygen, nutrients, and waste to pass between the
blood and the surrounding body tissues
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ (2)

The table below shows information about the blood of four people.
 Concentration of blood component in number/mm3
Person White blood
Red blood cells Platelets
cells

W 5 000 000 15 000 200 000

X 4 700 000 5 500 20 000

Y 8 000 000 7 200 250 000

Z 4 900 000 6 400 225 000

(g) Person W has 5 000 000 red blood cells in 1 mm 3 of blood.

What is 5 000 000 written in standard form?

Tick (✓) one box.

5 × 1 000 000

5 × 106

5 × 107

50 × 105

(1)

(h) Draw one line from each description to the person in the table above it describes.

Description Person in Table

Person W

Person most likely to have an

infection

Person X

Person Y

Person whose blood will not

clot properly

Person Z
(2)
(i) The greater the height above sea level, the less oxygen there is in the air.

People who live high above sea level have more red blood cells than people who live at
sea level.

Some athletes train in mountains high above sea level.

Explain why having more red blood cells will improve an athlete’s performance.

_______________________________________________________

Training at high altitudes increases red blood cell production, which

_______________________________________________________
allows the blood to carry more oxygen to muscles and helps athletes
_______________________________________________________
perform better for longer without getting tired
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ (3)
(Total 13 marks)
Exam Questions – Medium demand:

Q3.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a non-communicable disease.

CHD is caused when fatty material builds up in the coronary arteries.

(a) Explain what a non-communicable disease is.

A non-communicable disease is a medical condition or illness that is not

___________________________________________________________
caused by an infectious agent and therefore cannot be spread from person
to person
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

The diagram below shows a coronary artery of someone with CHD.

(b) Explain how CHD can cause a heart attack.

Fatty plaque buildup narrows the coronary arteries, restricting oxygen-

___________________________________________________________
rich blood flow to the heart. A heart attack occurs when this plaque
ruptures, causing a blood clot that completely blocks the artery and
___________________________________________________________
starves the heart muscle of oxygen
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

(3)

(c) Explain how lifestyle and medical risk factors increase the chance of developing CHD.

Lifestyle and medical factors contribute to coronary heart disease (CHD) by

___________________________________________________________
damaging arterial walls or increasing the burden on the heart, which leads to
the buildup of fatty plaque. Unhealthy habits like smoking, a poor diet, and
___________________________________________________________
 physical inactivity directly damage blood vessels or raise cholesterol and
___________________________________________________________
blood pressure levels. These issues are compounded by medical conditions
such as hypertension and diabetes, which further weaken the arteries and
___________________________________________________________
create the perfect environment for plaque to accumulate, eventually
narrowing the vessels and restricting essential blood flow to the heart
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(6)
(Total 11 marks)

[Link] is a disease affecting the lungs. People with emphysema are often short of breath and
find exercise difficult.

The diagram below shows an alveolus from a person without emphysema and an alveolus from
a person with emphysema.

(a) Describe one difference between the alveolus from a person without emphysema and the
alveolus from a person with emphysema.

The alveoli from a person with emphysema have a decreased surface area
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) Explain how the difference you described in part (a) causes the person with emphysema
to find exercise difficult.

The reduction in surface area caused by the damaged alveolar walls

___________________________________________________________
means that less oxygen can diffuse into the blood during each breath.
Because the body's cells require more oxygen during exercise to support
___________________________________________________________
aerobic respiration for muscle contraction, the person becomes short of
breath quickly because their lungs cannot deliver the necessary volume of
___________________________________________________________
oxygen to keep up with the increased demand
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
(3)
(Total 4 marks)
Exam Questions – Higher demand:

Q5.
The circulatory system contains arteries and veins.

(a) (i) Describe how the structure of an artery is different from the structure of a vein.

Arteries have thick, muscular, and elastic walls designed to withstand the
_______________________________________________________
high-pressure surges of blood pumped from the heart through a narrow
opening. In contrast, veins have thinner walls because they carry blood at
_______________________________________________________
a much lower pressure, and they rely on internal valves to ensure blood
continues moving toward the heart without flowing backward
_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
(2)

(ii) A comparison is made between blood taken from an artery in the leg and blood
taken from a vein in the leg.

Give two differences in the composition of the blood.

Different levels of Oxygen Concentration

1. _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
Amount of Carbon Dioxide and Waste
2. _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

(2)

(b) During operations patients can lose a lot of blood. Patients often need blood transfusions
to keep them alive.

The text shows information about a new artificial blood product.

Suggest two possible advantages of using the new artificial blood, instead of using
human blood for a transfusion in humans.
Less likely to be rejected
1. _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
Can be given to anyone, no matter their blood type
2. _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

(2)
 (Total 6 marks)

Q6.
Table 1 shows information about five different organisms.

Table 1

Surface area
Surface area
Organism Volume in m3 to volume
in m2
ratio

A 6.04 × 10−8 1.65 × 10−12 36606:1

B 3.21 × 10−3 1.25 × 10−6 2568:1

C 9.96 × 10−3 1.35 × 10−4 X:1

D 4.61 × 10−1 1.57 × 10−2 29:1

E 1.99 × 101 6.12 × 100 3:1

(a) Calculate value X in Table 1.

Give your answer to the nearest whole number.

9.96 x 10^-3/1.35 x 10^-4 = 73.777778

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

74
X (nearest whole number) = _______________
(3)

(b) What is the relationship between the size of an organism and its surface area to volume
ratio?

Use Table 1.

there is an inverse relationship between the size of an organism

_______________________________________________________
and its surface area to volume ratio
_______________________________________________________
(1)

(c) Organism B exchanges gases with the environment directly through its skin.

Organism D exchanges gases with the environment using its respiratory system.

Explain why organism D requires a respiratory system, but organism B does not require a
respiratory system.
 Small organisms have a high surface area to volume ratio, allowing
_______________________________________________________
them to exchange enough oxygen directly through their skin. Larger
organisms have a much lower ratio, meaning they have too much
_______________________________________________________
volume for their skin to handle; they need specialized organs like
lungs to increase their internal surface area and absorb enough
_______________________________________________________
oxygen for their body
_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
(2)

Table 1 is repeated below.

Table 1

Surface area
Surface area
Organism Volume in m3 to volume
in m2
ratio

A 6.04 × 10−8 1.65 × 10−12 36606:1

B 3.21 × 10−3 1.25 × 10−6 2568:1

C 9.96 × 10−3 1.35 × 10−4 X:1

D 4.61 × 10−1 1.57 × 10−2 29:1

E 1.99 × 101 6.12 × 100 3:1

Table 2 shows information about organism D and organism E.

Table 2

Metabolic rate in
Organism
arbitrary units

D 890

E 75

(d) Organisms D and E both keep a constant body temperature (warm-blooded).

Explain why the metabolic rate of organism D is greater than the metabolic rate of
organism E.

Use information from Table 1 and Table 2.

Organism D has a higher metabolic rate than organism E because it has a
_______________________________________________________
significantly higher surface area to volume ratio, which causes it to lose body
heat to the environment much faster.
_______________________________________________________

According to Table 1, organism D has a surface area to volume ratio of 29:1,

_______________________________________________________
while organism E has a much lower ratio of 3:1. Because organism D loses heat
more rapidly, it must increase its metabolic rate (as shown in Table 2) to
_______________________________________________________
generate enough internal heat to maintain a constant body temperature
_______________________________________________________
 _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

(4)

(e) Organism D and organism E both have alveoli in the lungs and villi in the small intestine.

The figure below shows some alveoli and some villi.

Describe how the alveoli and the villi are adapted to increase absorption.
Alveoli and villi increase absorption efficiency by providing a large
_______________________________________________________
surface area through folding and a high number of structures,
which allows more space for exchange to occur. Both are equipped
_______________________________________________________
with very thin walls to minimize the distance substances must
travel, and they are surrounded by a dense network of capillaries
_______________________________________________________
that maintains a steep concentration gradient by quickly
transporting absorbed substances away. Additionally, the moist
_______________________________________________________
lining in alveoli helps gases dissolve, further speeding up the
diffusion process
_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
(4)
(Total 14 marks)