Topic One (1.1): Transport Around the Body

Introduction Icon.png Introduction

To start with, you will be looking at the special properties of water, and how this relates to it being an important transport medium, as well as performing many other functions.

Finally, you will be going over the structure and functions of arteries and veins, which you may recognise from previous study, but you must ensure that your answers are now given to a higher standard, using the new details that you will learn here.

Read Icon.png Reading

Salters-Nuffield A Level Biology Student Book 1 pages 6 to 10 (up to the end of ‘The structure of blood vessels’)

Read & Make Notes Icon.png Read and Make Notes

Read pages 6 to 10, making notes (always include key definitions) and completing the ‘in-text’ questions.

Unfortunately, we don’t have access to the online Student Activities mentioned in the textbook, but many of them have been covered in additional resources instead.

Consolidate Icon.png Consolidate

Now consolidate your understanding by working through these additional resources:

EXPLORE – ‘Hydrogen Bonding’ Topic & Skill Test (Khan Academy) Links to an external site.

Download READ – Water Factsheet

WATCH – Water: The Strangest Chemical in the Universe (The Guardian) Links to an external site.

EXPLORE – Heart Topic (Khan Academy) Links to an external site.

WATCH – Heart Dissection (Twig) Links to an external site.

Download READ - Heart Dissection

  • Using the Heart Dissection PDF on Canvas, you could carry out a heart dissection at home. You can obtain a sheep’s heart at many butcheries.

Download REVIEW – Blood Vessel Flash Cards

Download PRINT OFF & COMPLETE – Blood Vessels Worksheet

WATCH – Blood Vessels (YouTube) Links to an external site.

Make Notes Icon.png Tasks

Complete the following:

  • Make a summary sheet outlining the similarities and differences in the structure, function and content of different blood vessels.

Top Tip Icon.png Top Tips

Make sure that you understand the following key points:

  • The properties of water depend on its structure – be able to connect the two concepts together.
  • Be able to relate the structure (physical properties) of arteries and veins with their function (what they have to do, or the different conditions they have to cope with).

Glossary Icon.png Key Terms

Add the following key terms to your glossary:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Mass flow
  • Single and double circulatory systems
  • Polar and dipole
  • Hydrogen bonding
  • Hydrophilic and hydrophobic
  • Cardiac muscle
  • Artery, vein and capillary
  • All the labels on page 9