AQA A Level PE – The Cardiovascular System Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• Which pigment stores oxygen in muscle and is more abundant in slow-twitch fibres?
• What role does the cardiovascular system play in thermoregulation during exercise?
• Which parameter quantifies the resistance in the circulatory system during venous return?
• Which vessels are the smallest and the site of exchange with tissues?
• Which term best describes the movement of blood through the heart from atria to ventricles?
• The amount of resistance in the circulatory system during venous return is known as:
• Which process describes the release of oxygen from haemoglobin to tissues?
• Most common form of a stroke and occurs when a blood clot stops the blood supply to the brain.
• Steady state of oxygen uptake occurs when?
• Which concept involves the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in control of the heart?
• An increase in blood CO2 and a decrease in pH reduces haemoglobin's affinity for oxygen. What is this effect called?
• Which receptors respond to arterial wall stretch and detect changes in blood pressure?
• How does chronic training typically affect resting heart rate?
• Which structure divides the heart into two halves?
• Which layer forms the outer surface of the heart?
• Which vessel type has thick elastic walls to withstand high pressures?
• Which peripheral adaptation most directly improves oxygen extraction in working muscle?
• Cardiac output is calculated as heart rate multiplied by stroke volume.
• What is the volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute called?
• Which circulation carries oxygenated blood to the body from the heart and returns deoxygenated blood from the body to the heart?
• What is the vascular system called that carries blood through the body delivering oxygen and nutrients and removing waste?
• During exercise testing, which finding could indicate cardiovascular disease risk?
• Which valve prevents backflow from the right ventricle into the right atrium?
• Pocket valves are valves located in veins that prevent backflow. Which statement best describes their function?
• The liquid component of blood that primarily transports nutrients, hormones, and wastes is known as what?
• Why is lactate clearance important for recovery, and how is it influenced by cardiovascular adaptations?
• What term describes narrowing of venous blood vessel walls?
• RPP is a measure used in exercise physiology. What does RPP primarily indicate?
• Increased venous return leading to greater diastolic filling and a higher force of contraction is described by which principle?
• Which structures protect the heart and reduce friction?
• Which vessel exits the left ventricle to supply the body?
• Which of the following describes how the cardiovascular system supports high-intensity interval training (HIIT)?
• Which term explains the relationship between venous return and the strength of ventricular contraction?
• What term describes the matching of ventilation to perfusion in the lungs?
• What term is used for a resting heart rate below 60 bpm?
• Persistent high blood pressure can lead to damage to which organ?
• Explain how plasma volume expansion reduces the risk of heat illness during endurance events.
• Which condition occurs when arteries harden and narrow due to fatty deposits?
• Which term describes the heart's ability to generate its own impulses?
• Which iron-containing pigment is found in slow-twitch muscle fibres where oxygen is stored?
• What device is used to measure blood pressure in a clinical setting?
• The Cardiac Control Centre is located in which part of the brain?
• Which vessels connect arteries to capillaries as they narrow in size?
• Which circulation moves deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs and returns oxygenated blood to the heart?
• Endurance training increases plasma volume. How does this affect hematocrit and blood viscosity?
• Right Atrial Pressure refers to the pressure inside which heart chamber?
• Venous return mechanism located in the veins that prevents back flow and closes after blood passes is:
• The expression used to describe the pressure gradient in venous return is:
• Which phase of the cardiac cycle involves ventricular ejection of blood into the aorta and pulmonary arteries?
• What is the measure of acidity with a scale from 1 to 14, where values below 7 indicate acidity?
• Which of the following is a chronic adaptation to regular training?
• During heat stress in exercise, which of the following best describes the cardiovascular response?
• The thickening of the heart muscle that increases its size and strength is called what?
• Which system consists of the CNS and the Peripheral Nervous System and is controlled by the Cardiac Control Centre?
• What is the body's transport system called?
• Cardiovascular drift: a progressive rise in heart rate as stroke volume falls.
• Which condition involves fatty deposits in arterial walls that can contribute to reduced blood flow?
• What are the largest blood vessels that spread away from the heart and branch into arterioles and capillaries?
• What term describes widening of arteriolar blood vessels?
• What is the role of the pulmonary system in supporting cardiovascular responses during exercise?
• During exercise, the redistribution of cardiac output directs more blood to skeletal muscles to meet oxygen demand. What is this mechanism called?
• What centre coordinates autonomic control of the heart, receiving input from sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways?
• Which statement about oxygen diffusion during gas exchange is true?
• The percentage of blood pumped out of the left ventricle with each beat is known as what?
• Which term describes the state of the heart muscle thickening due to training, potentially with a larger ventricular cavity?
• Which lipoprotein is the 'bad' cholesterol that leads to increased risk of heart disease and transports cholesterol in the blood to tissues?
• Which term describes the heart's conduction system that generates rhythm and pace?
• What is venous pooling and how can it be prevented during exercise?
• What is blood pressure?
• The pressure in veins bringing blood back to the heart is known as:
• Lactate clearance is primarily supported by which organs during recovery?
• What is the term for the difference between the oxygen content of arterial blood arriving at the muscles and the venous blood leaving the muscles?
• Which vessels flow into the Right Atrium from the body via the inferior or superior vena cava?
• What term describes the volume of blood pumped out by the heart ventricles per minute?
• Which transporter binds and carries oxygen in the blood from lungs to tissues?
• How much the cardiac tissue can stretch during the diastole phase is described by which term?
• A fatty deposit found in the inner lining of an artery is known as what?
• Exits the Right Ventricle with deoxygenated blood, to go to the lungs. Only artery to carry deoxygenated blood.
• What is the function of the endocardium?
• Which vessel leaves the left ventricle to supply the body?
• During which phase are the ventricles relaxed with all valves closed?
• Regulate blood flow by ensuring that it moves in one direction. They open to allow blood to pass through, and then close to prevent back flow.
• Which valve is located between the left atrium and left ventricle?
• Blood pressure is typically measured using which device, and what does systolic pressure represent?
• What term describes a measure of acidity with a scale of 1 to 14?
• Which hormone released by the sympathetic nerves during exercise increases heart rate?
• The pressure in the arteries when the ventricles are contracting is known as:
• Which lipoprotein transports cholesterol from tissues to the liver for breakdown?
• Which circulation delivers blood to all body tissues excluding the lungs?
• Which statement best describes how the respiratory and cardiovascular systems interact to meet elevated oxygen demands during sustained exercise?
• Which term describes how the heart beats via its own conduction system?
• Training influences venous compliance by which of the following?
• Muscles contract and relax during breathing in and out. Pressure changes occur in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. The changes in the pressure compress the nearby veins and assist blood returning to the heart is:
• The pressure in the Right Atrium is:
• Volume of blood returning to the right side of the heart via the vena cava is known as what?
• Which layer is the muscular layer that contracts to pump blood?
• Which organelle is the powerhouse of the cell where aerobic respiration occurs and energy is produced?
• How is heart rate estimated in the absence of direct measurement, and what are its limitations?
• Which muscle is involuntary and found in the walls of blood vessels?
• What is the term for the sequence SAN - Atrial Systole - AVN - Bundle of His - Purkinje Fibres - Ventricular Systole?
• What is the role of chemoreceptors in exercise responses?
• How does blood viscosity influence vascular resistance and blood flow?
• Which receptors respond to the stretching of arterial walls and cause a decrease in heart rate when blood pressure rises?
• Describe the Fick principle in relation to oxygen consumption (VO2).
• Which receptors located in the carotid arteries sense chemical changes and stimulate heart rate when carbon dioxide increases during exercise?
• Occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off.
• Which is the smaller chamber of the heart with thinner walls?
• Bohr effect describes decreased hemoglobin affinity for O2 under conditions of higher CO2, lower pH, and higher temperature.
• Which phase of the heartbeat is the heart contracting?
• During exercise, how is peripheral resistance modulated in active muscles versus nonessential tissues?
• The phrase 'In through Atria and OUT through Ventricles' describes what?
• Between the Right Atrium and the Right Ventricle.
• During which phase of the cardiac cycle does the heart relax to allow filling with blood?
• Which of the following is a laboratory method to assess cardiovascular fitness?
• The number of times the heart beats per minute is called what?
• A type of stroke that occurs when a weakened blood vessel supplying to brain bursts.
• What does the a-vO2 difference measure in physiology?
• If plasma volume increases, what is the effect on venous return?
• Define lactate threshold and its relevance to performance.
• Which lipoprotein is the 'good' cholesterol that transports excess cholesterol back to the liver where it is broken down?
• Systolic blood pressure is the pressure during ventricular contraction.
• Rate-pressure product (RPP) is calculated as which of the following?
• Mean arterial pressure (MAP) is approximated by which expression?
• Which term describes the system consisting of all the blood vessels?
• How does training typically affect maximal cardiac output and stroke volume?
• What is the role of capillarisation in HIIT adaptations?
• Which vessel brings oxygenated blood to the left atrium and is the only vein to carry oxygenated blood?
• What is the part of the nervous system that consists of the nerve cells to transmit information to and from the CNS called?
• Which valve prevents backflow from the left ventricle into the left atrium?
• Which statement about RER is true?
• Exits the Left Ventricle with oxygenated blood, to go to the body.
• Which chamber receives oxygenated blood from the lungs via the pulmonary veins?
• What is angina?
• How does training influence resting and maximal blood pressure, and why?
• Which mechanism promotes venous return through intrathoracic pressure changes during breathing?
• What is the effect of plasma volume expansion on training adaptations?
• Which mechanism redistributes cardiac output, directing more blood to skeletal muscles during exercise?
• Which statement best describes eccentric hypertrophy in comparison to concentric hypertrophy?
• Which of the following is a valid field test for cardiovascular fitness commonly used in A Level practice?
• Which vessel carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart's left atrium?
• Which pump is driven by changes in thoracic and abdominal pressure during breathing?
• Which statement best describes the oxygen transport pathway from the atmosphere to mitochondria in muscle?
• What term describes a resting heart rate below 60 beats per minute?
• Which term describes the release of oxygen from oxyhaemoglobin to tissues?
• Which is the larger chamber of the heart with thicker muscular walls?
• Which term refers to enlargement of the heart muscle that may accompany an increased ventricular cavity?
• During exercise, which factor primarily causes vasodilation in active muscles?
• The volume of blood pumped out by the heart ventricles in each contraction is called what?
• Which describes exercise where the heart rate rises to meet oxygen demands and then declines gradually after exercise ends?
• Which statement best describes the role of High Density Lipoproteins?
• What does an increasing a-vO2 difference during exercise indicate?
• The total blood flow from the heart per minute is called what?
• Which stroke is the most common form?
• Which structure receives inputs from receptors to adjust heart rate and acts as the cardiac control centre?
• Which stroke type results from rupture of a weakened blood vessel?
• Which pigment is an iron-containing pigment found in red blood cells that binds with oxygen to form oxyhaemoglobin?
• Stroke volume is influenced by preload, afterload, and contractility.
• Which valve is located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery?
• During exercise, how does autonomic input change to heart rate?
• Which sensory nerve endings are located in the muscles, tendons and joints to provide information about movements and body position?
• Which condition leads to extra strain on arteries and heart, increasing risk of heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease, stroke or dementia?
• Which mechanism promotes venous return through changes in intrathoracic pressure during breathing?
• Which statement best describes eccentric hypertrophy?
• The fluid part of blood (mainly water) that surrounds blood cells and transports them is known as:
• Which statement best describes concentric hypertrophy and its potential effects?
• Which part of the Nervous System consists of the Brain and Spinal Cord?
• What term describes the shift in haemoglobin-oxygen affinity due to increased CO2 and decreased pH during exercise?
• What is the role of capillary density in exercise adaptations?
• The pressure in the arteries when the ventricles are relaxing is known as:
• Which term describes the widening of venous vessels?
• What term describes narrowing of arteriolar walls?
• The Cardiac Control Centre modulates heart rate through which division of the nervous system?
• Which statement best differentiates central and peripheral adaptations to training?
• Which describes exercise at maximal intensity with a sharp rise in heart rate followed by rapid decline after exercise stops?
• Which vessel returns deoxygenated blood to the right atrium?
• What term describes widening of venous blood vessels?
• The major mechanism promoting venous return by the contracting muscles squeezing the veins as they change shape is:
• Which cellular organelle is responsible for aerobic energy production in cells?