Question

During ventricular systole the oxygenated blood is pumped into the (a) Aorta and deoxygenated blood is pumped into the pulmonary artery. (b) Pulmonary artery and deoxygenated blood is pumped into the artery. (c) Aorta and deoxygenated blood is pumped into pulmonary vein. (d) Pulmonary vein and deoxygenated blood is pumped into pulmonary artery.

Short answer

The correct answer is option (a) where oxygenated blood is pumped into the aorta and deoxygenated blood is pumped into the pulmonary artery during ventricular systole.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding Circulatory System

The human circulatory system is a loop. Oxygenated blood is carried to various parts of the body via arteries and deoxygenated blood is taken back to the heart through veins.

Understanding Ventricular Systole

Ventricular systole is the phase of the cardiac cycle during which the ventricles contract, pumping blood out of the heart. The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood to the aorta, from where it's distributed throughout the body. The right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood to the pulmonary artery, which carries the blood to the lungs to get oxygenated.

Applying Knowledge to Options

Apply this understanding to the given options. Option (a) coincides with the explanation, stating that during ventricular systole, oxygenated blood is pumped into the aorta and deoxygenated blood is pumped into the pulmonary artery.

Evaluating Other Options

The remaining options (b, c, d) do not correspond with the understanding of the circulatory system and ventricular systole. They present incorrect pairings of oxygenation level of blood and the vessel it is pumped into.

Key concepts

Circulatory System

The circulatory system is the body's highway of life, bustling with traffic that keeps us alive. Imagine tiny red cars (red blood cells) loaded with oxygen, zipping along multi-lane highways (arteries), and delivering life-giving supplies to the bustling city centers (body tissues). After offloading their precious cargo, these red cars pick up waste products like carbon dioxide and make their return journey on the more leisurely roads (veins) back to the purification plant (lungs) for a fresh supply. But it's not just the roads that matter; it's the coordination of all traffic signals (the heart and valves) that ensures smooth transitions and prevents any jams.

The centerpiece of this system is the heart, a muscular pump with four chambers. The right side receives the worn-out blood and sends it to the lungs for refreshment, while the left side receives the re-oxygenated blood and pumps it with gusto to the rest of the body. It's a continuous loop, perfectly orchestrated to ensure every cell in our body gets the oxygen it needs to thrive and grow.

Cardiac Cycle

The cardiac cycle is like the heartbeat of a drum, with two main beats: systole and diastole. During systole, the heart's ventricles contract like fists squeezing a sponge, propelling blood into the grand canals of life, the aorta, and the pulmonary artery. Diastole follows, a moment of relaxation, when the heart chambers fill with blood, like a sponge soaking up water, preparing for the next powerful beat.

Each cycle starts with an electrical signal at the orchestra conductor of the heart, a tiny area called the sinoatrial node. This signal triggers the atria to contract, pushing blood into the ventricles. A moment later, the ventricles take their cue and contract powerfully (the systolic beat) — the left ventricle sending oxygenated blood through the aorta to the body, the right ventricle sending deoxygenated blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs. This ebb and flow of contraction and relaxation keeps the circulatory rhythm going, a melody that plays throughout our lives.

Oxygenated and Deoxygenated Blood

The story of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood is a tale of two states. Oxygenated blood is like a fully charged battery, brimming with energy and ready to power our muscles, brains, and organs. It's bright red, thanks to the oxygen it carries, and is the result of a refresh trip to the lung spa, where red blood cells pick up oxygen and offload carbon dioxide.

Now, imagine deoxygenated blood as the exhausted workers after a long day, their batteries low. This blood has a deeper, darker red hue, signifying its cargo of carbon dioxide and metabolic byproducts, collected from the body's tissues. It travels the veins to the right side of the heart and then to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is swapped for fresh oxygen.

Harmony of the Hemoglobin

Within the red blood cells, hemoglobin molecules are the actual carriers of oxygen and carbon dioxide. They bind oxygen when passing through the lung's small air sacs and release it to desperate cells crying out for energy. After delivering this vital oxygen, they pick up carbon dioxide—the cellular exhaust—taking responsibility for waste management and ensuring that every cycle is as efficient as the last.