Table of contents

1. Introduction to Biology2h 42m
2. Chemistry3h 37m
3. Water1h 26m
4. Biomolecules2h 23m
5. Cell Components2h 26m
6. The Membrane2h 31m
7. Energy and Metabolism2h 0m
8. Respiration2h 40m
9. Photosynthesis2h 49m
10. Cell Signaling59m
11. Cell Division2h 47m
12. Meiosis2h 0m
13. Mendelian Genetics4h 44m
14. DNA Synthesis2h 27m
15. Gene Expression3h 6m
16. Regulation of Expression3h 31m
17. Viruses37m
- Viruses
  37m
18. Biotechnology2h 58m
19. Genomics17m
- Genomes
  17m
20. Development1h 5m
21. Evolution3h 1m
22. Evolution of Populations3h 53m
23. Speciation1h 37m
24. History of Life on Earth2h 6m
25. Phylogeny2h 31m
26. Prokaryotes4h 59m
27. Protists1h 12m
28. Plants1h 22m
29. Fungi36m
- Fungi
  19m
- Fungi Reproduction
  17m
30. Overview of Animals34m
- Overview of Animals
  34m
31. Invertebrates1h 2m
32. Vertebrates50m
33. Plant Anatomy1h 3m
34. Vascular Plant Transport1h 2m
- Water Potential
  1h 2m
35. Soil37m
- Soil and Nutrients
  20m
- Nitrogen Fixation
  16m
36. Plant Reproduction47m
- Flowers
  33m
- Seeds
  14m
37. Plant Sensation and Response1h 9m
38. Animal Form and Function1h 19m
39. Digestive System1h 10m
- Digestion
  1h 3m
- Blood Sugar Homeostasis
  7m
40. Circulatory System1h 49m
41. Immune System1h 12m
42. Osmoregulation and Excretion50m
- Osmoregulation and Excretion
  50m
43. Endocrine System1h 4m
- Endocrine System
  1h 4m
44. Animal Reproduction1h 2m
- Animal Reproduction
  1h 2m
45. Nervous System1h 55m
- Neurons and Action Potentials
  1h 8m
- Central and Peripheral Nervous System
  46m
46. Sensory Systems46m
- Sensory System
  46m
47. Muscle Systems23m
- Musculoskeletal System
  23m
48. Ecology3h 11m
49. Animal Behavior28m
- Animal Behavior
  28m
50. Population Ecology3h 41m
51. Community Ecology2h 46m
52. Ecosystems2h 36m
53. Conservation Biology24m
- Conservation Biology
  24m

40. Circulatory System

Heart Physiology

General Biology

40. Circulatory System

Heart Physiology

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0:45 minutes

Problem 13c

Textbook Question

During exercise, the cardiovascular system must supply muscles with large amounts of oxygen and fuel and get rid of a lot of waste.
How do the cardiovascular systems of athletes respond to prolonged exercise?
Researchers used echocardiography, a sonogram of the heart, to estimate the mass of the left ventricle in current athletes, non-athletes, and ex-athletes. The data are graphed below (***meansP<0.001, and the P value comparing non-athletes and ex-athletes is >0.05).
What conclusion can be drawn from the graph?

Verified step by step guidance

Examine the graph provided, which shows the left ventricular mass in grams for three groups: current athletes, non-athletes, and ex-athletes.

Notice that the left ventricular mass is highest in current athletes, followed by ex-athletes, and lowest in non-athletes.

The asterisks (***), indicating P < 0.001, show a statistically significant difference between current athletes and non-athletes, suggesting that prolonged exercise leads to an increase in left ventricular mass.

Observe that the P value comparing non-athletes and ex-athletes is >0.05, indicating no significant difference between these two groups, suggesting that the increased left ventricular mass in athletes may decrease after they stop training.

Conclude that prolonged exercise in athletes results in an increased left ventricular mass, which is a physiological adaptation to meet the increased demand for oxygen and fuel during exercise. This adaptation may partially reverse when athletes stop training.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Cardiovascular Adaptations to Exercise

The cardiovascular system adapts to prolonged exercise by increasing the efficiency of oxygen delivery and waste removal. This includes changes such as increased heart size, particularly the left ventricle, which allows for greater stroke volume and cardiac output. Athletes typically exhibit a larger left ventricular mass compared to non-athletes, reflecting these adaptations.

Echocardiography

Echocardiography is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses ultrasound waves to create images of the heart. It is commonly used to assess heart structure and function, including the measurement of left ventricular mass. This technique provides valuable data for comparing the cardiovascular health of different populations, such as athletes and non-athletes.

Statistical Significance in Research

Statistical significance indicates whether the results observed in a study are likely due to chance. In the provided graph, the notation '***' signifies a P value less than 0.001, indicating a highly significant difference in left ventricular mass between current athletes and non-athletes. Conversely, a P value greater than 0.05 between non-athletes and ex-athletes suggests no significant difference, highlighting the importance of statistical analysis in interpreting research findings.

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Textbook Question

Paul's blood pressure is 150/90. The 150 indicates _________ , and the 90 indicates _________ .

a. Pressure in the left ventricle; pressure in the right ventricle

b. Pressure during ventricular contraction; pressure during heart relaxation

c. Systemic circuit pressure; pulmonary circuit pressure

d. Pressure in the arteries; pressure in the veins

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Textbook Question

Which of the following initiates the process of blood clotting?

a. Damage to the lining of a blood vessel

b. Conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin

c. Attraction of white blood cells to a site of infection

d. Conversion of fibrin to fibrinogen

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Textbook Question

Blood flows more slowly in the arterioles than in the artery that supplies them because the arterioles

a. Have thoroughfare channels to venules that are often closed off, slowing the flow of blood.

b. Have sphincters that restrict flow to capillary beds.

c. Are narrower than the artery.

d. Collectively have a larger cross-sectional area than does the artery.

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Textbook Question

Explain why a person who survives a myocardial infarction might need to have an artificial pacemaker implanted.

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Textbook Question

Some babies are born with a small hole in the wall between the left and right ventricles. How might this affect the oxygen content of the blood pumped out of the heart into the systemic circuit?

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Textbook Question

During exercise, the cardiovascular system must supply muscles with large amounts of oxygen and fuel and get rid of a lot of waste.

How do the cardiovascular systems of athletes respond to prolonged exercise?

Explain the advantage of the observed difference between current athletes and non-athletes in the graph shown here.

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Textbook Question

Juan has a disease in which damaged kidneys allow some of his normal plasma proteins to be removed from the blood. How might this condition affect the osmotic pressure of blood in capillaries, compared with that of the surrounding interstitial fluid? One of the symptoms of this kidney malfunction is an accumulation of excess interstitial fluid, which causes Juan's arms and legs to swell. Can you explain why this occurs?

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Textbook Question

During exercise, the cardiovascular system must supply muscles with large amounts of oxygen and fuel and get rid of a lot of waste.

How do the cardiovascular systems of athletes respond to prolonged exercise?

Researchers have also observed that athletes and non-athletes have the same mean resting cardiac output, even though athletes have a far lower resting heart rate. How is this possible?

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