AQA A Level PE – The Cardiovascular System Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

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