Biology › Section P · Breathing, circulation, and excretion › Topic P.6
Blood flow and blood pressure
Two numbers, such as 120 over 80, sum up the force driving blood through an estimated 100,000 km of vessels. Understanding where that pressure comes from, why it falls, and how the body holds it steady explains everything from fainting to high blood pressure.
In this topic
- What the two numbers mean
- Worked example: reading a blood pressure
- Pressure and speed along the circuit
- Worked example: why blood slows in capillaries
- Capillary exchange and lymph
- Directing blood where it is needed
- Getting blood back to the heart
- Worked example: cardiac output at rest and in exercise
- Keeping pressure steady
- High blood pressure
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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