Animal organisation - transport systems - AQADevelopment of cardiovascular disease
Multicellular organisms require transport systems to supply their cells and remove waste products. In humans, one of the functions of the circulatory system is to transport substances.
The heartMuscular organ that pumps blood around the body. is a muscular pump. Like all muscles, it needs oxygenGaseous element making up about 20% of the air, which is needed by living organisms for respiration. for aerobic respirationRespiration that requires oxygen. to contract. The coronary arteryOne of the arteries that supplies the heart muscle with oxygen and glucose so that it can continually respire and therefore contract. supply blood, and therefore oxygen, to the heart muscle.
The coronary arteries may become blocked by a build-up of fatty material, caused by certain kinds of 'bad' cholesterolA type of lipid (fatty substance).. As the fatty material increases, one or more coronary arteries narrow, and can become blocked.
If a blockage builds up, the amount of oxygen reaching the heart muscle is reduced. A person will develop chest pain, and if left untreated, a heart attack is the result. This can cause damage to, or death of the heart muscle. Part of the heart muscle, or the whole heart, will die.