Lab Ten: Physiology of the Circulatory System

Introduction

Is the subject’s circulatory system physically fit according to the labs standards?
The functions of the circulatory system include delivering oxygen and nutrients to
the tissues in the body for growth and metabolism as well as remove metabolic
waste. The heart pumps blood through a series of circuit components, including
arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and veins. One of the most important is where the
lung and alveoli transfer oxygen to blood and extract the carbon dioxide, cleaning
the blood. The left atrium and the left ventricle are the components of the heart
which bring in the blood from the body and pump it to the lungs to go through the
pulmonary circuit. The right atrium and the right ventricle are the ones that receive
the oxygenated blood from the lungs and send it out to the tissues. With exercise,
the body’s circuits move faster, and raises the heart rate and the blood pressure.
The longer or harder it takes for a person to reach their max heart rate shows how
physically fit a person is.

Blood pressure is an important measurable aspect of a circulatory system. The

device used to measure this is a sphygmomanometer, which measures the arterial
blood pressure. The device consists of rubber hoses, and inflatable cuff, a pump and
a pressure gauge which measures in millimeters of mercury.

The hypothesis for this portion of the lab is the subject is not physically fit.

Do Daphnia’s heart rates increase when the temperature is hot or cold?

Ectothermic animals have a direct relationship between the rate of physiological
activities and environmental temperature. The rate of which metabolism happens in
their bodies increases with temperatures from five degrees Celsius to thirty-five
degrees Celsius. Reptiles can hardly move because of this, when it’s cold out, but
become very active when it’s hot out.

The hypothesis for this portion of the lab is the Daphnia’s heart rate (bpm) will
increase when the temperature is cold.

Methods

After locating and figuring a sphygmomanometer out with a stethoscope, have a

partner record and take the blood pressure of the subject three times. Then find the
average and record the data in the Blood Pressure Data Table.
After recording the data in Test 1, the subject must lie down for five minutes. After
the five minutes, a partner needs to measure the subject’s blood pressure. Have the
subject stand up and immediately take the subject’s blood pressure. Record both on
the lines for reclining and standing systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Once
recorded on the lines, subtract the reclining systolic blood pressure from the
standing and compare the change to Table 10. 2. Then record the data in the
Fitness Data Table on the data portion of the lab.

Table 10.2: Changes in Systolic Fitness

Pressure from Reclining to Standing
 Change (mm Hg) Points

rise of 8 or more 3

rise of 2-7 2

no rise 1

fall of 2-5 0

fall of 6 or more -1

When Test 2 is complete, subject needs to remain standing for two minutes before
their heart rate is taken. Once taken compare the beats per minute to Table 10.3,
then record the data in Fitness Data Table in the data portion of the lab.

Table 10.3: Standing Pulse Rate

Pulse Rate (beats/min) Fitness

Points

60-70 3

71-80 3

81-90 2

91-100 1
When Test 3 is
101-110 1 done, have the
subject lay down
111-120 0 for five minutes
before retaking
121-130 0 the subject’s
131-140 -1 heart rate. Record
and compare to
Table 10.4. Once
compared take the data and record it in the Fitness Data Table in the data portion
of this lab.

Table 10.4: Reclining Pulse Rate Pulse Fitness

Rate (beats/min) Points

50-60 3

61-70 3

71-80 2

81-90 1
 91-100 0

101-110 -1

In order to find the Baroreceptor reflex, the partner must find the subject’s heart
rate immediately after standing up from Test 4. Record the date in the given line.
Then subtract the reclining heart rate from Test 4 with the standing heart rate and
compare the results in Table 10.5. Once completed, record the data in the Fitness
Data Table in the data portion of the lab.

Table 10.5: Pulse Increase from Reclining to Standing

Reclining Pulse Rate increase on Standing (# beats)
Pulse
(beats/min) 0-10 11-18 19-26 27-34 35-43
Fitness Points
50-60 3 3 2 1 0

61-70 3 2 1 0 -1

71-80 3 2 0 -1 -2

81-90 2 1 -1 -2 -3

91-100 1 0 -2 -3 -3

101-110 0 -1 -3 -3 -3

Using a step about one and a half feet tall, the subject must step up with right foot,
then bring left foot up to touch by the right foot then step back down tell both feet
are on the ground. Then repeat tell time is over for this portion. Then repeat for
each time frame. However, in between each time, the subject must record their
heart rate for 15 seconds and multiple it by four in the lines provided.
Afterwards, count the seconds until the subjects heart rate returns to normal. Then
use Table 10.6 to record the data in the Fitness Data Table in the data portion of the
lab.

Table 10.6: Time Required for Return of Pulse Rate to Standing Level after Exercise

Time (seconds) Fitness Points

0-30 4

31-60 3

61-90 2

91-120 1

121+ 1
Once completed subtract the normal standing pulse rate, which was recorded in
Test 2, from the subjects heart rate immediately after the last part of Test 5.
Compare the data in Table 10.7 before recording the data in the Fitness Data Table
in the data portion of this lab.

Table 10.7: Pulse Rate Increase after Exercise

Reclining Pulse Rate increase on Standing (# beats)
Pulse
(beats/min) 0-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41+
Fitness Points
60-70 3 3 2 1 0

71-80 3 2 1 0 -1

81-90 3 2 1 -1 -2

91-100 2 1 0 -2 -3

101-110 1 0 -1 -3 -3

111-120 1 -1 -2 -3 -3

121-130 0 -2 -3 -3 -3

131-140 0 -3 -3 -3 -3

Collect a depression slide, a small amount of cotton, and daphnia. Using an eye
dropper or pipette pick up the daphnia and soak the cotton in the middle of the
depression slide. Placing the depression slide containing the water and the daphnia
onto a light microscope, locate a living Daphnia and count the heart beats for the
Daphnia for a minute, then record the data in Table 10.8 of the data portion of the
lab. Do this three time total at Room temperature. Repeat these steps at close to
freezing then at steaming hot temperatures.

Results

Test 1
Reclining Systolic Pressure 116mm Hg
Reclining Diastolic Pressure 56mm Hg

Standing Systolic Pressure 150mm Hg

Standing Diastolic Pressure 74mm Hg

Test 4

Pulse Immediately upon standing = 72 beats per min

Test 5
Number of beats in 0- to 15-second interval 45x4 = 180
Number of beats in 16- to 30-second interval 50x4 = 200
Number of beats in 31- to 60-second interval 52x4 = 208
Number of beats in 61- to 90-second interval 44x4 = 176
Number of beats in 91- to 120-second interval 53x4 = 212

Blood Pressure Data Table

Measurement 1 2 3 Average
Systolic 116 114 110 113.3
Diastolic 78 60 60 66

Fitness Data Table

Measurement Points
Test 1. Change in systolic pressure
from reclining to standing 116-150 = 34 mm 3
Hg
Test 2. Standing pulse rate 64 beats/min 3
Test 3. Reclining pulse rate 54 beats/min 3
Test 4. Baroreceptor reflex
Pulse rate increase on 72 beats/ min 3
standing
Test 5. Step Test
Return of pulse to standing 180 seconds -1
rate after exercise

Pulse rate increase 140 beats/min 0

immediately after exercise
TOTAL SCORE 11

Fitness Level Comparison Chart

Total Score Relative Cardiac Fitness
18-17 Excellent
16-14 Good
13-8 Fair
7 or less Poor

Table 10. 8: Temperature and Heart Rate Data

Reading Temperature (oC) Heart rate (beats/min)
1 27 30
2 27 90
3 27 102
4 9 60
5 9 114
6 9 132
 7 50 138
8 50 72
9 50 24

Control: Room temperature

Variables: Cold (9oC) and hot (50oC)

Independent Variable: temperature

Dependent Variable: Heart Rate (beats/min)

Discussion

The Data for Tests 1, using the information gathered with the sphygmomanometer
and a stethoscope while using the table provided, the subject received three points.
For Test 2, using the table given along with a clock and the subject’s or the partners
fingers, the subject gained three points. Test 3 gives the subject three points from
using the same materials as in Test 2. In Test 4, the subject gain 3 just like in the
other tests. So far the total of the test is 12 points. With the last test, Test 5, the
subject lost a point for the long amount of time the subject’s heart rate took to
return to the normal standing rate taken before the exercise. When the subject did
not gain any more points in part B of Test 5, the total of the fitness test became 11
points. Using the comparison chart, the hypothesis was partially supported. The
results show the subject is sort of physically fit, but still close to being in poor
condition instead of fair. Due to health conditions of the subject, along with lack of
what is considered normal exercise the subject should have had poor health instead
of fair in the subject’s eyes. However, the results are what they are.

When looking at the graph of the heart rates on the daphnia, the heart rate climbs
during the colder temperatures. However, the highest point is not reached until the
hot temperature is introduced to the daphnia, but this is probably just from the
daphnia still reacting to the cold instead of the hot. The mean of all three
temperatures show the cold (9oC) has the highest average. Therefore, the
hypothesis for this portion of the lab is supported. The cold temperature does raise
the heart rate of daphnia. Errors which could have occurred include the miscounting
of the heartbeat, the mis-location of the heart and counting the shell movement or
lung breathing movement. Dissecting a daphnia or paying closer attention to where
the body parts are so the observers does not locate and count the wrong organ.

Literature Cited

"AP Biology Lab Ten: Physiology of the Circulatory System." Scribd. Web. 27 Mar.

2011. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/12891712/AP-Biology-Lab-Ten-Physiology-

of-the-Circulatory-System>.
Girard. "Lab #10 Physiology of the Circulatory System." Mr. Girard's Biological

Sciences Website. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

<http://phsgirard.org/APbiology/Chapter42/Lab10.pdf>.

Lab # 10 Physiology of the Circulatory System (College Board, 2001) AP Biology Lab

Manual for Students (2001) New Jersey: College Board p.109-124

Questions

1. Explain why blood pressure and heart rate differ when measure in a reclining position
and in a standing positions.
Blood pressure and heart rate usually increases from lying, to sitting, to standing. In
other words, they are lowest lying and highest standing. The heart must work
harder when you are standing so blood pressure increases too.

2. Explain why high blood pressure is a heath concern.

High blood pressure weakens blood vessels in the brain and they can pop resulting
in a stroke. High blood pressure also causes narrowing and thickening of the
blood vessels, which can lead to kidney damage, or if the arteries harden, it can
cause heart attack.
3. Explain why an athlete must exercise harder or longer to achieve a maximum heart
rate than a person who is not physically fit.
An athlete’s heart is more physically fit and since the heart is a muscle, exercise
makes it stronger. So it takes more work to maximize the heart rate.
4. Research and explain why smoking causes a rise in blood pressure.
Chemicals in cigarette smoke constrict your blood vessels, which makes it harder
for the heart to pump blood, making it beat faster resulting in a rise in blood
pressure.

1. Why does temperate affect heart rate in ectothermic organisms?

Ectothermic organisms are cold-blooded animals who cannot maintain a constant
body temperature and take their body temperature from their environment. So
when the environment around them is cooler, their heart and metabolism slows
down. And when it is hotter, both increase.
2. Discuss what results you might obtain if you replace this experiment using an
endothermic organism.
The heart rate would not change with temperature unless the temperatures were
extreme.
3. Describe at least four different ways an ectothermic organism’s behavior helps
regulate its temperature.
They can warm up by lying on a hot surface (conduction); the can get wet
(vaprization); they can change their position by moving from higher to lower or
reverse ground levels (convection); or they can move into the shade (radiation).