Pulse Rate Investigation Introduction:

1
Pulse Rate Investigation Introduction

• The following notes will enable you to gain an
  understanding of the theory needed for the pulse
  rate investigation. - And get those hearts
  racing!
• Points discussed will be
• What is a pulse?
• Pumping those muscles!
• Making energy
• Getting those hearts racing!

2
What is a pulse?

• A pulse is a series of pressure waves in an
  artery, caused by contraction of the left
  ventricle of the heart.
• Where can it be felt?
• It can be felt where arteries are close to the
  skin. e.g. The carotid artery in our neck, or
  the radial artery in our wrist.

3
What is it measured in?

• The pulse rate corresponds to the number of times
  the heart beats in a minute. So, it is measured
  in the units Beats Per Minute (BPM).
• The average resting pulse in an adult is 60 80
  beats per minute. Variables such as exercise,
  stress, age, illness and emotion can produce
  faster rates. Can you think of any more
  variables?

4
Pumping those Muscles!

• When we exercise, we use our muscles to work.
  Our muscles are continually contracting and
  relaxing, to do this they need ENERGY.

5
Making Energy

• In our diet there are high energy foods, such as
  fats and carbohydrates (sugars).
• We can release the energy from the food we eat by
  using a process called RESPIRATION.
• This is a process which occurs in all our cells.
  In our muscle cells as we exercise and in our
  brain cells when we think!

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Making Energy .

• Respiration needs the reactants glucose (sugar)
  and oxygen.
• The word equation is.
• Glucose Oxygen Carbon Dioxide
  Water Energy
• The chemical equation is
• C6H1206 6O2 6CO2 6H20 Energy

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RespirationBelow is a diagrammatic
representation of respiration. Click on the mouse
to see what happens.

• Glucose Oxygen
• Carbon Water
• Dioxide
• The reactants and products of respiration are
  carried to and from the cells by the blood.

Energy
8
Getting those hearts racing!

• When we exercise are muscles need energy to do
  work. They can get this energy by respiration.
• The more exercise we do, the greater work our
  muscles do, so more energy is needed.
• As the demand for energy increases, more
  respiration has to occur.
• Respiration releases the energy from our food
  (glucose).
• The blood carries a fresh supply of oxygen and
  glucose to the muscle cells.
• As exercise increases, the demand for glucose
  and oxygen increases, so the blood is needed to
  be pumped faster by the heart, so that our
  muscles can receive the reactants for respiration
  quickly .
• As the blood is being pumped faster the pulse
  rate will increase.

9
Respiration RecapSelect from the options below
to look at the above points again

• What is a pulse?
• What is it measured in?
• Pumping those Muscles!

• Making Energy
• Respiration
• Respiration diagram
• Getting those hearts racing!

Good luck. Have fun increasing each others
pulse rates!