The Interactions Between Body Systems During Exercise and
At Rest
The respiratory system’s main function is the exchanging of gases between the body of an
animal and the environment. Mammals, such as a deer, use lungs which are connected to
the nose and the mouth, to exchange the gasses; Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide. The whole
respiratory system is made up of the nasal cavity which is just located within the nose,
followed by the pharynx, larynx, trachea, and the lungs which are made up of primary,
secondary, and tertiary bronchus, bronchiole, and the terminal bronchiole - within the
bronchi are alveoli which diffuse both oxygen and carbon dioxide too and from the blood..
Finally followed by the diaphragm.
The circulatory system’s main function is to sustain life, to deliver blood, oxygen, gases,
hormones, and nutrients to all of the cells within the body. It is made up of four main
components that work together. These are: the heart - made up of four chambers (left and
right ventricles and left and right atriums), the arteries, the veins and the blood. The lungs
also work with the circulatory system to transport oxygen to the blood and take carbon
dioxide from the blood and out the body.
The autonomic nervous system is the system that connects the brain stem, spinal cord,
blood vessels, glands and organs to regulate internal body processes. These processes occur
without conscious effort meaning we are usually unaware when it happens. The autonomic
nervous system has two main divisions; sympathetic and parasympathetic. Sympathetic
divisions prepare the body for stressful or emergency situations and trigger the ‘fight or
flight’ responses. However, parasympathetic divisions control regular body processes during
ordinary situations e.g. It stimulates the digestive tract to process food and eliminate waste.
When a deer is being hunted by its prey, the respiratory, circulatory and autonomic nervous
system must all work together to provide the deer to escape efficiently and make sure the
body works correctly as it makes its escape. When a deer is faced with a threat, this will
trigger the deer to feel acute stress. This sudden release of stress hormones (cortisol) will
stimulate the adrenal glands to release adrenaline. Adrenaline is known as the ‘fight or
flight’ hormone as it triggers an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as
breathing rate. The increased heart rate and breathing rate happens to provide the energy
and oxygen needed when the deer gets ready to run. These are all stages within
sympathetic divisions. Another sympathetic division stage is dilated pupils. The dilated
pupils allow more light into the eyes and therefore allows the deer to be more observant of
its surroundings to avoid obstacles.
When air is passed through the nasal cavity into the body, the air is warmed to body
temperature and humidified. To avoid any damage from cold, dry air, the respiratory tract is
covered in mucus membranes which make up mucus - high in water, to protect the tissues
making direct contact with the air. As the air passes these mucus membranes it picks up the
water to allow it to fit within body conditions. Any particles within the air are removed
At Rest
The respiratory system’s main function is the exchanging of gases between the body of an
animal and the environment. Mammals, such as a deer, use lungs which are connected to
the nose and the mouth, to exchange the gasses; Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide. The whole
respiratory system is made up of the nasal cavity which is just located within the nose,
followed by the pharynx, larynx, trachea, and the lungs which are made up of primary,
secondary, and tertiary bronchus, bronchiole, and the terminal bronchiole - within the
bronchi are alveoli which diffuse both oxygen and carbon dioxide too and from the blood..
Finally followed by the diaphragm.
The circulatory system’s main function is to sustain life, to deliver blood, oxygen, gases,
hormones, and nutrients to all of the cells within the body. It is made up of four main
components that work together. These are: the heart - made up of four chambers (left and
right ventricles and left and right atriums), the arteries, the veins and the blood. The lungs
also work with the circulatory system to transport oxygen to the blood and take carbon
dioxide from the blood and out the body.
The autonomic nervous system is the system that connects the brain stem, spinal cord,
blood vessels, glands and organs to regulate internal body processes. These processes occur
without conscious effort meaning we are usually unaware when it happens. The autonomic
nervous system has two main divisions; sympathetic and parasympathetic. Sympathetic
divisions prepare the body for stressful or emergency situations and trigger the ‘fight or
flight’ responses. However, parasympathetic divisions control regular body processes during
ordinary situations e.g. It stimulates the digestive tract to process food and eliminate waste.
When a deer is being hunted by its prey, the respiratory, circulatory and autonomic nervous
system must all work together to provide the deer to escape efficiently and make sure the
body works correctly as it makes its escape. When a deer is faced with a threat, this will
trigger the deer to feel acute stress. This sudden release of stress hormones (cortisol) will
stimulate the adrenal glands to release adrenaline. Adrenaline is known as the ‘fight or
flight’ hormone as it triggers an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as
breathing rate. The increased heart rate and breathing rate happens to provide the energy
and oxygen needed when the deer gets ready to run. These are all stages within
sympathetic divisions. Another sympathetic division stage is dilated pupils. The dilated
pupils allow more light into the eyes and therefore allows the deer to be more observant of
its surroundings to avoid obstacles.
When air is passed through the nasal cavity into the body, the air is warmed to body
temperature and humidified. To avoid any damage from cold, dry air, the respiratory tract is
covered in mucus membranes which make up mucus - high in water, to protect the tissues
making direct contact with the air. As the air passes these mucus membranes it picks up the
water to allow it to fit within body conditions. Any particles within the air are removed
