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Contrasting blood pressure gradients

Q.

1) The same kind of blood flows through two very long identical blood vessels. Each vessel has the same diameter. A scientist measures the pressure of the blood near the beginning and near the end of each blood vessel.

 

Which blood vessel has the greatest flow rate (L/min) of blood?

a) Blood vessel 1

b) Blood vessel 2

c) They will have the same rate of flow

 

Explain the reasoning for your choice about which blood vessel has the greatest flow rate.

 

2) Now let's look at another set of tubes. The same kind of blood flows through two very long identical blood vessels. Each vessel has the same diameter.  A scientist measures the pressure of the blood near the beginning and near the end of each blood vessel. Both of these tubes have the same pressure difference but different starting and ending pressures.

Which blood vessel has the greatest flow rate (L/min) of blood?

a) Blood vessel 1

b) Blood vessel 2

c) They will have the same rate of flow

 

Explain the reasoning for your choice about which blood vessel has the greatest flow rate.


Images for Contrasting Pressure Gradients

Audiences:

Undergraduate

Topics:

Biology,  Bulk Flow,  Cardiovascular,  Flux,  Physiology,  Physiology,  Physiology

Special Instructions

This item has a total of 4 questions and is separated into 2 parts.  You will need to perform 2 different analyses to analyze all the parts.

To analyze your data for questions with Reports Available:

  1. Login to your account on this website
  2. Return to this question
  3. Click on the link below Analyze your data for Part 1 this question.
  4. On your spreadsheet, verify that the multiple-choice selections have the text of the choice rather than ‘a, b, c’.
  5. Upload your spreadsheet for analysis
  6. Use the ‘Student Text Response Column (Start)’ dropdown menu to select the column containing the student responses to the first multiple-choice part of of Part 1.
  7. Use the ‘Student Text Response Column (End)’ dropdown menu to select the column containing the student responses to the second column for Part 1. 
  8. Both columns containing student responses should now be highlighted in teal.  Click Make Report.
  9. Click on the link below Analyze your data for Part 2 for this question.
  10. On your spreadsheet, verify that the multiple-choice selections have the text of the choice rather than ‘a, b, c’.
  11. Upload your spreadsheet for analysis
  12. Use the ‘Student Text Response Column (Start)’ dropdown menu to select the column containing the student responses to the first multiple-choice part of the question for Part 2.
  13. Use the ‘Student Text Response Column (End)’ dropdown menu to select the column containing the student responses to the second column for Part 2. 
  14. Both columns containing student responses for Part 2 should now be highlighted in teal.
  15. Add a note (e.g. pre-instruction) to your file if desired. Click Make Report.

Background Information

Associated Publications

Oaks to arteries: The Physiology Core Concept of flow down gradients supports transfer of student reasoning

Jennifer Doherty, Jack Cerchiara, Emily Scoot, Lauren Jescovitch, Jenny McFarland, Kevin Haudek, Mary Pat Wenderoth, 2023

What a Difference in Pressure Makes! A Framework Describing Undergraduate Students’ Reasoning about Bulk Flow Down Pressure Gradients

Jennifer Doherty, Emily Scott, Jack Cerchiara, Lauren Jescovitch, Jenny McFarland, Kevin Haudek, Mary Wenderoth, 2023

Question Instructions

We recommend that you administer these questions as homework and preface the question with these instructions for students:

"For the following question, please respond to the best of your knowledge and using only the information in the question and what you know. Please do not refer to any outside sources (textbooks, notes, internet, etc.). Any reasonable attempt to answer the question will be awarded full credit."

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