AQA · GCSE · Biology
Course version: 8461 · Version from Sept 2018
A non-communicable disease: In the case of heart failure a donor heart, or…
Full specification wording
Coronary heart disease: a non-communicable disease: In the case of heart failure a donor heart, or heart and lungs can be transplanted.
Heart failure means the heart cannot pump blood effectively enough to meet the body's needs.
Checked against the AQA 8461 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 9 of 10
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Heart failure means the heart cannot pump blood effectively enough to meet the body's needs. In severe cases, a patient may receive a donor heart, or a donor heart and lungs together if the lungs are also failing. The donor organ must come from a person who has died and whose family has agreed to donation, and it must be matched to the recipient to reduce the risk of rejection. The patient needs immunosuppressant medicine, often for life, to stop the immune system attacking the donated organ. Transplantation can greatly improve quality of life, but donor organs are scarce, and there are risks from surgery, infection and rejection.
What earns the marks
- Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump blood effectively enough to meet the body's needs.
- A donor heart may be transplanted in severe heart failure, and a heart and lungs may be transplanted together when both organs are failing.
- Donor organs come from people who have died and whose organs have been donated, and matching reduces the risk of rejection.
- Immunosuppressant medicine is needed to reduce the chance of the immune system rejecting the transplanted organ.
- Transplantation can improve survival and quality of life, but donor organs are limited and there are risks such as infection and rejection.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Saying a donor heart is grown or made artificially.
Put it right: A donor heart comes from a person who has died and donated their organs.
Forgetting that immunosuppressant medicine is needed after transplantation.
Put it right: It reduces the risk of rejection by the immune system.
Assuming transplantation is always available.
Put it right: Donor organs are scarce, so patients may wait a long time and some do not receive one.
Exam tips
- State clearly when a heart and lungs are transplanted together rather than a heart alone.
- Include both a benefit and a limitation of transplantation to show balanced understanding.
- Use the term immunosuppressant medicine and link it to reducing rejection.
Try the lesson
The start of the Coronary heart disease: a non-communicable disease: In the case of heart failure a donor heart, or heart and lungs can be transplanted. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which of the following is a treatment for severe heart failure that involves replacing the failing organs?
Listen
Heart failure means the heart cannot pump blood effectively enough to meet the body's needs. In severe cases, a patient may receive a donor heart, or a donor heart and lungs together if the lungs are also failing. The donor organ must come from a person who has died and whose family has agreed to donation, and it must be matched to the recipient to reduce the risk of rejection. The patient needs immunosuppressant medicine, often for life, to stop the immune system attacking the donated organ. Transplantation can greatly improve quality of life, but donor organs are scarce, and there are risks from surgery, infection and rejection. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump blood effectively enough to meet the body's needs. A donor heart may be transplanted in severe heart failure, and a heart and lungs may be transplanted together when both organs are failing. Donor organs come from people who have died and whose organs have been donated, and matching reduces the risk of rejection. Immunosuppressant medicine is needed to reduce the chance of the immune system rejecting the transplanted organ. A common slip: Saying a donor heart is grown or made artificially. Instead, a donor heart comes from a person who has died and donated their organs. Exam tip: State clearly when a heart and lungs are transplanted together rather than a heart alone.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Heart failure
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Donor organ availability
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Immune rejection and immunosuppression
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Benefits and risks of major surgery
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See every definition
- Heart failure
- Occurs when the heart cannot pump blood effectively enough to meet the body's needs.
- Donor organ availability
- Donor organs are scarce, so patients may wait a long time and some do not receive one.
- Immune rejection and immunosuppression
- Immunosuppressant medicine is needed to reduce the chance of the immune system rejecting the transplanted organ.
- Benefits and risks of major surgery
- Transplantation can improve survival and quality of life, but there are risks such as infection and rejection.
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