The heart beats continuously throughout a person's life without tiring. Explain how the heart receives its own blood supply and why this is important for the heart to function.

WJEC GCSE Biology (Wales) — 1.4.2 The heart · Explain · 4 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

Model answer (4 marks)

The heart muscle receives blood through the coronary arteries
The coronary arteries branch from the aorta
Blood delivers oxygen (and glucose) to the heart muscle cells
This allows the heart muscle to respire (aerobically) to release energy needed to contract continuously

Examiner tips

  • Use the exact terms ‘coronary arteries’ and ‘aorta’
  • Show the flow: aorta → coronary arteries → myocardium
  • Explain the role of oxygen and glucose in aerobic respiration
  • Link energy production to continuous contraction

Common mistakes

  • Confusing the aorta with the pulmonary artery
  • Omitting that the coronary arteries supply the myocardium
  • Using vague terms like ‘blood supply’ without specifying arteries

Mark scheme (4 marks)

  1. The heart muscle receives blood through the coronary arteries
  2. The coronary arteries branch from the aorta
  3. Blood delivers oxygen (and glucose) to the heart muscle cells
  4. This allows the heart muscle to respire (aerobically) to release energy needed to contract continuously

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