12.4.5 Structure of the Human Heart

Question 1

Structure of the Human Heart

Answer 1

• The heart is the center of our circulatory system. It pumps blood through blood vessels, delivering oxygen to every cell in the body.
• Veins are blood vessels that carry blood to the heart, while arteries carry blood away from the heart.
• Deoxygenated blood enters the heart through the right atrium where contractions send it through the right ventricle and to the pulmonary arteries, which will send it to the lungs.
• Oxygenated blood enters the heart from the lungs into the left atrium where it is pumped into the left ventricle, through the aorta, and then off to the tissues of the body.

Question 2

circulatory system blood flow

Answer 2

• The diagram to the right shows the overall flow of blood through the circulatory system.
• Deoxygenated blood travels into the right side of the heart (the left side of the heart in the diagram). Blood flows from the right side of the heart to the lungs where it will be oxygenated. Oxygenated blood then flows to the left side of the heart (the right side in the diagram) where it is pumped to tissues of the body.

Question 3

right side of heart

Answer 3

• The superior vena cava and inferior vena cava are veins that deliver deoxygenated blood from the body to the right atrium of the heart. From the right atrium, the blood passes through the atrioventricular valve, which opens in response to contraction of the heart, and into the right ventricle. Blood then flows from the right ventricle through the semilunar valve and out of the heart through the pulmonary arteries. The pulmonary arteries deliver blood to the lungs where it will get oxygenated.

Question 4

left side of heart

Answer 4

• The pulmonary veins deliver oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium. From the left atrium, blood passes through the atrioventricular valve into the left ventricle. Blood then flows from the left ventricle through the semilunar valve of the left side of the heart and out of the heart through the aorta. Blood will flow from the aorta to the tissues of the body.

Question 5

Blood travels to the lungs from the

Answer 5

• right ventricle.

Question 6

All of the following organs or structures are part of the transport system except:

Answer 6

• lungs

Question 7

Which of the following is not a function of the transport (circulatory) system?

Answer 7

• removal of waste within multicellular organisms

Question 8

In general, arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart, while veins carry deoxygenated blood to the heart. Which of the following are exceptions to this rule?

i. anterior vena cava
ii. pulmonary artery
iii. posterior vena cava
iv. pulmonary vein

Answer 8

• ii, iv

Question 9

Which of the following is the primary pump for supplying the body with oxygenated blood?

Answer 9

• left ventricle.

Question 10

Given the design of the circulatory system, which vessel would be designed to withstand the greatest blood pressure, and which the least?

Answer 10

• aorta, vena cava

Question 11

Label the major vessels on the diagram below.

Answer 11

i. aorta
ii. anterior vena cava
iii. pulmonary artery
iv. pulmonary vein