Basic structure and function of the heart

Question 1

Where is the heart located (4)

Answer 1

1. between the lungs
2. in the middle of the chest
3. behind the sternum
4. slightly to the left

Question 2

What is the function of the heart (4)

Answer 2

1. act as a pump
2. driving blood through the vasculature
3. Oxygenated blood to organs and tissues
4. Deoxygenated blood to the lungs for gaseous exchange

Question 3

What is the structure of the heart (4)

Answer 3

1. 4 hollow chambers
2. made up of myocardial cells capable of relaxing and contracting the chambers, important for blood flow between the chambers.
3. 2 atrium (right and left)
4. 2 ventricles (right and left)

Question 4

What is the function of valves (3)

Answer 4

1. control the movement of blood between the chambers
2. ensuring blood moves in one direction preventing unwanted backflow
3. determined by pressure

Question 5

What are the 4 valves of the heart (4)

Answer 5

1. Tricuspid valve - between right atrium & right ventricle, tri-leaflet (three flaps)
2. Pulmonary valve - between right ventricle & pulmonary artery, tri-leaflet (three flaps)
3. Mitral valve - between left atrium & left ventricle, bi-leaflet (two flaps)
4. Aortic valve - between left ventricle & aorta, tri-leaflet (three flaps)

Question 6

Which valves are atrioventricular (2)

Answer 6

1. Mitral
2. Triscupid

Question 7

Which valves are semilunar (2)

Answer 7

1. Pulmonary
2. Aortic

Question 8

What is diastole and what is systole

Answer 8

Diastole - Relaxation of heart chambers when filling with blood

Systole - Contraction of heart chambers when expelling blood into another chamber

Question 9

How does deoxygenated blood move through the heart (8)

Answer 9

1. Body
2. Vena cava
3. Atrial diastole
4. Right atrium
5. Atrial systole (Triscupid valve)
6. Right ventricle
7. Pulmonary artery (Pulmonary valve)
8. Lungs

Question 10

How does oxygenated blood move through the heart (8)

Answer 10

1. Lungs
2. Pulmonary vein
3. Atrial diastole
4. Left Atrium
5. Atrial systole (Mitral valve)
6. Left ventricle
7. Aorta (Aortic valve)
8. Body

Question 11

How does the heart have its own electrical system (4)

Answer 11

1. The electrical system is key to causing the chambers to contract
2. Electrical stimulus generated by sino-atrial node (natural pacemaker)→ atria contract
3. Electrical activity hits the atrioventricular node and travels down the bundle of His (branches into left and right) and along the Purkinje fibres
4. ventricles contract

Question 12

How does the heart have its own blood supply (3)

Answer 12

1. The heart is a muscle and needs its own blood supply for oxygen and nutrients
2. The coronary arteries supply the heart with blood, these sit on the epicardium (outside the heart)
3. The main coronary arteries are the left coronary artery and right coronary artery and these divide into branches

Question 13

Which valves are tri-leaflet (3)

Answer 13

1. Tricuspid
2. Pulmonary
3. Aortic

Question 14

Which valves are bi-leaflet

Answer 14

Mitral

Question 15

Which side of the heart is the biggest

Answer 15

Left-hand side
Has to pump oxygenated blood all around the body