Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Where does the pulmonary artery carry blood?
From the heart to the lungs
Where does the pulmonary vein carry blood?
From the lungs to the heart
Where does the vena cava carry blood?
From the body to the heart
Where does the aorta carry blood?
From the heart to the body
What is vasoconstriction?
The muscle in small arteries contracts meaning the diameter of the arteries get smaller. This reduces the blood flow to inactive muscles and organs so that more blood can go to the working muscles
What is vasodilation?
When the diameter of the small arteries increases to allow more blood to flow through to working muscles. Therefore more oxygen can be delivered and more carbon dioxide can be removed
What is the cardiac cycle?
The sequence of events that happen when the heart beats
What are the two phases in the cardiac cycle?
Diastole (when the heart relaxes)
Systole (when the heart contracts)
Why does blood flow in the heart?
The difference in pressure that is created by the cardiac cycle
What is cardiac output?
The volume of blood that the heart pumps out per minute (mls/minute)
What is stroke volume?
The volume of blood that leaves the heart during each contraction/beat (mls)
What is heart rate?
The number of times the heart beats each minute (beats per minute)
