circulatory system - the heart

Question 1

septum

Answer 1

• the wall of muscle that separates the left/right sides of the heart

Question 2

pulmonary circulatory system

Answer 2

• a system of blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood towards the lungs and oxygenated blood back to the heart

Question 3

systemic circulatory system

Answer 3

• a system of blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood toward the tissues of the body and deoxygenated blood back to the heart

Question 4

atrium (atria)

Answer 4

• thin-walled upper heart chambers that receive blood from the veins

Question 5

ventricles

Answer 5

• thick-walled lower heart chambers that deliver blood to the arteries

Question 6

vena cava (plural - venae cavae)

Answer 6

• two large veins that return deoxygenated blood from the body and into the heart
• superior: returns blood from the head/upper body
• inferior: returns blood from lower body

Question 7

AV (atrioventricular) valve

Answer 7

• prevent the backflow of blood from a ventricle to the atrium
• right valve also called the tricuspid valve; left valve also called bicuspid (mitral) valve

Question 8

semilunar valve

Answer 8

• prevent the backflow of blood from an artery to the ventricles
• also called pulmonary valves

Question 9

aorta

Answer 9

• the largest artery in the body that carries oxygenated blood to the tissues

Question 10

coronary arteries

Answer 10

• an artery that supplies the cardiac muscle with oxygen and nutrients

Question 11

cardiac cycle/heartbeat

Answer 11

• a complete cycle of heart activity

Question 12

diastole

Answer 12

• relaxation/dilation phase of the heart where the atrium fills with blood (from vena cava/pulmonary vein) and the atrium/ventricle relaxes

Question 13

systole

Answer 13

• contraction phase of the heart where the atrium contracts and pushes blood out and into the ventricle (through AV valves)

Question 14

myogenic muscle

Answer 14

• cardiac muscle fibres that can contract without external nerve (the brain) stimulation

Question 15

cardiac muscle

Answer 15

• the involuntary muscle of the heart

Question 16

SA (sinoatrial) node

Answer 16

• pacemaker
• small tissue mass in the right atrium that starts the impulses that stimulate the heartbeat

Question 17

AV (atrioventricular) node

Answer 17

• small tissue mass in the right AV area where impulses from the SA node are passed to the ventricles

Question 18

Purkinje fibres

Answer 18

• nerve fibres that branch out and carry electrical impulses throughout the ventricles

Question 19

electrocardiogram (ECG)

Answer 19

• a record/display of someone’s heartbeat produced by electrocardiography

Question 20

arrhythmia

Answer 20

• a condition that causes an irregular heartbeat that occurs when a coronary artery is blocked

Question 21

heart murmur

Answer 21

• a condition caused by a leaky valve (bicuspid) and blood is able to return to a chamber it should not be in
• a rush of blood from the ventricle to the atria causes a gurgling sound that is audible through a stethoscope

Question 22

angina

Answer 22

• a condition that occurs when little oxygen reaches the heart due to a blocked artery, causing chest pain

Question 23

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 23

• a part of the nervous system that prepares the body for stress and increases heart rate/blood flow
• “fight or flight” response

Question 24

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 24

• a part of the nervous system that returns the body to normal resting levels following adjustments to stress
• “rest and digest” system