The Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Chamber within the chest that contains the heart and lungs.
Thoracic cavity
The space in the chest between the lungs that contains all the internal organs of the chest (e.g., heart, esophagus) except the lungs.
Mediastinum
Superior chamber(s) of the heart that gathers blood returning to the heart.
Atrium (Atria)
Inferior chamber of the heart that pumps blood to the lungs and body.
Ventricle
Found in the heart, these formations help hold together muscle cells.
Intercalated discs
Located in the right atrium, this node initiates an electrical signal that causes the heart to beat.
Sinoatrial (SA) node
Located between the atria and ventricles, this node delays the impulse from the sinoatrial node before allowing the ventricles to fill with blood from the atria prior to contracting.
Atrioventricular (AV) node
The amount of blood pumped out of the heart with each contraction.
Stroke volume
The filled volume of the ventricle before contraction.
End-diastolic volume
The volume of blood remaining in the ventricle after ejection.
End-systolic volume
When the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute.
Bradycardia
When the heart rate is greater than 100 beats per minute.
Tachycardia
Cells within the body that divide and develop into specialized cells, such as brain cells, blood cells, heart cells, and bone cells.
Stem cells
________ carry blood away from the heart and to the lungs.
Arteries
The smallest blood vessels and the site of exchange of elements between the blood and the tissues.
Capillaries
Vessels that carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart and then to the lungs.
Veins
Small arteries that eventually divide into capillaries.
Arterioles
Small veins that allows blood to drain from capillaries into the larger veins.
Venules
The term for formation of new capillaries.
Vasculogenesis
The formation of new capillaries from existing blood vessels.
Angiogenesis
