The heart Flashcards
What does the circulatory system do?
Transports food and oxygen to the body’s cells, and carries waste products out of the body.
What is the circulatory system made up of?
It’s a double circulatory system including the heart, blood vessels and blood.
What does the right ventricle do?
Pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs through the pulmonary artery so it can take in oxygen which then returns to the heart.
What does the left ventricle do?
It pumps oxygenated blood around to other organs through the aorta, the blood gives up it’s oxygen to the body cells so the process repeats.
What is the heart? (2)
The heart is a pumping organ that keeps the blood flowing around the body, it’s walls are made of cardiac muscle tissue. Both sides of the heart beat simultaneously.
The heart has what and what do they do?
Valves to prevent blood flowing the wrong way- a backflow.
What are the chambers of the heart? (2)
The right and left atrium/ventricle. On a diagram of the heart these look the wrong way round.
Describe the journey of the blood.(5)
1) Blood flows into the two atria from the vena cava and pulmonary vein.
2) Atria contracts, pushing blood into ventricles.
3) Ventricles contract, forcing blood into pulmonary artery and aorta, out of the heart.
4) Blood flows to organs through arteries and back through veins.
5) Cycle starts over.
What gives the heart it’s own supply of oxygenated blood?
Coronary arteries which branch into the aorta and surround the heart, giving it oxygenated blood.
What controls your resting heart rate?
A group of cells in the right atrium wall that acts as a pacemaker. They produce a small electrical impulse which cause the surrounding muscle walls to contract. An artificial pacemaker can be used by people who have heart problems, to keep their heart beating regularly.
