The Heart Flashcards
1
Q
Describe how blood flows through the heart and lungs to leave the heart through the aorta
A
Blood flows from vena cava into the right atrium then into the right ventricle which contracts, pumping the blood into the pulmonary artery, through the valve to the lungs.
From the lungs, blood flows back to the heart via the pulmonary vein. It flows into the left atrium, the left ventricle, through the valve and is pumped into the aorta.
Valves prevent backflow of blood.
2
Q
Cardiac output
A
Cardiac output = stroke volume x heart rate
3
Q
Why is the left ventricle thicker than the right?
A
The left ventricle has to pump blood all the way around the body, not just the lungs
