The Heart Flashcards
What type of muscle makes up the heart?
Cardiac muscle
Cardiac muscle is specialized for the heart’s contraction and is different from smooth and skeletal muscle.
What is the primary function of the superior vena cava?
Carries deoxygenated blood from the upper body to the heart
The superior vena cava is one of the large veins that return blood to the right atrium.
What is the role of the aorta?
Carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the body
The aorta is the largest artery in the body.
What are the two types of valves in the heart?
Atrioventricular valves and Semilunar valves
Atrioventricular valves separate the atria from the ventricles, while semilunar valves are located at the exits of the ventricles.
What is the function of the sinoatrial node?
Acts as the natural pacemaker of the heart
The sinoatrial node generates electrical impulses that initiate heartbeats.
What are the four chambers of the heart?
Two atria and two ventricles
The atria are the upper chambers, and the ventricles are the lower chambers.
Which chambers of the heart handle deoxygenated blood?
Right atrium and right ventricle
These chambers receive and pump blood that has low oxygen content.
Which chambers of the heart handle oxygenated blood?
Left atrium and left ventricle
These chambers receive and pump blood rich in oxygen to the body.
What is the role of valves within the heart?
Prevent backflow of blood
Valves ensure unidirectional blood flow through the heart chambers.
What is the function of the septum in the heart?
Separates the left and right sides of the heart
The septum prevents mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.
Why is the muscle surrounding the left ventricle thicker than that surrounding the right ventricle?
It needs to generate more force to pump blood to the entire body
The left ventricle pumps blood through the systemic pathway, which is a longer distance than the right ventricle’s pulmonary pathway.
How is an artery defined compared to a vein?
An artery carries blood away from the heart, while a vein carries blood to the heart
This definition holds true regardless of oxygen content, as pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood.
What electrical activity does ‘P’ correspond to in a normal heartbeat?
Atrial depolarization
The ‘P’ wave represents the electrical impulse that triggers atrial contraction.
What does ‘QRS’ represent in a normal heartbeat?
Ventricular depolarization
The ‘QRS’ complex indicates the electrical activity that leads to ventricular contraction.
What action does ‘T’ correspond to in a normal heartbeat?
Ventricular repolarization
The ‘T’ wave represents the recovery phase of the ventricles after contraction.
What are the three types of blood vessels?
Arteries, Veins, Capillaries
Each type serves a distinct function in the circulatory system.
What is the primary purpose of arteries and arterioles?
To carry oxygenated blood away from the heart
Arteries are thicker and more muscular than veins.
What is the primary purpose of veins and venules?
To return deoxygenated blood to the heart
Veins have valves to prevent backflow.
What is the primary purpose of capillaries?
To facilitate the exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste between blood and tissues
Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels.
What is blood pressure?
The pressure exerted against the walls of the heart as blood is transported throughout the body
It is measured as a ratio of systolic to diastolic pressure.
What is considered a normal blood pressure reading?
120/80
This represents systolic/diastolic pressure.
Define systolic pressure.
The pressure in the arteries when the heart beats
It is the higher number in a blood pressure reading.
Define diastolic pressure.
The pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats
It is the lower number in a blood pressure reading.
