Transport Systems in Mammals (Humans) Flashcards
Heart
A muscular organ in most animals, which pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to the lungs.
Blood
Fluid that transports oxygen and nutrients to the cells and carries away carbon dioxide and other waste products.
Blood Vessels
Vessels in the human or animal body in which blood circulates.
Include:
- arteries (transport blood from heart to other parts of body)
- arterioles (small brances of artery)
- venule (small branches that collect blood from other parts of body and unite with veins)
- veins (transport blood from other parts of body to heart)
- capillaries (thin-walled vessels that connect the arterioles and venules; it is through the capillaries that nutrients and wastes are exchanged between the blood and body tissues)
Pericardium
Double-walled membrane that encloses the heart.
Atrium
Heart chamber that receives blood into the heart and drives it into a ventricle, or chamber, for pumping blood away from the heart.
Ventricle
Muscular chamber that pumps blood out of the heart and into the circulatory system. Ventricles occur among some invertebrates.
Aorta
The main artery that carries blood away from your heart to the rest of your body. The blood leaves the heart through the aortic valve. Then it travels through the aorta, making a cane-shaped curve that allows other major arteries to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the brain, muscles and other cells.
Superior Vena Cava
A large vein that receives blood from the head, neck, upper extremities, and thorax and delivers it to the right atrium of the heart.
Inferior Vena Cava
A large vein that carries blood to the heart from other areas of the body. The inferior vena cava carries blood from the legs, feet, and organs in the abdomen and pelvis.
