Heart Basics
What is the main function of the heart?
Answer: To pump blood through the body
What are the upper chambers of the heart called?
Answer: Atria
What are the two main veins that carry blood into the heart?
Answer: Superior and inferior vena cava
What is the medical name for a heart attack?
Answer: Myocardial infarction
How many times does the heart beat per minute on average?
Answer: 60 to 100 times
How many chambers does the heart have?
Answer: Four
What are the lower chambers of the heart called?
Answer: Ventricles
Where does blood go after it leaves the right ventricle?
Answer: Lungs
What condition is caused by high blood pressure?
Answer: Hypertension
True or False: Your heart stops when you sneeze.
Answer: False
What system is the heart a part of?
Answer: Circulatory system
What valve is between the left atrium and left ventricle?
Answer: Mitral (or bicuspid) valve
What gas does blood pick up in the lungs?
Answer: Oxygen
What builds up inside arteries and can block blood flow?
Answer: Plaque
Which side of the heart has oxygen-rich blood?
Answer: The left side
What type of muscle is the heart made of?
Answer: Cardiac muscle
Which blood vessel brings oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart?
Answer: Pulmonary vein
What chamber does blood enter after returning from the lungs?
Answer: Left atrium
What condition causes irregular or abnormal heartbeats?
Answer: Arrhythmia
How much blood does the heart pump each day?
Answer: About 2,000 gallons
What is the name of the wall that separates the right and left sides of the heart?
Answer: Septum
What is the largest artery in the body that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body?
Answer: Aorta
After the left atrium, where does blood go next?
Answer: Left ventricle
What test measures the electrical activity of the heart?
Answer: ECG or EKG
Is your heart located on the left side of your chest?
Answer: No — it's in the center, slightly to the left