Heart Structures
This upper chamber receives deoxygenated blood from the body.
What is the right atrium?
This blood component carries oxygen.
What are red blood cells?
Blood returning from the body enters this chamber first.
What is the pulmonary artery?
This structure is known as the heart’s natural pacemaker.
What is the SA node?
This is the normal heart rhythm.
What is normal sinus rhythm?
This condition happens when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries.
What is coronary artery disease (CAD)?
This chamber pumps oxygen-rich blood out to the body.
What is the left ventricle?
This blood component helps the body fight infection.
What are white blood cells?
After the right ventricle, blood travels to the lungs through this vessel.
What is the pulmonary artery?
This structure receives the signal from the SA node and slows it slightly before sending it on.
What is the AV node?
This rhythm means the heart is beating too slowly.
What is sinus bradycardia?
This emergency happens when blood flow to part of the heart muscle is blocked and the tissue begins to die.
What is a myocardial infarction (heart attack)?
This wall separates the right and left sides of the heart.
What is the septum?
This blood component helps blood clot.
What are platelets?
After the left atrium, blood moves into this chamber.
What is the left ventricle?
These fibers help spread the electrical signal through the ventricles so they contract.
What are the Purkinje fibers?
This rhythm means the heart is beating too fast.
What is sinus tachycardia?
Name two risk factors that can increase a person’s chance of having a myocardial infarction.
What is high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, stress, or family history?
These structures help keep blood moving in one direction through the heart.
What are the heart valves?
These blood vessels carry blood away from the heart.
What are arteries?
After the lungs, oxygen-rich blood returns to the heart through these vessels.
What are the pulmonary veins?
The conduction system controls this important heart function.
What is the heartbeat/rhythm/electrical activity?
This rhythm is irregular and often has no clear P waves.
What is atrial fibrillation?
This is the most common symptom of a myocardial infarction, but it may also come with shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw.
What is chest pain or chest pressure?
This structure receives oxygen-rich blood returning from the lungs.
What is the left atrium?
These tiny blood vessels are where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.
What are capillaries?
Put these in order: left ventricle, lungs, right atrium, pulmonary artery
What is right atrium → right ventricle → pulmonary artery → lungs → pulmonary veins → left atrium → left ventricle
Put these in order: AV node, SA node, Purkinje fibers, Bundle branches
What is SA node → AV node → Bundle branches → Purkinje fibers?
This rhythm is chaotic, life-threatening, and can lead to cardiac arrest.
What is ventricular fibrillation?
Name two ways a person can help prevent a myocardial infarction.
What is eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly, not smoking, managing stress, controlling blood pressure/cholesterol, and going to regular doctor visits.