Heart Basics
This organ pumps blood through the body.
What is the heart?
These blood vessels carry blood away from the heart.
What are arteries?
This system moves blood through the body.
What is the circulatory system?
This happens when blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked.
What is a heart attack?
This type of exercise, like running or biking, strengthens the heart by making it pump blood more efficiently.
What is cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise?
This chamber of the heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body.
What is the left ventricle?
These blood vessels carry blood back to the heart.
What are veins?
This type of blood cell carries oxygen.
What are red blood cells?
This happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked.
What is a stroke?
This harmful habit damages blood vessels and greatly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
What is smoking?
This muscle makes up most of the heart.
What is cardiac muscle?
These tiny blood vessels allow oxygen and nutrients to move into cells.
What are capillaries?
This is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls.
What is blood pressure?
This fatty buildup inside arteries can block blood flow.
What is plaque?
Eating too much of this type of fat, often found in fried foods and fast food, can lead to plaque buildup in arteries.
What are saturated fats or trans fats?
This test records the electrical activity of the heart.
What is an ECG (EKG)?
These blood vessels contain valves to prevent blood from flowing backward.
What are veins?
This type of circulation moves blood between the heart and lungs.
What is pulmonary circulation?
This disease occurs when arteries become narrow and hardened.
What is atherosclerosis?
Doctors measure this using two numbers (systolic over diastolic) to see how hard blood is pushing against artery walls.
What is blood pressure?
This is the largest artery leaving the heart.
What is the aorta?
These vessels connect arteries and veins.
What are capillaries?
This type of circulation moves blood between the heart and the rest of the body.
What is systemic circulation?
This condition means the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly.
What is arrhythmia?
This mineral in red blood cells allows hemoglobin to carry oxygen through the bloodstream to the body.
What is iron?