Heart Anatomy
The upper chambers of the heart that receive blood.
What are the atria?
The circuit that carries blood from the heart to the lungs and back.
What is pulmonary circulation?
The force blood exerts on the inner walls of blood vessels.
What is blood pressure?
Chest pain caused by reduced oxygen to the heart muscle.
What is angina?
Blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart.
What are veins?
The lower chambers of the heart that pump blood out.
What are the ventricles?
The circuit that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
What is systemic circulation?
The top number in a blood pressure reading.
What is systolic pressure?
A condition where plaque builds up in coronary arteries.
What is coronary artery disease?
Small veins formed when capillaries merge.
What are venules?
The large artery that carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the body.
What is the aorta?
The circulation that supplies oxygen to the heart muscle itself.
What is coronary circulation?
The bottom number in a blood pressure reading.
What is diastolic pressure?
Permanent damage to heart muscle caused by blocked blood flow.
What is a myocardial infarction (heart attack)?
Blood vessels with thick muscular walls that carry blood away from the heart.
What are arteries?
The valve located between the left atrium and left ventricle.
What is the mitral valve?
The blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.
What are arteries?
This occurs when blood vessels narrow to increase blood pressure.
What is vasoconstriction?
High blood pressure often called the “silent killer.”
What is hypertension?
Small branches of arteries that lead to capillaries.
What are arterioles?
The muscular layer of the heart responsible for pumping blood.
What is the myocardium?
The tiny blood vessels where oxygen and nutrients exchange with body cells.
What are capillaries?
The receptors in the aorta and carotid arteries that help regulate blood pressure.
What are baroreceptors?
Weakening and ballooning of an artery wall.
What is an aneurysm?
The largest vein in the body that returns blood to the heart.
What is the vena cava?