Heart Vocab

Front 1

pulmonary circulation

Back 1

the passage of venous blood from the right atrium of the heart through the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries to the lungs where it is oxygenated and its return via the pulmonary veins to enter the left auricle and participate in the systemic circulation

Front 2

systemic circulation

Back 2

the passage of arterial blood from the left atrium of the heart through the left ventricle, the systemic arteries, and the capillaries to the organs and tissues that receive much of its oxygen in exchange for carbon dioxide and the return of the carbon-dioxide carrying blood via the systemic veins to enter the right atrium of the heart and to participate in the pulmonary circulation

Front 3

apex

Back 3

a narrowed or pointed end of an anatomical structure: as a : the narrow somewhat conical upper part of a lung extending into the root b : the lower pointed end of the heart situated in humans opposite the space between the cartilages of the fifth and sixth ribs on the left side c : the extremity of the root of a tooth

Front 4

base

Back 4

hat portion of a bodily organ or part by which it is attached to another more central structure of the organism

Front 5

pericardial

Back 5

of, relating to, or affecting the pericardium; also : situated around the heart

Front 6

pericardium

Back 6

the conical sac of serous membrane that encloses the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels of vertebrates and consists of an outer fibrous coat that loosely invests the heart and is prolonged on the outer surface of the great vessels except the inferior vena cava and a double inner serous coat of which one layer is closely adherent to the heart while the other lines the inner surface of the outer coat with the intervening space being filled with pericardial fluid

Front 7

fibrous pericardium

Back 7

tough, inelastic, dense irregular connective tissue. It prevents overstrechitng of the heart, provides protection, and anchors the heart in place

Front 8

visceral pericardium

Back 8

epicardium adheres tightly to the surface of the heart

Front 9

pericardial fluid

Back 9

reduces friction between the memebranes as the heart moves

Front 10

coronary

Back 10

relating to, affecting, or being the coronary arteries or veins of the heart

Front 11

superior vena cava

Back 11

a vein that is the second largest vein in the human body, is formed by the union of the two brachiocephalic veins at the level of the space between the first two ribs, and returns blood to the right atrium of the heart from the upper half of the body

Front 12

inferior vena cava

Back 12

a vein that is the largest vein in the human body, is formed by the union of the two common iliac veins at the level of the fifth lumbar vertebra, and returns blood to the right atrium of the heart from bodily parts below the diaphragm

Front 13

pulmonary veins

Back 13

any of usually four veins comprising two from each lung that return oxygenated blood from the lungs to the superior part of the left atrium, that may include three veins from the right lung if the veins from all three lobes of the right lung remain separate, and that may include a single trunk from the left lung if its major veins unite before emptying into the left atrium

Front 14

pulmonary trunk

Back 14

divides the pulmonary arteries into left and right , each which deliver blood to the lungs.

Front 15

pulmonary artery

Back 15

an arterial trunk or either of its two main branches that carry oxygen-deficient blood to the lungs

Front 16

left and right coronary artery

Back 16

either of two arteries that arise one from the left and one from the right side of the aorta immediately above the semilunar valves and supply the tissues of the heart itself

Front 17

cardiac vein

Back 17

any of the veins returning the blood from the tissues of the heart that open into the right atrium either directly or through the coronary sinus

Front 18

coronary sinus

Back 18

a venous channel that is derived from the sinus venosus, is continuous with the largest of the cardiac veins, receives most of the blood from the walls of the heart, and empties into the right atrium

Front 19

atria

Back 19

an anatomical cavity or passage; especially : a chamber of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into a ventricle or ventricles

Front 20

auricle

Back 20

an angular or ear-shaped anatomical lobe or process (as an auricular appendage of the heart)

Front 21

ventricle

Back 21

cavity of a bodily part or organ: as a : a chamber of the heart which receives blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries

Front 22

interventricular valve

Back 22

a valve between an atrium and ventricle of the heart

Front 23

papillary muscle

Back 23

one of the small muscular columns attached at one end to the chordae tendineae and at the other to the wall of the ventricle and that maintain tension on the chordae tendineae as the ventricle contracts

Front 24

chordae tendineae

Back 24

any of the delicate tendinous cords that are attached to the edges of the atrioventricular valves of the heart and to the papillary muscles and serve to prevent the valves from being pushed into the atrium during the ventricular contraction

Front 25

endocardium

Back 25

a thin serous membrane lining the cavities of the heart

Front 26

epicardium

Back 26

he visceral part of the pericardium that closely envelops the heart -- called also visceral pericardium

Front 27

myocardium

Back 27

the middle muscular layer of the heart wall

Front 28

intercalated disk

Back 28

any of the specialized regions of the sarcolemma and underlying cytoplasm of cardiac muscle cells that comprise the longitudinal and end-to-end junctions between adjacent cells and that function to connect them mechanically and electrically

Front 29

sinoatrial node

Back 29

a small mass of tissue that is made up of Purkinje fibers, ganglion cells, and nerve fibers, that is embedded in the musculature of the right atrium of higher vertebrates, and that originates the impulses stimulating the heartbeat -- called also S-A node, sinus node

Front 30

pulmonary artery

Back 30

an arterial trunk or either of its two main branches that carry oxygen-deficient blood to the lungs

Front 31

left and right coronary artery

Back 31

either of two arteries that arise one from the left and one from the right side of the aorta immediately above the semilunar valves and supply the tissues of the heart itself

Front 32

cardiac vein

Back 32

any of the veins returning the blood from the tissues of the heart that open into the right atrium either directly or through the coronary sinus

Front 33

coronary sinus

Back 33

a venous channel that is derived from the sinus venosus, is continuous with the largest of the cardiac veins, receives most of the blood from the walls of the heart, and empties into the right atrium

Front 34

atria

Back 34

an anatomical cavity or passage; especially : a chamber of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into a ventricle or ventricles

Front 35

auricle

Back 35

an angular or ear-shaped anatomical lobe or process (as an auricular appendage of the heart)

Front 36

ventricle

Back 36

cavity of a bodily part or organ: as a : a chamber of the heart which receives blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries

Front 37

interventricular valve

Back 37

a valve between an atrium and ventricle of the heart

Front 38

papillary muscle

Back 38

one of the small muscular columns attached at one end to the chordae tendineae and at the other to the wall of the ventricle and that maintain tension on the chordae tendineae as the ventricle contracts

Front 39

chordae tendineae

Back 39

any of the delicate tendinous cords that are attached to the edges of the atrioventricular valves of the heart and to the papillary muscles and serve to prevent the valves from being pushed into the atrium during the ventricular contraction

Front 40

endocardium

Back 40

a thin serous membrane lining the cavities of the heart

Front 41

epicardium

Back 41

he visceral part of the pericardium that closely envelops the heart -- called also visceral pericardium

Front 42

myocardium

Back 42

the middle muscular layer of the heart wall

Front 43

intercalated disk

Back 43

any of the specialized regions of the sarcolemma and underlying cytoplasm of cardiac muscle cells that comprise the longitudinal and end-to-end junctions between adjacent cells and that function to connect them mechanically and electrically

Front 44

sinoatrial node

Back 44

a small mass of tissue that is made up of Purkinje fibers, ganglion cells, and nerve fibers, that is embedded in the musculature of the right atrium of higher vertebrates, and that originates the impulses stimulating the heartbeat -- called also S-A node, sinus node

Front 45

atrioventricular node

Back 45

a small mass of tissue that is situated in the wall of the right atrium adjacent to the septum between the atria, passes impulses received from the sinoatrial node to the ventricles by way of the bundle of His, and in some pathological states replaces the sinoatrial node as pacemaker of the heart

Front 46

atrioventricular bundle

Back 46

a slender bundle of modified cardiac muscle that passes from the atrioventricular node in the right atrium to the right and left ventricles by way of the septum and that maintains the normal sequence of the heartbeat by conducting the wave of excitation from the right atrium to the ventricles

Front 47

purkinje fibers

Back 47

rapidly condcut the action potential, first to the apex of the ventricles and then upwards to the remainder of the ventricular myocardium

Front 48

eeg or EKG

Back 48

an instrument for recording the changes of electrical potential occurring during the heartbeat used especially in diagnosing abnormalities of heart action

Front 49

P wave

Back 49

a deflection in an electrocardiographic tracing that represents atrial activity of the heart

Front 50

QRS complex

Back 50

the series of deflections in an electrocardiogram that represent electrical activity generated by ventricular depolarization prior to contraction of the ventricles

Front 51

T wave P-Q interval or P-R interval

Back 51

the deflection in an electrocardiogram that represents the electrical activity produced by ventricular repolarization

Front 52

Cardiac cycle

Back 52

the complete sequence of events in the heart from the beginning of one beat to the beginning of the following beat

Front 53

Diastole

Back 53

the passive rhythmical expansion or dilation of the cavities of the heart during which they fill with blood

Front 54

Lubb

Back 54

AV valves closgin after ventricular systole begins

Front 55

Dupp

Back 55

smilunar valves closing at the end of ventricular systole

Front 56

Murmurs

Back 56

an atypical sound of the heart typically indicating a functional or structural abnormality

Front 57

Cardiac output

Back 57

the volume of blood ejected from the left side of the heart in one minute

Front 58

Barorecptor

Back 58

a sensory nerve ending especially in the walls of large arteries (as the carotid sinus and arch of the aorta) that is sensitive to changes in blood pressure

Front 59

heart rate

Back 59

a measure of cardiac activity usually expressed as number of beats per minute

Front 60

heart rate

Back 60

a measure of cardiac activity usually expressed as number of beats per minute