Loreto, Bien BMG3FX/MWF/3:00-04:00

Lugo, Mariel

Cabigao, Jean

Characteristics of Parts of Circulatory System

Circulatory system - it is one of the transport systems of the human body that is
composed of the heart, the blood and the blood vessels. Its functions include: 1) carries
food and oxygen to the different cells of the body; 2) carries body wastes away; 3)
protects the body from diseases; and 4) serves as the body's defense system.

Heart - is a muscle that pumps blood to the different parts of the body; it is the pump of
the circulatory system. it is: 1) made up of muscle tissue, 2) a strong, hollow muscle
about the size of a clenched fist, 3) it is located slightly left of your chest.

Septum - it is the heart wall; it separates the two sides (left and right) of the heart

Atrium - it is what the two upper (left and right) chambers of the heart is called;
together, these two makes up the atria. These are the receiving chambers of the heart.

Ventricles - it is what the two lower chambers (or pumping chambers) of the heart is
called. these have thicker and more muscular walls than the atria because these are the
pumping chambers which are responsible for keeping the blood moving.

Right atrium - found on the right side of the heart, this is the atrium which receives
blood from the body

Right ventricle - found on the right side of the heart, this ventricle pumps blood into the
lungs and from where the blood goes to the left side of the heart.

Left atrium - found on the left side of the heart, it is through this that the oxygenated
blood (or the blood passed through the lungs) goes back to the heart.

Left ventricle - from the left atrium, the blood goes here; this pumps the blood that
keeps moving throughout the body

Valves - parts of the heart that act like doors; these are flaps of tissues that open and
close allowing blood to flow only in one direction.

Heartbeat - this is the tightening of the heart muscles to force blood through the blood
vessels; on average this happens around 70 to 80 times a minute, depending on your
activities
Lub - the sound of the heartbeat when the valves between chambers close and the
ventricles contract, which means that blood is pumped out of the ventricles and enters
the atria.

Dub - you hear this when ventricles relax and another set of valves closes.

Superior vena cava and the Inferior vena cava - largest veins in the body; it is
through these veins that blood low in oxygen and high in carbon dioxide enters the right
atrium of the heart

Pulmonary arteries - the right ventricle pumps the blood into these which then takes
the blood to the lungs

Aorta - the largest artery in the body; this sends blood to all tissues in the body
Definition:

1. The term cardiology is derived from the Greek words cardia, which refers to the
heart and logy meaning study. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that concerns
diseases and disorders of the heart, which may range from congenital defects through
to acquired heart diseases such as coronary artery disease and congestive heart
failure.

2. Myopathies are diseases of skeletal muscle that are not caused by nerve disorders.
These diseases cause the skeletal or voluntary muscles to become weak or shrunken
(atrophied).
3. Intercalated disc - A modification of the cell membrane of adjacent cardiac muscle
cells; it consists of extensive folds and intercellular junctions for electrical and
mechanical linkage of contiguous cells.
4. Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing
against the walls of arteries as it flows through them. Arteries are the blood vessels that
carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the bodys tissues.

5. Cardiac arrhythmia - also known as cardiac dysrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, is

a group of conditions in which the heartbeat is irregular, too fast, or too slow.

6. Phlebotomy is the process of making an incision in a vein with a needle. The

procedure itself is known as a venipuncture. It is a procedure that removes blood from
the body. Regular phlebotomy treats people who have too much iron in their blood, such
as with hemochromatosis, or who are producing too many red blood cells, such as with
polycythemia. Removing blood regularly decreases iron levels in the body by reducing
the number of iron-rich red blood cells.
7. The chordae tendinae (tendinous chords), colloquially known as the heart strings,
are cord-like tendons that connect the papillary muscles to the tricuspid valve and the
mitral valve in the heart.

8. A cardiac arrest is also called a cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest and

indicates a sudden stop in effective and normal blood circulation due to failure of the
heart to pump blood. Cardiac arrest is different from myocardial infarction or heart
attack but may be caused by a heart attack. When the blood flow to the heart is stopped
due to narrow or obstructed coronary arteries, a heart attack occurs. This may lead to a
cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest.

9. Tetralogy Fallot is a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects

that are present at birth. These defects, which affect the structure of the heart, cause
oxygen-poor blood to flow out of the heart and to the rest of the body. Infants and
children with tetralogy of Fallot usually have blue-tinged skin because their blood
doesn't carry enough oxygen.
10. A pacemaker is a small device that's placed in the chest or abdomen to help control
abnormal heart rhythms. This device uses electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat
at a normal rate. Pacemakers are used to treat arrhythmias. Arrhythmias are problems
with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat.