The Heart

• The heart labelled:

  • A - Pulmonary Artery
  • B - Vena Cava
  • C - Right Atrium
  • D - Heart Valve
  • E - Tendons
  • F - Right Ventricle
  • G - Left Ventricle
  • H - Heart Valve
  • I - Left Atrium
  • J - Pulmonary Vein
  • K - Aorta

  
• The right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs to take in oxygen, the blood then returns to the heart
• The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood around the body via the arteries
• Left = Oxygenated
• Right = Deoxygenated
• Flow of blood through the heart:

  • Vena Cava
  • Right Atrium
  • Right Ventricle
  • Pulmonary Artery
  • Pulmonary Vein
  • Left Atrium
  • Left Ventricle
  • Aorta
• The valves ensure the blood flows in the right direction
• An artificial pacemaker is used to control heartbeat if the natural pacemaker doesnt work properly (irregular heartbeat). It produces and electric current to keep the heart beating regularly
• Stents keep arteries open so blood can pass through to the heart muscles
• Coronary heart disease is when the coronary arteries that supply the blood get blocked by layers of fatty material building up. This means arteries become narrow so blood flow is restricted and theres a lack of oxygen to the heart muscle, this can result in a heart attack
• Stents lower the risk of a heart attack and CHD
• Stents have a short recovery time and they last for a long time
• Stent surgery can result in infection and developing blood clots near the stent
• Statins reduce cholesterol in the blood
• Statins use drugs to lower the levels of cholesterol present in the blood stream, this slows down the rate of fatty deposits building up.
• Statin Advantages

  • Reduces the risk of strokes, CHD and heart attacks
  • Increase the beneficial type of cholesterol
  • Prevent other diseases
• Disadvantages of Statins

  • Long term drug that need to be taken regularly
  • Can have negative side effects e.g. kidney failure, liver damage and memory loss
  • The effect isnt instant
• An artifical heart can pump blood around the body.
• Heart failure can be treated with a heart transplant using donor organs from dead people but if donor organs arent avaliable, they may fit an artifical heart.
• Artificial hearts are mechanical devices that pump blood around the body
• Artificial hearts are only a temporary fix, to keep a person alive until a donor heart can be found
• Pacemakers are placed in the right atrium
• The main advantage is that artifical hearts are less likely to be rejected by the bodys immune system
• Surgery to fit an artificial heart can lead to bleeding or an infection.
• Artificial hearts dont work as well as natural ones and the electric motor could fail.
• Blood doesnt flow as smoothly through artificial hearts so the patient has to take drugs to thin their blood
• Faulty heart valves can be replaced with biological or mechanical valves
• Valves can become leaky or not open properly, causing blood to flow backwards into the heart
• Biological valves can be taken from humans or other mammals
• Mechanical valves are man-made