The heart

Cards (9)

What is the heart
The central pump of the circulatory system
What does the heart do
It supplies oxygenated blood to tissues and organs and returns deoxygenated blood to the lungs for reoxygenation
What are the walls of the heart made up of
Mostly made up of muscle tissue which contracts to pump the blood
What does the heart contain
Valves to prevent the backflow of blood
Components of the heart
Right: Vena cava, right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery
Left: pulmonary vein, left atrium, right ventricle, aorta
How does the heart pump blood
Blood enters the atria through the vena cava and pulmonary vein
Atria contracts, pushing blood into the ventricles
Ventricles contract pushing blood out through the pulmonary artery and the aorta
What is special about the left side of the heart
Thicker walls
Pumps blood to the rest of the body, so blood needs to be pumped out at a higher pressure
Double circulatory system
Right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood to lungs
Oxygenated blood returns to left ventricle
Left ventricle pumps to the rest of the body
The hearts natural pacemaker
A group of cells in the right atrium generate electrical signals that cause the heart muscles to contract, regulating the heartbeat