Circulatory System Vocabulary Flashcards

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering the circulatory circuits, blood vessel structures, heart anatomy, conduction system, heart sounds, and blood pressure factors.

Systemic Circulation

The circulatory circuit that carries blood to and from body tissues.

Pulmonary Circulation

The circulatory circuit that carries blood to and from the lungs.

Cardiac Circulation

The circulatory circuit that carries blood to and from the heart tissues.

Arteries

Thick, muscular blood vessels located deep in the body that carry high-pressure blood away from the heart, usually rich in $O_2$ except for the pulmonary artery.

Arterioles

Small arteries that carry blood from larger arteries into capillaries.

Vasodilation

An increase in the diameter of an artery.

Vasoconstriction

A decrease in the diameter of an artery.

Veins

Blood vessels with thinner walls located closer to the body surface that contain valves and bring low-pressure blood towards the heart, usually $O_2$ poor except for the pulmonary vein.

Venules

Small veins that collect blood from capillaries and drain into veins.

Capillaries

Microscopic blood vessels that cover all cells in the body, serving as the site of exchange for nutrients, wastes, and gases, and constructed $1$\,cell thick to allow diffusion.

Atrium

A heart chamber that receives and collects incoming blood.

Ventricle

A muscular heart chamber that pumps blood away from the heart.

Vena Cava

The superior and inferior vessels that bring deoxygenated blood from the body to the right atrium.

Pulmonary Vein

The blood vessel that transports oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium.

Pulmonary Artery

The blood vessel that transports deoxygenated blood away from the right ventricle to the lungs.

Aorta

The major artery that carries oxygenated blood away from the left ventricle to the body.

AV Valve

Atrioventricular valve that allows blood flow from the atrium to the ventricle (right atrium to right ventricle, left atrium to left ventricle) and prevents backflow.

Semilunar Valve

Valves (aortic and pulmonary) that allow blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery and from the left ventricle to the aorta.

Medulla Oblongata

The region of the brain that monitors homeostasis and sends messages through a nerve to increase or decrease heart rate.

SA Node

The pacemaker of the heart that initiates the heartbeat and contracts the left and right atria.

AV Node

The node responsible for receiving signals to contract the ventricles.

Purkinje Fibers

Fibers that induce strong contractions in the ventricles and septum.

Lubb Sound

The first heart sound, created by the closing of the AV valves and blood colliding with the valves during ventricular contraction.

Dubb Sound

The second heart sound, created by the closing of the semilunar valves (aortic and pulmonary) and blood colliding with the valves.

Blood Pressure

The force exerted on the walls of blood vessels resulting from the collision of blood molecules on the inner surface.

Systolic Pressure

The blood pressure recorded during ventricular contraction (associated with the 'Lubb' sound), with a healthy standard of $120$.

Diastolic Pressure

The blood pressure recorded when the heart is relaxed (associated with the 'Dubb' sound), with a healthy standard of $80$.

Cardiac Output

A measure encompassing heart rate and heartbeat strength, where an increase leads to an increase in blood pressure.