Chapter 10: The Cardiovascular System

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering anatomical terms, word parts, clinical disorders, and surgical procedures of the cardiovascular system from Chapter 10.

Angi/o

Vessel

Aort/o

Aorta

Ateri/o

Artery

Ather/o

Fatty

Atri/o

Atrium

Brady-

Slow

Cardi/o

Heart

Coron/o

Crown

-ecstasis

Dilation, expansion

Electr/o

Electricity

-emia

Blood

Endo-

Inner, within

-gram

Written record

Hem/o; hemat/o

Blood

Isch

Restricting, narrowing

My/o

Muscle

Peri-

Around, surrounding

Phleb/o

Vein

-stenosis

A narrowing

Tachy-

Fast

Thromb/o

Clot

Valv/o, valvul/o

Valve

Varic/o

Dilated

Vas/o

Vessel

Ven/o

Vein

Ventric/o

Ventricle

Pulmonary circuit

Passage of blood from the heart's right ventricle, through the lung's pulmonary arteries, back through pulmonary veins to the heart's left atrium.

Systemic circuit

Circulation of blood through arteries, capillaries, and veins of the general system.

Apex

The lowermost tip of the heart.

Endocardium

The innermost layer of the heart wall.

Myocardium

The middle layer of the heart wall; the actual heart muscle and the thickest of the three layers.

Epicardium

The outer layer of the heart wall; surrounded by the pericardium.

Pericardium

A sac composed of two layers surrounding the heart, containing fluid in the space between the layers that helps reduce friction during heartbeats.

Right atrium

The upper right chamber of the heart that receives blood from all body parts except the lungs.

Right ventricle

The lower right chamber of the heart that receives blood from the right atrium and pumps it to the lungs.

Left atrium

The upper left chamber of the heart that receives oxygen-rich blood as it returns from the lungs.

Left ventricle

The lower left chamber of the heart that pumps blood out of the aorta to all parts of the body.

Sinoatrial (SA) node

The pacemaker of the heart; the site where the electrical stimulus of the heart begins.

Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)

The recorded electrical activity of the heart.

Electrocardiograph

The machine that records the electrical activity of the heart.

Systole

The contraction phase of the rhythmic heartbeat cycle.

Diastole

The relaxation phase of the rhythmic heartbeat cycle.

Heart rate (HR)

The number of heart contractions per minute.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart.

Arterioles

Smaller branches of the arteries.

Capillaries

Blood vessels that connect the arterial and venous systems.

Veins

Blood vessels that return blood to the heart.

Venules

Smaller branches of the veins.

Lumen

The tubular space inside a blood vessel through which blood flows.

Vasodilation

The opening or widening of the blood vessel lumen.

Vasoconstriction

The closing or narrowing of the blood vessel lumen.

Sphygmomanometer

An instrument (blood pressure cuff) used to measure blood pressure.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells (RBCs); their main function is to transport oxygen.

Leukocytes

White blood cells (WBCs); they serve as the body's main defense against harmful organisms.

Thrombocytes

Platelets; cell fragments that play an important role in the blood-clotting process.

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

Narrowing of the lumen of one or more coronary arteries, usually due to atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis

A progressive buildup of plaque or fatty deposits on inner arterial walls, causing the lumen to narrow.

Hyperlipidemia

An increased level of blood fat (lipids), involving high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and low-density lipoproteins (LDLs).

Arteriosclerosis

Hardening and loss of elasticity in an artery, impeding blood flow to the heart muscle.

Ischemia

An inadequate supply of blood and oxygen to tissues.

Thrombus

A blood clot in a blood vessel.

Thrombosis

The formation of a thrombus (blood clot).

Embolus

A blood clot that moves throughout the bloodstream.

Myocardial infarction (MI)

A heart attack resulting from a lack of oxygen supply to the myocardium.

Congestive heart failure (CHF)

A disorder in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs for oxygen and nutrients.

Arrhythmia

Any irregularity of the heart's rhythm; pertaining to without rhythm.

Bradycardia

A slower than normal heart rate (HR); pertaining to a slow heart.

Tachycardia

A faster than normal heart rate (HR).

Fibrillation

Rapid, random, and ineffective contractions of the heart.

Atrial fibrillation (A-fib)

A condition in which the atria beat faster than the ventricles.

Ventricular fibrillation

A potentially fatal condition in which the ventricles pump blood ineffectively.

Hypertension (HTN)

High blood pressure defined by a systolic reading $> 140\,\text{mm}\,\text{Hg}$ or a diastolic reading $> 90\,\text{mm}\,\text{Hg}$.

Anemia

A blood disorder characterized by a deficiency of red blood cells (RBCs) or a low level of hemoglobin (Hb).

Leukemia

A blood disorder characterized by an increased number of white blood cells (WBCs).

Cardioversion

A treatment for fibrillation that applies an electric current to restore normal heart rhythm.

Ablation therapy

A procedure that applies radiofrequency waves to the heart to treat cardiac disorders.

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)

A surgical procedure where a balloon-tipped catheter is inserted into an occluded coronary artery and inflated to expand plaque deposits.

Arterial stent

A device placed into a narrowed artery via a balloon-tipped catheter; expanding the balloon opens the stent, which remains in place when the catheter is removed.

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

A surgical procedure using a vein graft (e.g., saphenous vein) or artery (e.g., internal thoracic artery) to redirect blood flow around a blocked coronary artery.

Valvotomy

A surgical procedure involving the excision or opening of a blocked heart valve.

Cardiologist

A medical specialist who diagnoses and treats heart disorders.

Cardiovascular surgeon

A surgeon who surgically corrects disorders of the cardiovascular system.

Hematologist

A medical specialist who treats disorders of the blood.

Hematology

The study of blood (broken down into root hemat/ [blood], combining vowel o, and suffix -logy [study of]).

Myocardial

Pertaining to the heart muscle (broken down into root my/ [muscle], combining vowel o, root cardi/ [heart], and suffix -al [adjective marker]).