Human Physiology: Introduction to Cardiovascular System

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the anatomy, blood flow, electrical system, and common diseases of the human heart based on lecture notes.

Heart Beats per Day

The heart beats approximately $100,000$ times each day.

Heart Pumping Capacity

Each minute, the heart pumps $1.5\,gallons$ of blood.

Heart Size

On average, the heart is about the size of a person’s clenched fist.

Atria

The upper two chambers of the heart that receive and collect blood.

Ventricles

The lower two chambers of the heart that pump blood out of the heart.

Septum

The muscle that divides the heart into right and left halves.

Heart Valves (Purpose)

Structures that prevent backflow of blood and keep blood flowing in one direction.

Tricuspid Valve

The valve located between the right atrium and the right ventricle.

Mitral (Bicuspid) Valve

The valve located between the left atrium and the left ventricle.

Pulmonary Arteries

Vessels that take deoxygenated blood to the lungs for gas exchange.

Pulmonary Veins

Right and left vessels that bring oxygenated blood back to the heart (left atrium).

Aorta

The large vessel through which blood is pumped from the left ventricle to the rest of the body.

Pulmonary circuit

The movement of blood from the heart to the lungs and back to the heart.

Systemic circulation

The movement of blood from the body to the heart and back to the body.

Systole

The phase of contraction, divided into atrial (pumping to ventricles) and ventricular (pumping to lungs or body).

Diastole

The phase of relaxation when the atria and ventricles fill with blood.

Myogenic control

A characteristic where each heartbeat is caused by an electrical signal from within the heart muscle itself, allowing it to beat outside the body.

Sinoatrial (SA) node

Known as the pacemaker; the area where the electrical signal starts and sets the pace of the heart.

Atrioventricular (AV) node

The location where electrical impulses pause for $0.1\,s$ as blood fills the ventricles.

Purkinje fibers

Fibers that conduct impulses to depolarize the contractile cells of both ventricles, causing contraction.

Congestive Heart Failure

A condition where the heart is too weak or stiff to pump blood effectively.

Myocardial Infarction

A heart attack; occurs when the coronary artery is blocked, causing heart muscle to die due to lack of oxygen.

Atrial Fibrillation

A condition involving abnormal electrical impulses in the atrium causing an irregular heartbeat.