Heart, Blood Flow, and Vital Signs Study Guide

Practice vocabulary flashcards covering the Heart and Blood Flow Study Guide and the Vital Signs Study Guide.

Heart checklist

A reference checklist found in the Lab Packet containing bold terms used to locate and identify anatomical structures on heart models.

Heart models

Laboratory anatomical models used to review, locate, and identify key cardiovascular structures for testing.

Arteries and veins

Two primary classes of blood vessels that transport blood throughout the body and differ in structural role and direction of flow.

Systemic and pulmonary systems

The two distinct circulatory circuits that transport blood through the body and through the lungs.

Capillaries

Microscopic blood vessels that perform vital exchange functions, including the exchange of respiratory gases and temperature regulation.

Flow of blood through the heart

The specific sequence and pathway that blood follows as it travels through the heart chambers and associated vessels.

Oxygenated blood

Blood carrying oxygen, identified in specific chambers and blood vessels of the heart.

Deoxygenated blood

Blood depleted of oxygen, tracked through specific chambers and blood vessels of the heart.

Physical and emotional stress

Stress conditions that trigger predictable changes in vital signs, including pulse, electrical activity of the heart, blood pressure, core temp, skin temp, and respiration rate.

Muscular contractions of the heart

The $2$ distinct contraction events occurring in the cardiac cycle, each triggered by specific electrical activity and associated with one of $2$ nodes.

Nodes of the heart

The $2$ specialized electrical nodes associated with causing the $2$ muscular contractions of the heart.

Sound of a heartbeat

The acoustic sound generated by specific mechanical and valvular events occurring within the heart.

Pulse

A measurable vital sign reflecting heart beats, which can be taken on the body and changes under physical and emotional stress.

EKG

A diagnostic monitoring tool that records the electrical activity of the heart as a cardiogram.

Cardiogram peaks

The distinct wave peaks recorded on an EKG, each representing electrical activity that corresponds to a specific heart chamber contracting.

Blood pressure

A vital sign monitored with a specific instrument and recorded as two separate numbers that represent different cardiovascular states.

Core temp

The internal body temperature that rarely changes, maintained in homeostasis through adjustments in surface temperature.

Surface temperature

The temperature measured at the body's exterior or skin, which actively changes to preserve a stable core temperature.

Capillary temperature regulation

Specific vascular adjustments occurring within capillary beds that regulate body heat and maintain thermal balance.

Shivering and sweating

Physiological responses activated by the body to regulate temperature under thermal stress.

Respiration rate

A vital sign measuring breaths per minute, which increases during heavy physical activity as well as physical and emotional stress.

Respiratory gases

Gases that undergo exchange across the walls of the capillaries between the blood and tissues.