Heart Anatomy

superior vena cava

blood returns to the heart from head and arms

inferior vena cava

blood returns to the heart from the trunk and legs

right atrium

deoxygenated blood enters the heart here

tricuspid valve

right atrioventricular valve

right ventricle

pumps blood to the lungs

pulmonary semilunar valve

leads to the lungs

pulmonary arteries

sends deoxygenated blood to the lungs

pulmonary veins

sends oxygenated blood back to the heart

left atrium

chamber that receives blood from the lungs

mitral valve

bicuspid (left atrioventricular valve)

left ventricle

pumps blood out of the heart through the aorta

aortic semilunar valve

keeps blood from flowing back into the left ventricle

aorta

blood leaves the heart and is pumped to the rest of the body through this

apex of heart

the most inferior part of the external heart

base of heart

the most superior part of the external heart

myocardium

musclular layer of the heart

pericardium

a double layered protective covering of the heart

arteries

vessels that carry blood away from the heart

veins

vessels that carry blood towards the heart

diastole

relaxation/filling of chambers

systole

contraction of chambers

lub

closing of AV valves; occurs at ventricular systole

dub

closing of semilunar valves; occurs at ventricular diastole

visceral pericardium

layer closest to the heart

parietal pericardium

lines the pericardial cavity

interatrial septum

partition between the right and left atria

interventricular septum

partition between the right and left ventricles