The Heart and Fetal Circulation

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to heart anatomy, chambers, valves, coronary circulation, intrinsic conduction, and fetal circulation.

Cardiovascular System

A body system whose major components are the heart, blood vessels, and blood, and whose major function is the transportation of nutrients, oxygen, waste products, and hormones.

Right Atrium

The heart chamber that receives deoxygenated blood from the superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, and coronary sinus.

Left Atrium

The heart chamber that receives oxygenated blood from the four pulmonary veins (two right and two left).

Right Ventricle

The heart chamber that discharges deoxygenated blood into the pulmonary circuit.

Left Ventricle

The heart chamber that discharges oxygenated blood into the systemic circuit.

Epicardium

The most superficial layer of the heart wall.

Myocardium

The middle layer of the heart wall consisting of cardiac muscle.

Endocardium

The deepest layer of the heart wall.

Superior Vena Cava (SVC)

A great vessel formed by the joining of the left and right brachiocephalic veins that returns blood from the thoracic wall, upper limb, head, and neck.

Inferior Vena Cava (IVC)

A great vessel formed by the joining of the left and right common iliac veins that returns blood from the abdomen, pelvis, and lower limb.

Pulmonary Trunk

A vessel leaving the right ventricle that bifurcates into the left and right pulmonary arteries.

Pulmonary Veins

Four vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium.

Aorta

The great vessel leaving the left ventricle to send oxygenated blood to the systemic circulation.

Tricuspid Valve

The atrioventricular valve located between the right atrium and right ventricle that prevents backflow into the right atrium.

Bicuspid Valve

Also known as the mitral valve; the atrioventricular valve located between the left atrium and left ventricle that prevents backflow into the left atrium.

Pulmonary Semilunar Valve

The semilunar valve located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary trunk that prevents backflow into the right ventricle.

Aortic Semilunar Valve

The semilunar valve located between the left ventricle and the aorta that prevents backflow into the left ventricle.

First Heart Sound

The heart sound produced when the AV valves close as the ventricles contract during systole.

Second Heart Sound

The heart sound produced when the semilunar valves close as the ventricles relax during diastole.

Right Coronary Artery

An artery originating at the base of the aorta that branches into the right marginal artery and the posterior interventricular artery.

Left Coronary Artery

An artery originating at the base of the aorta that branches into the anterior interventricular artery and the circumflex artery.

Coronary Sinus

A venous channel that receives deoxygenated blood from the small, middle, and great cardiac veins and empties directly into the right atrium.

Diastole

The period when the heart is relaxed, during which maximal blood flow to the myocardium occurs.

Intrinsic Conduction System

A network of specialized cardiac pacemaker cells responsible for initiating and distributing electrical impulses throughout the heart without nervous system input.

Umbilical Vein

A fetal vessel within the umbilical cord that carries nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood to the fetal heart.

Umbilical Arteries

Two fetal vessels within the umbilical cord that carry deoxygenated blood away from the fetus to the placenta.

Ductus Venosus

A fetal structure that shunts blood from the umbilical vein through the liver directly into the inferior vena cava.

Foramen Ovale

A fetal opening that shunts blood directly from the right atrium to the left atrium to bypass the non-functioning fetal lungs.

Ductus Arteriosus

A fetal vessel that shunts blood from the left pulmonary artery to the aorta.

Ligamentum Teres

The remnant structure of the closed fetal umbilical vein found within the inferior edge of the falciform ligament in adults.

Ligamentum Venosum

The adult remnant structure formed after the closure of the fetal ductus venosus.

Fossa Ovalis

The adult remnant structure formed after the closure of the fetal foramen ovale.

Ligamentum Arteriosum

The adult remnant structure formed after the closure of the fetal ductus arteriosus.