Structure and Function of the Human Body: Cardiovascular System

A set of 40 vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the cardiovascular system, focusing on blood pressure, flow, and associated terminology.

What is Blood Pressure?

The pressure that blood exerts against a blood vessel wall.

What is Systolic Pressure?

The highest arterial pressure; occurs when blood is ejected from the heart.

What is Diastolic Pressure?

The lowest arterial pressure; occurs when the ventricles relax.

What is a Pulse?

The rhythmic expansion and recoil of the arterial wall felt as a pulse.

What is a Sphygmomanometer?

An instrument used to measure blood pressure.

What is Hypertension?

High blood pressure.

What is Hypotension?

Low blood pressure.

What are Arteries?

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

What are Veins?

Blood vessels that return blood to the heart.

What are Capillaries?

Small blood vessels where nutrient and gas exchange occurs.

What is Venous Return?

The volume of blood flowing back to the heart from the veins per unit time.

What are Precapillary Sphincters?

Muscle rings that can constrict or relax to control blood flow through capillaries.

What is the Pulmonary Circuit?

The pathway of blood flow through the lungs for gas exchange.

What is the Systemic Circuit?

The pathway of blood flow through the body to supply tissues.

What is the Hepatic Portal System?

A specialized system of veins that carries nutrient-rich blood from the digestive tract to the liver.

What is Oxygenated Blood?

Blood that has absorbed oxygen in the lungs.

What is Deoxygenated Blood?

Blood that has released oxygen to the body's tissues.

What is the Aorta?

The largest artery in the body, carrying oxygenated blood from the heart.

What is the Superior Vena Cava?

The vein that collects blood from the upper body and returns it to the heart.

What is the Inferior Vena Cava?

The vein that collects blood from the lower body and returns it to the heart.

What is Capillary Exchange?

The process where materials move across the walls of capillaries.

What is Osmotic Pressure?

The pressure that draws water into the capillaries due to the presence of proteins.

What is Nutrient Exchange?

The transfer of nutrients and gases between blood and tissues at the capillary level.

What is the Lymphatic System?

System that returns excess fluid lost from capillaries back to the blood.

What is Lymph?

The fluid that enters lymphatic capillaries, consisting mostly of excess tissue fluid.

What is the Skeletal Muscle Pump?

Mechanism where skeletal muscle contractions help move blood in veins.

What is the Respiratory Pump?

Mechanism where changes in thoracic pressure during breathing assist venous return.

What is Cross-sectional Area (in context of blood vessels)?

The total area of blood vessels that increases as blood moves from arteries to capillaries.

What is Blood Velocity?

The speed of blood flow through the circulatory system.

What is Ejection Fraction?

The percentage of blood that is pumped out of the heart during each contraction.

What is Cardiac Output?

The total volume of blood pumped by the heart in one minute.

What is Heart Rate?

The number of heartbeats per minute.

What are Arterioles?

Small blood vessels that branch from arteries and lead to capillaries.

What are Venules?

Small blood vessels that collect blood from capillaries and lead to veins.

What is the Interstitium?

The space surrounding cells in tissues, containing interstitial fluid.

What is Blood Composition?

The components of blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma.

What is a Stethoscope?

An instrument used to listen to the internal sounds of an animal or human body.

What is Auscultation?

Listening to the sounds made by internal organs as part of a medical diagnosis.

What is Vascular Resistance?

The resistance of blood vessels to blood flow.

What is Filtration?

The process of removing particles from a liquid or gas.

What is Reabsorption?

The process whereby fluids and nutrients are taken back into the blood from the kidneys.