1.2.5 Key Vocabulary Terms 

● Tricuspid Valve - Separates the right atrium from the right ventricle

● Mitral Valve - Separates the left atrium from the left ventricle

● Pulmonary Valve - Permits blood to flow into the pulmonary artery from the right ventricle.

● Aortic Valve - Permits blood to flow into the aorta from the left ventricle.

● Cardiovascular System - Transport system responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients to the body and carrying away carbon dioxide and other wastes. It is composed of the heart, blood vessels, and blood.

● Atria - An upper chamber of the heart where blood enters. The heart has two atria. The left atrium connects to the lungs and the right atrium connects to the veins

● Ventricles - Lower chamber of the heart where blood exits. The heart has two ventricles; the left ventricle which connects to the aorta and the right ventricle connects to the main pulmonary artery (or pulmonary trunk).

● Valves - Body structure that temporarily closes a passage or orifice or permits movement of fluid in only one direction.

● Arteries - A type of vessel that carries blood from the heart through the body. It is a part of the circulatory system.

● Veins - A vessel that returns typically deoxygenated blood back to the heart.

● Pulmonary Circulation - Deoxygenated blood moves from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs (through arteries) to become oxygenated and then returns to the left side of the heart (through the veins).

● Systemic Circulation - Series of vessels that bring oxygenated blood from the heart to tissues and return deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart.

● Pulmonary Artery - Large blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.

● Pulmonary Vein - The blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium.

● Aorta - Largest artery in the body that carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle of the heart to the rest of the body.

● Superior Vena Cava - Second largest vein in the human body. Returns blood to the right atrium of the heart from the upper half of the body.

● Inferior Vena Cava - Largest vein in the human body. Returns blood to the right atrium of the heart from body parts below the diaphragm.

● Coronary Artery - The blood vessels that supply oxygen to the heart’s tissues.

● Auricles - The ear-like extensions of the atria.

● Chordae Tendinae - Fibrous chords that attach to the tricuspid and mitral valves

● Papillary Muscle - Muscles located in the ventricles that attach to the cusps of the tricuspid and mitral valves via the chordae tendinae.