Circulatory System Flashcards

Front

What is the heart?

Back

The heart is a muscular organ about the size of your fist located in the chest cavity between the lungs. It pumps blood through the blood vessels by repeated contractions.

Front

How many times does the heart beat in a day?

Back

The heart beats approximately 100,000 times per day.

Front

What is the pericardium?

Back

The pericardium is the protective sac of the heart.

Front

Who was Dr. William Harvey?

Back

Dr. William Harvey was an English physician who was the first to recognize the full circulation of the blood in the human body.

Front

What are the two main chambers of the heart called?

Back

The upper chamber is called an atrium (or auricle), and the lower chamber is called a ventricle.

Front

What do the atria do?

Back

The atria act as receiving chambers for blood entering the heart.

Front

What do the ventricles do?

Back

The ventricles pump the blood out of the heart.

Front

What is the septum of the heart?

Back

The septum is the dividing wall between the right and left sides of the heart.

Front

What is an artery?

Back

An artery is a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.

Front

What is a vein?

Back

A vein is a blood vessel that carries blood towards the heart.