cardiovascular system

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Unit 13

Cardiovascular System

Structure of the Heart

Diagram 1 and 2 – Diagram of the heart

The cardiovascular system is sometimes referred to as the circulatory system, whatever it might be called it still consists of the same organs. The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, veins, arteries and capillaries.

        As the name implies blood with in the circulatory system is pumped by the heart around a closed circuit or circle of vessels as it passes repeatedly through the various “circulations” of the blood.

The Heart

        The heart is a muscle that is the size of a grapefruit that is situated left from the center of the chest. It is made up from a special type of muscle called myocardium that isn’t present anywhere else in the body.

        The heart is divided into four chambers: there are two upper chambers that are referred to as the arties, whereas the lower chambers are known as ventricles. A strong muscular wall called the septum divides the two sides of the heart. Four one way valves control the flow of blood through the four chambers.

          The rhythmic automatic repeated beating of the heart is maintained by electrical impulses that begin in the bodies natural paste maker that is founding the sinoatrail node.

Aorta

        This significant artery is the largest blood vessel in the body, it arches out from the left heart ventricle.

Superior Vena-Cava

        This large vein takes deoxygenated blood from the head and arms to the right atrium.

Inferior Vena-Cava

        Deoxygenated blood returns from the lower body and legs and enter the right atrium through the inferior vena-cava.

Pulmonary Vein

        Newly oxygenated blood from the lungs returns to the left atrium via 4 pulmonary veins.

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Pulmonary Artery

        This artery branches after leaving the right ventricle, each branch carrying deoxygenated blood to one lung.

Septum

        The septum is a thick muscle wall that divides the heart into two distinct hearts.

Myocardium

        The hearts interconnected muscle fibers enable it to contract and relax automatically.

Pathway of Blood around the Body

        

The blood circulates throughout the body.  It carries nutrients (food) and oxygen to all the cells of the body, and carries away waste products so that they can be removed from the body.  Without access to the ...

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