Circulation of the Heart Flashcards

Circulation of the Heart Steps

• Superior and Inferior Vena Cava: Major veins that transport deoxygenated blood from the body back to the heart, entering the right atrium.

• Right Atrium: Receives deoxygenated blood from the superior and inferior vena cava and pumps it into the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve.

• Tricuspid Valve: A one-way valve located between the right atrium and right ventricle that prevents backflow of blood during ventricular contraction.

• Right Ventricle: Pumps deoxygenated blood into the pulmonary arteries through the pulmonary semilunar valve, directing it to the lungs for oxygenation.

• Pulmonary Semilunar Valve: Located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary arteries, this valve prevents backflow of blood into the ventricle after it has been pumped out.

• Right & Left Pulmonary Artery: Carry deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.

• Right & Left Pulmonary Vein: Transport oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart.

• Left Atrium: Receives oxygenated blood from the pulmonary veins and sends it to the left ventricle through the mitral or bicuspid valve.

• Mitral or Bicuspid Valve: A one-way valve between the left atrium and left ventricle, ensuring that blood flows in the correct direction during the heart's contractions.

• Left Ventricle: The strongest chamber of the heart that pumps oxygenated blood into the aorta through the aortic semilunar valve, supplying the entire body.

• Aortic Semilunar Valve: Situated between the left ventricle and the aorta, this valve prevents backflow of blood into the ventricle after contraction.

• Aorta: The largest artery in the body, carrying oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body in a systemic circulation.