Transcript cv_anatomy
Cardiovascular Health
Anatomy & Physiology
Cardiovascular Health
“Cardio” refers to the heart
◦ Heart is a muscle
◦ Responsible for pumping blood to the body’s tissues
“Vascular” refers to the blood vessel system
◦ Responsible for delivering blood to the body’s tissues
◦ Three main blood vessel types
◦ Blood vessels might be thought of as the body’s
plumbing system
The Blood Vessel System
Arteries
◦ Arteries deliver blood from the heart to the body’s
tissues (including the heart)
◦ As arteries continue, they branch off into smaller
vessels - arterioles
Capillaries
◦ As arterioles branch off and become smaller, the
blood vessels become capillaries
◦ Structured very simply so nutrients and wastes can be
exchanged in the body’s tissues
The Blood Vessel System
Veins
◦ Veins take blood from the body’s tissues and
return it to the heart
◦ As capillaries lead away from tissues, they
merge and become larger venules
◦ As venules continue to lead blood away from
tissues, they merge and become larger veins
The Blood Vessel System
The Heart
Upper chambers: atria
◦ Left atrium
◦ Right atrium
◦ Think “opposite” (right
is left, left is right)
Lower chambers:
ventricles
◦ Left ventricle
◦ Right ventricle
Anatomy of the Heart
Atria
Ventricles
Aorta
Pulmonary Artery
Pulmonary Vein
Vena Cava
Blood Flow (PBS’ Map
of the Heart)
Blood Flow Through the Heart
Heart divided in half by
the septum
◦ Left side
Pumps oxygenated blood to
the body
Via aorta
◦ Right side
Pumps deoxygenated blood
to the lungs
Via pulmonary artery
The Heart’s Electrical System
SA Node
◦ Begins electrical
impulse
AV Node
◦ Impulse moves from SA
Node to AV Node
Impulse continues into
heart’s ventricles
Heart contracts, based
on electrical signals
Heart’s Electrical System
View National Heart,
Lung, and Blood
Institute’s animation
of the heart’s
electrical system