The Cardiovascular System

The Cardiovascular System Thomas Secrest

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Reading The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, the arteries and veins, and the blood. Often each element of the system is studied separately, however, we are going to combine all the elements and discuss them together. The core of the cardiovascular system is the heart. The heart is a four chambered muscular pump that drives the blood through the circulatory system. The heart is usually said to be about the size of a person’s clinched fist. It is located in the central part of the chest in an area between the lungs anterior to the vertebral column and posterior to the sternum. The space, called the mediastinum, also contains the thymus gland, the …ver más…

These valves prevent backflow of blood into the ventricles while the ventricles relax between heart beats. Check Point – Heart Anatomy Match the terms with the diagram.

Aortic semilunar valve Bicuspid valve Left atrium Left ventricle Pulmonary semilunar valve Right atrium Right ventricle Tricuspid valve

A. _____________________ B. _____________________ C. _____________________ D. _____________________ E. _____________________ F. _____________________ G. _____________________ H. _____________________

The Cardiovascular System Thomas Secrest

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Check Point – Everyday Vocabulary Instructions: Match the “everyday” terms in column A (seen in bold print in the above text) with their contextual meaning in column B. A A. backflow B. beat (of the heart) C. briefly D. carry E. clinched F. core G. detour H. drives I. elements J. ensure K. equipped L. fist M. flow N. prevent O. relax P. sets Q. valve R. while 1. a part or piece of something 2. a critical or important part / a central idea 3. to push something forward / to move something along a path 4. to squeeze tightly 5. during the time that something is happening 6. to make sure something happens / to guarantee that something happens or takes place 7. to circulate / to move in a stream 8. a device that regulates the flow of something 9. to have / to have a something included 10. the hand when all the fingers are flexed and the hand has a somewhat spherical shape 11. to alternative path or route / a difference path