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ahenrique-circularor
"Circulatory" Terms and Definitions
Term | Definition |
---|---|
blood | fluid connective tissue of the circulatory system; consists of blood cells and plasma |
heart | multi-chambered, muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body |
capillary | microscopic blood vessel that carries blood between an artery and a vein, allowing the exchange of substances between the blood and interstitial fluid |
artery | vessel that carries blood away from the heart to other parts of the body |
vein | vessel that returns blood to the heart |
lymph | fluid similar to interstitial fluid that circulates in the lymphatic system |
pulmonary circuit | circuit of blood flow that carries blood between the heart and lungs |
systemic circuit | circuit of blood flow that carries blood between the heart and the rest of the body |
aorta | artery that carries blood directly from the heart to the rest of the body |
atrium | heart chamber that receives blood returning to the heart from other parts of the body |
ventricle | heart chamber that pumps blood out of the heart |
valve | flap of tissue in the heart that prevents blood from flowing in the wrong direction |
pacemaker | specific region of heart that sets the rate at which the heart contracts |
AV node | (atrioventricular node) region of the heart between the right atrium and right ventricle from which electrical impulses spread to the ventricles during a heartbeat |
systolic pressure | first number of a blood pressure reading; measures the pressure on artery walls when heart ventricles contract |
diastolic pressure | second number of a blood pressure reading; measurement of the pressure on artery walls when the heart is relaxed |
plasma | liquid portion of blood made up of water, dissolved salts, proteins, and other substances |
red blood cell | blood cell containing hemoglobin, which transports oxygen; also called an erythrocyte |
hemoglobin | iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen for delivery to cells |
white blood cell | blood cell that functions in defending the body against infections and cancer cells; also called a leukocyte |
platelet | fragment of a blood cell originating in the bone marrow that is involved in blood clotting |