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CardiovascularSystem
Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Cardiovascular System | The primary function of the cardiovascular system is to circulate oxy-gen-rich blood throughout the body. |
Heart | Pumps blood throughout the body. |
Blood vessels | Tubes that carry blood throughout the body. |
Blood | Liquid that carries oxygen, nutrients, and waste. |
Apex | The lowest part of the exterior of the heart. |
pericardium | A thin, protective sac that surrounds the heart. |
pericardial cavity | The space between the pericardium and the epicardium. |
epicardium | A serous (thin, watery) layer that forms the innermost layer of the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart. |
myocardium | A layer of cardiac muscle that makes up the middle of the heart. |
endocardium | The innermost layer that lines the four chambers (two atria and two ventricles) and covers the valves of the heart. |
septum | Divides the organ into the right heart and the left heart, effectively creating a double pump. |
atrioventricular (AV) valves | Located between the atrial and ventricular chambers in the right and left sides of the heart. |
tricuspid valve | The right AV valve; has three flaps |
tri- | Three |
bicuspid (mitral) valve | The left AV valve; has two flaps |
semilunar valves | Situated in the aorta and the other in the pulmonary artery. |
pulmonary semilunar valve (or pulmonary valve) | Allows blood to flow from the heart to the lungs and prevents blood from flowing backward. |
aortic semilunar valve (or aortic valve) | Allows blood to flow from the heart to the rest of the body and prevents blood from flowing backward. |
auscultation | Using a stethoscope to listen to the heart. |
Circulation | The heart, valves, and lungs are all involved in cardiovascular circulation. |
cardiopulmonary | The term for the functional interrelationship between the heart and the lungs |
pulmonary circulation | Blood is pumped from the heart to the lungs and then back to the heart. |
right atrium | Upper right heart chamber that receives blood. |
superior vena cava | Vein that brings blood from upper body to right atrium. |
inferior vena cava | Vein that brings blood from lower body to right atrium. |
right ventricle | Lower right heart chamber that pumps blood to lungs. |
pulmonary trunk | Artery that carries blood from right ventricle to lungs. |
pulmonary arteries | Arteries that carry blood from pulmonary trunk to lungs. |
capillaries | Oxygen is delivered to the body's other tissues and cells. |
systemic circulation | Pathway of oxygenated blood from left ventricle to body and back to right atrium. |
left atrium | Upper left heart chamber that receives oxygenated blood. |
left ventricle | Lower left heart chamber that pumps oxygenated blood to body. |
arteries | Carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the organs, tissues, and cells of the body. |
arterioles | Arterioles are small arterial branches that lead to fine blood vessels. |
venules | Tiny blood vessels that merge with the veins. |
Veins | carry oxygen-poor blood to the heart. |
superior vena cava | Receives blood from the head, chest, and upper extremities and empties the blood into the right atrium of the heart. |
inferior vena cava | Receives blood from the abdominopelvic organs and the lower extremities and empties the blood into the right atrium. |
Conduction | The cardiac muscle contracts spontaneously and continuously. These contractions occur through a process known as conduc-tion. Contractions occur due to the conduction of electrical current. |
nodal system | Responsible for electrical current conduction in the heart. |
sinoatrial (SA) node | The pacemaker of the heart. |
atrioventricular (AV) node | Helps regulate heartbeat. |
bundle of His | Carries electrical signals to ventricles. |
bundle branches | Carries signals to left and right ventricles. |
Purkinje fibers | Helps regulate heart muscle contraction. |
systole | Contraction of the ventricles |
diastole | relaxation of the ventricles |
Blood pressure | The pressure exerted by the blood against the wall of an artery or vein. |
Systolic pressure | A measurement of blood pressure while the heart ventricles are contracting. |
Diastolic pressure | A measurement of blood pressure between heartbeats-that is, when the heart is "resting" between contractions. |
sphygmomanometer | An instrument used to measure blood pressure. |
aneurysm | Localized, balloon-like dilation of a blood vessel, usually an artery. |
angina | Condition characterized by severe, constricting pain or pressure in the chest; often referred to as angina pectoris. |
arrhythmia | Irregular heartbeat |
bradycardia | Slow heart rate. |
fibrillation | Rapid, spontaneous contractions of the muscle fibers in the atria or ventricles; atrial fibrillation or ventricular fibrillation. |
flutter | Condition in which the atria beat more rapidly than the ventricles, causing a quivering movement; atrial flutter. |
premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) | Extra, abnormal heartbeats that disrupt the regular ventricular rhythm of the heart. |
tachycardia | Fast heart rate. |
arteriosclerosis | Condition of thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity in the arterial walls. |
atherosclerosis | Condition of plaque buildup in the arteries. |
cardiac tamponade | Pathological condition in which excess fluid accumulates in the pericardium. |
cardiomyopathy | Condition of diseased heart muscle. |
congestive heart failure (CHF) | Disease resulting from reduced blood flow from the heart; characterized by weakness, breathlessness, abdominal discomfort, and edema in the lower extremities. |
Normal coronary artery | Supplies oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. |
Atherosclerosis | Plaque buildup narrows the lumen (cavity) of the artery |
Atherosclerosis increasing | Plaque increasing |
Atherosclerosis with blood clot | Artery occluded. Myocardial infarction occurs. |
coronary artery disease (CAD) | Narrowing of the coronary arteries, resulting in an insufficient blood supply to the heart. |
cyanosis | Bluish or purplish discoloration of the skin, caused by decreased circulation of oxygen-rich blood. |
embolus | Mass of solid, liquid, or gas that travels through the bloodstream, causing occlusion (obstruction) of a blood vessel. |
endocarditis | Inflammation of the inner layer of the heart muscle. |
heart murmur | Abnormal sound heard during auscultation of the heart, such as a whooshing sound created by a valve not completely closing. Most heart murmurs are harmless. |
hypertension | Condition of higher-than-normal blood pressure. |
hypotension | Condition of lower-than-normal blood pressure. |
mitral valve prolapse | Condition in which the mitral valve between the left atrium (left upper chamber) and the left ventricle (left lower chamber) doesn't close properly; may cause blood leakage back into the left atrium. |
myocardial infarction (MI) | Tissue death in the heart muscle resulting from an occluded (obstructed) coronary artery; heart attack. |
myocarditis | Inflammation of the myocardium (muscular layer of the heart). |
pericarditis | Inflammation of the pericardium (sac surrounding the heart). |
peripheral artery disease (PAD) | Disease in which narrowing of the arteries results in decreased blood flow to the extremities, causing intermittent calf pain, called claudication during walking or exercise. |
shock | Clinical syndrome in which peripheral blood flow is insufficient to return blood to the heart for normal function. Shock is initially characterized by agitation; anxiety or restlessness;. |
thrombophlebitis | Inflammation of a vein caused by the formation of a thrombus (clot). |
thrombus | A blood clot that forms on the wall of a blood vessel and stays attached to the site in which it developed |
varicose veins | Enlarged, twisted, superficial veins, most commonly seen in the lower extremities. |
Tetralogy of Fallot | A congenital heart disease that affects some 5 of every 10,000 infants. |
A large ventricular septal defect (VSD) | A hole in the septum, causing oxygen-rich blood to mix with oxygen-poor blood. |
Pulmonary stenosis | Narrowing of the pulmonary valve and the pulmonary artery, causing insufficient blood flow to the lungs. |
Right ventricular hypertrophy | Enlargement of the muscle of the right ventricle, due to increased pressure from pumping blood to the lungs. |
An overriding aorta | A displaced aorta. |
angiogram | A radiograph test that uses a contrast agent (dye) and a camera to take pictures of the blood flow in arteries or veins. |
auscultation | Process of listening to the internal sounds of the body using a stethoscope. |
blood pressure (BP) | The pressure exerted by the blood on the wall of an artery or vein. Blood pressure is measured using a sphygmomanometer. |
cardiac catheterization | Passage of a tiny plastic tube into the heart through a blood vessel, usually through the femoral artery in the leg; used to diagnose heart diseases or abnormalities. |
Doppler sonography, Doppler ultrasound | Procedure in which blood flow and blood pressure are measured using ultrasound technology. |
echocardiogram/ multigated acquisition | A noninvasive diagnostic method that uses ultrasound to visualize internal cardiac structures. |
electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) | A record of the electrical activity of the heart. |
Holter monitor | A machine that continuously records cardiac rhythms. |
nuclear ventriculography | Noninvasive procedure in which a radioactive substance called a tracer is injected into a patient to produce images of the left or right ventricle of the heart. |
positron emission tomography (PET scan) | An imaging test that uses a radioactive substance called a tracer to look for disease or poor blood flow in the heart. helpful for diagnosing heart damage or Scar tissue. |
pulse | The rhythmic throbbing generated by contractions of the heart; detected over the major arteries of the body. |
stress test | A procedure that tests how efficiently the heart pumps blood |
exercise stress test | Method of evaluating a patient's cardiovascular fitness during exercise, usually on a treadmill. |
nuclear thallium stress test | Procedure in which a radioactive substance is injected into a vein near the end of a stress test to aid in identifying the sizes of the heart chambers, how well the heart is pumping blood, and whether the heart has any damaged or dead tissue. |
cardioversion | Procedure in which controlled electrical shocks are sent through the heart to restore normal cardiac rhythm in a patient with arrhythmia. |
coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) | A shunt (passageway), established surgically, that allows blood to travel from the aorta to a branch of the coronary artery at a point beyond an obstruction |
defibrillation | Procedure used to stop atrial or ventricular fibrillation. |
endarterectomy | A surgical procedure in which plaque is removed from the lining of an artery. |
heart transplantation | The grafting of a living heart to a patient, from a donor who was clinically brain-dead but on life support. |
pacemaker | An electrical device that is implanted in the chest or abdomen to control abnormal cardiac rhythms through a series of electrical discharges. |
Vein graft | vein removed from the leg) is stitched to the aorta and coronary artery. |
Internal mammary artery graft | artery relocated from chest wall. |
percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) | A minimally invasive procedure for opening up blocked coronary arteries, allowing blood to circulate unobstructed to the heart muscle |
angiotensin-converting (ACE) inhibitor | making angiotensin II, a hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict (narrow). |
antianginal | Medication used to prevent or alleviate angina (spasmodic chest pain). |
antiarrhythmic | An agent used to alleviate or prevent cardiac arrhythmia. |
anticoagulant | An agent used to prevent the formation of blood clots. |
antihypertensive | Medication used to counteract high blood pressure. |
beta blocker | A drug used to treat angina, hypertension, and heart rhythm disorders, as well as migraines, panic attacks, and tremors. |
calcium channel blocker | A drug used to dilate (widen) arteries and reduce blood pressure, making it easier for the heart to pump blood. |
diuretic | Medication that helps reduce excess water in the body. |
hypolipidemic | Medication used to reduce lipid concentrations in the blood serum (blood plasma without clotting factors). |
thrombolytic | Medications that help dissolve blood clots. |
vasoconstrictor | An agent that constricts (narrows) blood vessels, increasing blood pressure. |
AV | atrioventricular |
BP | blood pressure |
bpm | beats per minute |
CABG | coronary artery bypass graft |
CAD | coronary artery disease |
CHF | congestive heart failure |
CV | cardiovascular |
ECG, EKG | electrocardiogram |
HTN | hypertension |
ICD | implantable cardioverter defibrillator |
LAD | left anterior descending |
MI | myocardial infarction |
mmHg | millimeters of mercury a measure of blood pressure) |
MUGA | echocardiogram/ multigated acquisition |
PAD | peripheral artery disease |
PET | positron emission tomography |
PTCA | percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty |
PVCs | premature ventricular contractions |
SA | sinoatrial |
VSD | ventricular septal defect |
lungs | Organs that bring oxygen into the body and remove carbon dioxide through breathing. |