The Structure Of The Heart

The Structure of the Heart Learning Objectives:  Label the parts of the heart.  How is the structure of the heart related to its function?  Why is the heart made up of 2 adjacent pumps?

bicuspid valve

Blood Vessels The aorta is connected to the left ventricle and carries oxygenated blood to all parts of the body except the lungs. The vena cava is connected to the right atrium and brings deoxygenated blood back form the tissues of the body. The pulmonary artery is connected to the right ventricle and carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs. The Pulmonary vein is connected to the left atrium and brings deoxygenated blood back from the lungs.

The heart also needs its own blood vessels – coronary arteries and cardiac veins. They supply the heart muscle with oxygen so that the muscle cells can respire. And remove waste carbon dioxide. A blockage of these arteries leads to myocardial infarction (heart attack)

Questions 

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List the correct sequence of the 4 main blood vessels and the 4 heart chambers that a red blood cell will pass through on its journey from the lungs through the heart and body and back again to the lungs. Why does the left ventricle have a thicker wall than the right ventricle? Where would you find the following valves:   

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Bicuspid? Tricuspid? Semi-lunar valves?

What causes a heart attack?