Cardiovascular System
- Transports nutrients, gases, hormones, and cellular waste products throughout the body
- Artery: Blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart
- Vein: Blood vessel that returns blood to the heart
- Capillary: tiny blood vessel that connects arteries and veins
- Coronary Artery: is a blood vessel that carries blood to the heart muscles
- Pulmonary Artery: blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs to pick up oxygen and release carbon dioxide
- Heart: four chambered muscle that pumps blood throughout the body
- Atrium: is one of the upper two chambers of the heart
- Ventricle: is one of the lower two chambers of the heart
- Vena Cava: Is one of the two large veins that return blood rich in carbon dioxide to the right atrium (Carbon Dioxide is a waste product of body cells)
- Aorta: Main artery in the body, branches to smaller arteries to allow blood to flow to all parts of the body
- Heart Rate: Number of times the heart contracts each minute
- Pulse: Surge of the blood that results from contractions of the heart
- Blood Pressure: the force of blood against the artery walls
Keep your Cardiovascular System Healthy
- Reduce the amount of fat in your diet
- Reduce the amount of salt in your diet
- Exercise regularly to strengthen your heart muscles
- Avoid tobacco because it increases blood pressure
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Practice stress management skills
Blood Flow Throughout the Body
Blood comes into the heart from the vena cava to the right atrium, the blood then goes into the right ventricle. From the right ventricle, the blood is pumped through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is released and oxygen is absorbed as the blood circulates in capillaries around the air sacs in the lungs. The oxygen rich blood returns in pulmonary veins to the left atrium and flows into the left ventricle. Contractions of the heart muscle pump the blood through the aorta to the body.