Lesson Element
Unit 4: Anatomy and physiology for health and
social care
LO1: Understand the cardiovascular system,
malfunctions and their impact on individuals
The Heart
Instructions and answers for tutors
These instructions cover the learner activity section which can be found on page 5. This
Lesson Element supports Cambridge Technicals Level 3 in Health and Social Care.
When distributing the activity section to the learners either as a printed copy or as a
Word file you will need to remove the tutor instructions section.
The activity
In this Lesson Element the learners are tasked with understanding the structure of the heart,
its key components and their functions.
Suggested timing
1 hour
ABC – This activity offers an
opportunity for English skills
development.
Version 1
123 – This activity offers an
opportunity for maths skills
development.
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WORK – This activity offers
an opportunity for work
experience.
© OCR 2016
Activity 1
Ask learners to look at the diagram of the heart.
Explain that by completing this activity they will be able to reflect their knowledge of the
structure of the heart by providing details about each of the key components of the heart,
including their specific functions.
Explain that their findings will be presented in a table format (Table 1). During your
explanation draw learners’ attention to the components that have been identified in the left
hand column of the table.
Guide learners by explaining that descriptions must include a few sentences rather than a
few words or bullet points.
Heart
component
Arteries
Aorta
Pulmonary
artery
Pulmonary veins
Left atrium
Mitral (bicuspid)
valve
Version 1
Description
Function
Blood vessels that consist of
muscle and tissue. They have
three layers: the inner layer called
the intima that contains tissue, the
middle layer called the media that
is made up of muscle and the
outer layer called the adventitia
that also consists of tissue.
The aorta is the largest artery in
the body. It is connected to the
heart’s left ventricle.
The pulmonary artery is connected
to the bottom of the heart’s right
ventricle. It branches into left and
right pulmonary arteries that then
extend into the left and right lungs.
There are four pulmonary veins
that extend from the left atrium to
the lungs: the right superior, the
right inferior, the left superior, and
the left inferior.
The heart is divided into four
chambers; the upper two heart
chambers are called atria and are
divided into a left and right atrium.
The mitral valve is located
between the left atrium and the left
ventricle.
Arteries are blood vessels that
transport blood rich in oxygen
away from the heart.
2
It carries oxygenated blood away
from the heart.
The artery that carries blood from
the right ventricle of the heart to
the lungs for oxygenation.
Pulmonary veins carry oxygenated
blood from the lungs to the left
atrium of the heart.
The left atrium receives blood
returning to the heart from the
pulmonary veins.
Prevents the back flow of blood as
it is pumped from the left atrium to
the left ventricle.
© OCR 2016
Heart
component
Left ventricle
Purkinje (or
Purkyne) fibres
Septum
Inferior vena
cava
Right ventricle
Tricuspid valve
Right atrium
Atrioventricular
node
Pulmonary veins
Sinoatrial (SA)
node
Version 1
Description
Function
The heart is divided into four
chambers; the lower two heart
chambers are called ventricles and
are divided into a left and right
ventricle.
The Purkinje fibres are muscle
fibres located at the base of the
heart and extending from the
atrioventricular bundles of fibres.
The septum of the heart contains
the atrioventricular bundle of fibres
through which cardiac impulses
are carried down the septum to the
ventricles of the heart.
The inferior vena cava is one of
the largest veins in the body. It is
located in the lower back.
The heart is divided into four
chambers; the lower two heart
chambers are called ventricles and
are divided into a left and right
ventricle.
The tricuspid valve is located
between the right atrium and the
right ventricle of the heart.
The heart is divided into four
chambers; the upper two heart
chambers are called atria and are
divided into a left and right atrium.
The atrioventricular (AV) node
consists of tissue and is located
near the bottom of the right atrium.
The left ventricle receives blood
from the left atrium and pumps it
to the aorta.
Pulmonary veins are blood vessels.
There are four pulmonary veins: the
right superior, right inferior, left
superior, and left inferior.
The sinoatrial node is often
referred to as the pacemaker of
the heart and is located in the
upper part of the heart’s right
atrium.
3
Transmit impulses from the
atrioventricular node to the
ventricles of the heart and cause
them to contract.
The septum separates the lower
chambers of the heart into the left
ventricle and the right ventricle.
Returns de-oxygenated blood from
the legs, back, abdomen and
pelvis to the right atrium.
Receives blood from the right
atrium and pumps it to the main
pulmonary artery.
Prevents blood flow back into the
right atrium of the heart.
The right atrium receives blood
returning to the heart from the
superior and inferior venae cavae.
It sends impulses to the
atrioventricular bundles of fibres
and slows down impulses from the
sinoatrial node to allow the atria of
the heart to contract.
Pulmonary veins carry oxygenated
blood from the lungs to the left
atrium.
It helps to control the heart rate by
sending impulses through the
heart muscle.
© OCR 2016
Heart
component
Superior vena
cava
Description
Function
The superior vena cava is one of
the largest veins in the body. It is
located in the upper chest.
The superior vena cava returns
de-oxygenated blood from the
head, neck, arm and chest to the
right atrium.
Inform learners that as well as written accounts they may like to use pictures and diagrams
to illustrate their descriptions for each component.
Tutors will find the ‘key terms’ section of the Delivery Guide that accompanies this unit a
useful resource for referencing the key components of the heart.
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© OCR 2016
Lesson Element
Unit 4: Anatomy and physiology for health and
social care
LO1: Understand the cardiovascular system,
malfunctions and their impact on individuals
Learner Activity
The Heart
Your heart, blood and blood vessels together make up your body’s cardiovascular system.
You are going to complete one activity regarding a description of the key components of the
heart including their locations and functions.
Activity 1
Each day your heart beats about 100,000 times to keep you alive.
Overleaf is a diagram of a heart.
For each component identified in the diagram you must provide details (in Table 1) about
what it is and what it does. Include this information in the column headed ‘Description’.
You must then also detail for each component why it is important and what its function is.
Include this information in the column headed ‘Function’.
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© OCR 2016
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© OCR 2016
Table 1
Heart
component
Arteries
Description
Function
Aorta
Pulmonary
artery
Pulmonary veins
Left atrium
Version 1
7
© OCR 2016
Heart
component
Mitral (bicuspid)
valve
Description
Function
Left ventricle
Purkinje (or
Purkyne) fibres
Septum
Inferior vena
cava
Version 1
8
© OCR 2016
Heart
component
Right ventricle
Description
Function
Tricuspid valve
Right atrium
Atrioventricular
node
Pulmonary veins
Version 1
9
© OCR 2016
Heart
component
Sinoatrial node
Description
Function
Superior vena
cava
Version 1
10
© OCR 2016