Cardiovascular Health
Anatomy & Physiology
Cardiovascular Health
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“Cardio” refers to the heart
◦ Heart is a muscle
◦ Responsible for pumping blood to the body’s tissues
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“Vascular” refers to the blood vessel system
◦ Responsible for delivering blood to the body’s tissues
◦ Three main blood vessel types
◦ Blood vessels might be thought of as the body’s
plumbing system
The Blood Vessel System
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Arteries
◦ Arteries deliver blood from the heart to the body’s
tissues (including the heart)
◦ As arteries continue, they branch off into smaller
vessels - arterioles

Capillaries
◦ As arterioles branch off and become smaller, the
blood vessels become capillaries
◦ Structured very simply so nutrients and wastes can be
exchanged in the body’s tissues
The Blood Vessel System

Veins
◦ Veins take blood from the body’s tissues and
return it to the heart
◦ As capillaries lead away from tissues, they
merge and become larger venules
◦ As venules continue to lead blood away from
tissues, they merge and become larger veins
The Blood Vessel System
The Heart

Upper chambers: atria
◦ Left atrium
◦ Right atrium
◦ Think “opposite” (right
is left, left is right)

Lower chambers:
ventricles
◦ Left ventricle
◦ Right ventricle
Anatomy of the Heart
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Atria
Ventricles
Aorta
Pulmonary Artery
Pulmonary Vein
Vena Cava
Blood Flow (PBS’ Map
of the Heart)
Blood Flow Through the Heart

Heart divided in half by
the septum
◦ Left side
 Pumps oxygenated blood to
the body
 Via aorta
◦ Right side
 Pumps deoxygenated blood
to the lungs
 Via pulmonary artery
The Heart’s Electrical System

SA Node
◦ Begins electrical
impulse

AV Node
◦ Impulse moves from SA
Node to AV Node
Impulse continues into
heart’s ventricles
 Heart contracts, based
on electrical signals

Heart’s Electrical System

View National Heart,
Lung, and Blood
Institute’s animation
of the heart’s
electrical system