Trace the Drop of Blood
The left ventricle pumps the strongest to send the blood out of the left ventricle and through the aorta arch which
will go to the rest of the body. At this point, there are a few options for the blood to flow:
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The blood is then pumped through the carotid artery to the brain.
The blood is also pumped through the auxiliary arteries and into the arms.
The blood is also pumped through the aorta and into the torso and the legs.
The arteries meet up with the capillaries where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.
The blood will then travel through the smallest veins called venules which will branch into bigger vessels called
veins. These veins now carry deoxygenated blood to the main vein which is called the vena cava. The two branches,
superior vena cava and inferior vena cava, carry the blood back to the right atrium.
The cycle now repeats.
Trace the Drop of Blood
Superior and Inferior Vena Cava – Two large veins that deliver deoxygenated blood from
the upper (superior) and lower (inferior) portions of the body to the right atrium.
Right Atrium – One of the four chambers of the heart located in the upper right portion of
the heart that receives and pumps deoxygenated blood to the right ventricle from the Superior
and Inferior Vena Cava.
Tricuspid Valve – The valve that allows blood flow, located between the right atrium and
right ventricle in the heart that prevents back flow between the chambers. It is also known as
the tricuspid valve because it has an anterior, septal and posterior cusp, at the base of each
cusp is secured to fibrous ring that surrounds the orifice.
Right Ventricle – One of the four chambers of the heart located in the lower right portion of
the heart that pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs from the right atrium.
Pulmonary Semilunar Valve – The valve that allows blood flow, located between the right
ventricle and pulmonary artery in the heart that prevents back flow between the chambers. It
has a left, right, and anterior cusp, at the base of each cusp is secured to fibrous ring that
surrounds the orifice.
Pulmonary Arteries – The only artery that carries deoxygenated blood, it is carried from the
right ventricle to the lungs – then splits into the left and right pulmonary arteries.
LUNGS (exchange of CO2 to O2) – Located in the chest on either side of the heart. This is
where the blood gets the CO2 exchanged to O2-Oxygenation..
Pulmonary Veins – A total of four veins, two from each lung, that carries oxygenated blood
from the lungs back to the heart via the left atrium. There are few others in the body, like the
umbilicus that carry oxygenated blood.
Left Atrium – One of the four chambers of the heart located in the upper left portion of the
heart. It is a holding chamber for the returned oxygenated blood and acts as pump
transporting blood to other parts of the heart.
Bicuspid/Mitral Valve – The valve that allows blood flow, located between the left atrium
and left ventricle in the heart that prevents back flow between the chambers It is also known
as the bicuspid valve because it has an anterior and posterior cusp, at the base of each cusp is
secured to fibrous ring that surrounds the orifice.
Trace the Drop of Blood
Left Ventricle – One of the hearts 4 chambers that receives oxygenated blood from the left
Atrium. This chamber wall is the thickest of the others, since it has to pump the blood out
under high pressure through the aorta to the rest of the body.
Aortic Semilunar Valve – The valve that allow blood flow, located between the left
ventricle and the ascending aorta in the heart that prevents back flow back into the chambers.
It has a left, right and posterior cusp, at the base of each cusp is secured to fibrous ring that
surrounds the orifice.
Aorta – The largest artery in the body, it distributes oxygenated blood from the left ventricle
of the heart to the rest of the body.
Arteries –
Arterioles –
Capillary Beds –
Venules –
Veins –
System Circulation – This system of carrying oxygenated blood from the heart, circulating
it throughout the body and returning the deoxygenated blood back again.
Trace the Drop of Blood