Chapter 4 – Circulatory System Vocabulary
Use an index card to make a flashcard for each of the following terms:
Cardiovascular System- The body system that consists of the heart, blood vessels and blood,
and that carries needed substances to cells and carries waste products away from cells
Heart- A hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body
Atrium- Each of the two upper chambers of the heart that receives blood that comes into the
heart
Ventricle- Each of the two lower chambers of the heart that pumps blood out of the heart
Valve- A flap of tissue in the heart or vein that prevents blood from flowing backwards
Pacemaker- A group of cells located in the right atrium that sends out signals that make the
heart muscle contract and that regulates heartbeat rate
Red blood cell- A cell in the blood that takes up oxygen in the lungs and delivers it to cells
elsewhere in the body
Platelet- A cell fragment that plays an important part in forming blood clots
Lymph node- A small knob of tissue in the lymphatic system that filters lymph
Heart attack- A condition in which blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked. Which
causes heart cells to die
Artery- A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart
Capillary- A tiny blood vessel where substances are exchanged between the blood and the body
cells
Vein- A blood vessel that carries blood back to the heart
Aorta- The largest artery in the body
Force- A push or pull
Hemoglobin- An iron-containing protein that binds chemically to oxygen molecules and makes
up most of the red blood cells
Lymph- The fluid that the lymphatic system collects and returns to the blood stram
Atherosclerosis- A condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the buildup of fatty
materials
Hypertension- A disorder in which a person’s blood pressure is consistently higher than normal
Coronary artery- An artery that supplies blood to the heart itself
Diffusion- The process by which molecules move from an area in which they are highly
concentrated to an area in which they are less concentrated
Pressure- The force that something exerts over a given area
Blood pressure- The pressure that is exerted by the blood against the walls of blood vessels
Sphygmomanometer- An instrument that measures blood pressure
Plasma- The liquid part of blood
White blood cell- A blood cell that fights disease
Lymphatic system- A network of veinlike vessels that returns the fluid that leaks out of blood
vessels to the bloodstream
Cholesterol- A waxy, fatlike substance, found only in animal products, that is an important part
of your body’s cell; can build up artery walls