Cardiovascular
System
The body system that consists of the
heart, blood vessels and blood
Heart
A hollow muscular organ that pumps
blood throughout the body
Atrium
Each of the two uppers chambers of the
heart that receives blood that comes into
the heart
Pacemaker
A group of cells located in the right
atrium that send out signals to make the
heart muscle contract
Ventricle
A lower chamber of the heart that pumps
blood out to the lungs and body
Valve
A flap of tissue in the heart or vein that
prevents blood from flowing backward
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
Coronary
Artery
An artery that supplies blood to the heart
itself
Pulse
The alternating expansion and relaxation
of an artery wall as blood travels through
it
Diffusion
The process by which molecules move
from an area of higher concentration to
an area of lower concentration
Blood
Pressure
The pressure that is exerted by the blood
against the walls of the blood vessels
Plasma
The liquid part of the blood
Red Blood
Cell
A cell in the blood that takes up oxygen
in the lungs and delivers it to the cells
elsewhere in the body
Hemoglobin
An iron containing protein that binds
chemically to oxygen molecules
White Blood
Cell
A blood cell that fights disease
Platelet
A cell fragment that plays an important
part in the forming of clots
Lymphatic
System
A network of vein like vessels that return
fluid that leaks out of blood vessels to
the bloodstream
Lymph
The fluid that the lymphatic system
collects and returns to the bloodstream
Lymph Node
A small knob in the lymphatic system
that filters lymph, trapping bacteria and
other disease causing microorganisms
Atherosclerosis
A condition in which an artery wall
thickens from a buildup of fatty material
Heart Attack
A condition in which blood flow to part of
the heart muscle is blocked causing
heart cells to die
Hypertension
A disorder in which a person’s blood
pressure is consistently higher than
normal