Understanding the Heart Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

  • Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
  • Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

  • Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
  • Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

  • Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
  • Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

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What is the main job of the heart?

To pump blood around the body.

Name the four chambers of the heart.

Right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, left ventricle.

Which side of the heart pumps deoxygenated blood, and where does it go?

The right side pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs. The left side pumps oxygenated blood to the body.

What do heart valves do?

They stop blood flowing backwards, so it moves in one direction.

What is the role of the septum in the heart?

It is a wall of muscle that separates the left and right sides to stop blood mixing.

Why is the wall of the left ventricle thicker than the right?

It must pump blood at high pressure all round the body, so it has more muscle.

Describe the route of blood through the heart, starting at the body.

Body → vena cava → right atrium → right ventricle → pulmonary artery → lungs → pulmonary vein → left atrium → left ventricle → aorta → body.

What do the coronary arteries do?

They supply the heart muscle with oxygen and glucose.

What controls the heart’s natural rhythm?

Pacemaker cells in the right atrium send small electrical impulses.

In one heartbeat, what contracts first and what contracts next?

First the atria contract to push blood into the ventricles. Then the ventricles contract to push blood into the arteries.