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Science Ch 4 vovab
Cardiovascular system
Term | Definition |
---|---|
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. |
artery | A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. |
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 backward. |
pacemaker | A group of cells located in the right atrium that sends out signals to make the heart muscle contract and that regulates the heartbeat rate. |
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. |
coronary artery | An artery that supplies blood to the heart itself. |
diffusion | The process by which molecules move from an area where 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 the blood vessels. |
sphygmomanometer | An instrument that measures the blood pressure. |
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 cells elsewhere in the body. |
hemoglobin | An iron-containing protein that binds chemically to oxygen molecules and makes up most of red blood cells. |
white blood cell | A blood cell that fights disease. |
platelet | A cell fragment that play an important part in forming blood clots. |
fibrin | A chemical that is important in blood clotting because it forms a fiber net that traps red blood cells. |
blood transfusion | The transference of blood from one person to another. |
lymphatic system | A network of veinlike vessels that returns the fluid that leaks out of blood vessels to return to the bloodstream. |
lymph node | A small knob of tissue in the lymphatic system that filters lymph. |
atherosclerosis | A condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of the buildup of fatty materials. |
cholesterol | A waxy, fatlike substance, only found in animal products, that is an important part of body's cells; can build up on artery walls. |
heart attack | A condition in which blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked,which causes heart cells to die. |
hypertension | A disorder in which a person's blood pressure is constantly higher than normal. |
lymph | The fluid that the lymphatic system collects and returns to the bloodstream. |