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MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
CHAPTER 6 CARDIOVASCULAR KEY TERMS
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Aortic valve | exits the left ventricle into the aorta. |
Apex | the largest part of the heart; the lower left area. |
Apical pulse | Listening to this is considered the most accurate method of measuring heart rate. |
Arteries | Move blood from the heart to the body. |
Arterioles | Tiny arteries. |
Arteriosclerosis | Abnormal condition of hardening of an artery; thickening, loss of elasticity, and loss of contractility of arterial walls; also called hardening of the arteries. |
Atherosclerosis | Common form of arteriosclerosis; caused by deposits of cholesterol, lipids, and calcium on the walls of arteries, which may restrict blood flow. |
Atria | The two upper chambers of the heart. |
Atrioventricular node | The “backup” pacemaker that transmits the SA node impulse to both ventricles. |
Auscultating | The term that means “listening to” |
Bicuspid valve | Exits the left atrium into the left ventricle. |
Blood pressure | Reflects the amount of pressure exerted against the arterial walls during the ventricular contraction and ventricular relaxation phases of the cardiac cycle. |
Capillaries | Blood enters these after leaving the arterioles. Their walls are just one cell thick. |
Cardiac cycle | The contraction and relaxation of the four heart chambers. |
Cardiovascular system | Include arteries, veins, capillaries, and heart; also called circulatory system. |
Cholesterol | A fatty, plaque-like substance that can narrow or block coronary vessels. |
Coronary artery disease (CAD) | Blood vessels in the coronary arteries narrow; also called atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD). |
Depolarization | Electrical charge transmitted throughout the muscle cells of the heart. |
Diastole | The lower blood pressure number which reflects the lowest pressure exerted against artery walls during ventricular relaxation. |
Endocardium | The inner lining of the heart. |
Epicardium | The outer lining of the heart. |
Hypertension | High blood pressure; a reading of 140/90 or higher. |
Inferior vena cava | Vein that blood travels from the lower body into the heart. |
Mediastinum | The area slightly left of the center of the chest. |
Myocardial infarction (MI) | Heart attack; heart muscle dies from lack of oxygen. |