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Parts of The Heart and Its Functions: Superior Vena Cava

The document describes the major parts of the heart and their functions. It outlines the structures that deliver deoxygenated and oxygenated blood to and from the heart, including the superior and inferior vena cava, pulmonary arteries and veins, and aorta. It also details the four chambers of the heart - right and left atria which receive blood and right and left ventricles which pump blood out. Other structures like valves, septum, and layers of the heart wall are also summarized.

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Joanna Carla Marmonejo Estorninos-Walker
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33 views3 pages

Parts of The Heart and Its Functions: Superior Vena Cava

The document describes the major parts of the heart and their functions. It outlines the structures that deliver deoxygenated and oxygenated blood to and from the heart, including the superior and inferior vena cava, pulmonary arteries and veins, and aorta. It also details the four chambers of the heart - right and left atria which receive blood and right and left ventricles which pump blood out. Other structures like valves, septum, and layers of the heart wall are also summarized.

Uploaded by

Joanna Carla Marmonejo Estorninos-Walker
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Parts of the Heart and its Functions

Superior vena cava

 Through this, the heart receives oxygen-poor blood from the veins of the body
 The superior vena cava delivers blood from the head and chest area to the heart

Right pulmonary artery

 Carry blood to the lungs, where oxygen is picked up and carbon dioxide is unloaded.
 Delivers deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
 Pumps blood away from the heart. However, unlike most arteries, which carry blood with a
relatively high oxygen content, the pulmonary artery transports blood whose oxygen content is
relatively low. Blood with little oxygen content is delivered to the lungs via the pulmonary artery

Right atrium

 Superior atria are primarily receiving chambers


 Assist with filling the ventricles
 Blood flows into the atria under low pressure from the veins of the body and continues on to fill
the ventricles.
 Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium through the inferior and superior vena cava.

Right pulmonary veins

 Through this, oxygen-rich blood drains from the lungs and is returned to the left side of the
heart
 Responsible for carrying oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart.
This differentiates the pulmonary veins from other veins in the body, which are used to carry
deoxygenated blood from the rest of the body back to the heart.
 The right pulmonary veins pass behind the right atrium and another large blood vessel known as
the superior vena cava

Fossa ovalis

 A remnant which is visible in the right atrium


 Can remain patent and allow shunting between the right and left atria; in cases of an open
communication between the left and right side, the foramen ovale valve typically closes and
prevents shunting: a paradoxical right to left shunt can occur in these cases if right atrial
pressures are elevated

Right atrioventricular valve (tricuspid valve)

 Prevent backflow into the atria when the ventricles contract


 Has three cusps

Right ventricle

 Discharging chambers, or actual pumps of the heart. When they contract, blood is propelled out
of the heart and into circulation.
 Forms most of the heart's anterior surface
Parts of the Heart and its Functions

Chordae tendineae

 Tiny white cords, literally "tendinous cords"


 Anchor the cusps to the walls of the ventricles.

Inferior vena cava

 Through this, the heart receives oxygen-poor blood from the veins of the body
 Carries deoxygenated blood from the lower body to the heart

Aorta

 Oxygen-rich blood returned to the left atrium flows into the left ventricle and is pumped out
into the aorta, from which the systemic arteries branch to supply essentially all body tissues.
 It carries oxygen-filled blood from the heart to different organs in the body

Left pulmonary artery

 Carry blood to the lungs, where oxygen is picked up and carbon dioxide is unloaded
 Delivers deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
 Pumps blood away from the heart. However, unlike most arteries, which carry blood with a
relatively high oxygen content, the pulmonary artery transports blood whose oxygen content is
relatively low. Blood with little oxygen content is delivered to the lungs via the pulmonary
artery.

Left atrium

 Superior atria are primarily receiving chambers


 Assist with filling the ventricles
 Blood flows into the atria under low pressure from the veins of the body and continues on to fill
the ventricles.
 Act as a holding chamber for blood returning from the lungs and to act as a pump to transport
blood to other areas of the heart

Left pulmonary veins

 Through this, oxygen-rich blood drains from the lungs and is returned to the left side of the
heart
 Responsible for carrying oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart.
This differentiates the pulmonary veins from other veins in the body, which are used to carry
deoxygenated blood from the rest of the body back to the heart
 The left pulmonary veins connect with the left lung, and the lungs themselves are filled with
hollow air sacs called alveoli.

Pulmonary semilunar valve

 Guards the bases of the two large arteries leaving the ventricular chambers.
 Guards the orifice between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery
Parts of the Heart and its Functions

Left atrioventricular valve (bicuspid valve)

 Prevent backflow into the atria when the ventricles contract


 Consists of two flaps, or cusps, of endocardium

Aortic semilunar valve

 Guards the bases of the two large arteries leaving the ventricular chambers.
 Protects the orifice between the left ventricle and the aorta

Left ventricle

 Discharging chambers, or actual pumps of the heart. When they contract, blood is propelled out
of the heart and into circulation
 Forms heart's apex

Interventricular septum

 Divides the ventricles


 The stout wall that separates the lower chambers (the ventricles) of the heart from one another.

Myocardium

 Consists of think bundles of cardiac muscle twisted and whorled into ring-like arrangements.
 Layer that actually contracts.
 Muscular middle layer of the wall of the heart. It is composed of spontaneously contracting
cardiac muscle fibers which allow the heart to contract.

Visceral pericardium (epicardium)

 Visceral layer of the serous pericardium


 Part of the heart wall
 Innermost layer of pericardium and the outermost layer of the heart wall.
 Protect the inner heart layers and also assists in the production of pericardial fluid

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