Related Words

Arteries: Thick-walled vessels that carry blood away from the heart. Singular=artery.

Coronary Arteries: Arteries that supply the hearts muscle fibers with nutrients and oxygen.

Heart: The multicellular, chambered, muscular structure that pumps blood through the circulatory system by alternately contracting and relaxing.

Circulatory System: One of eleven major body organ systems in animals; transports oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste products between cells and the respiratory system and carries chemical signals from . . . View Full Definition

Blood Pressure: A measurement of how open your blood vessels are. Low numbers mean that your heart doesn’t have to work very hard to pump the blood through your blood vessels.

Muscle: Tissue consisting of fibres organized into bands or bundles that contract to cause bodily movement. Muscle fibres run in the same direction as the action they perform.

Umbilical Cord: The structure that connects the placenta and the embryo; contains the umbilical arteries and the umbilical vein.

Angina: Chest pain, especially during physical exertion or emotional stress, that is caused by gradual blockage of the coronary arteries.

Arterioles: The smallest arteries; usually branch into a capillary bed.

Systole: The contraction of the ventricles that opens the semilunar valve and forces blood into the arteries.