1. How does the heart change as it develops in a fetus? The fetus heart begins as a tube and grows very fast that it needs more space, so it bends and twists back, forming the heart’s shape. The next phase, the two atria are partly separate but there is just one big ventricle. The next phase begins when the two atria are completely separate and the ventricles are just beginning to separate. Lastly, the ventricles separate completely and the heart is developed. 2. What is the largest vessel that is attached to the heart, and what does it do? The largest vessel in the heart is the aorta.
It carries nutrient-rich blood away from the heart and to the body. 3. What is pulmonary circulation? The movement of blood from the heart, to the lungs, and back to the heart again. 4. The sound you hear when you listen to your heart with a stethescrope is actually what? Lub and dub. 5. Distinguish between systole and diastole phases of the heart. Systole is when the heart contracts and diastole is when the heart relaxes. 6. Distinguish between an artery and a vein. Arteries carry blood away from the heart and veins carry blood back to the heart.
7. What is a sphygmomanometer? A sphygmomanometer is an instrument that is used for measuring blood pressure. It has an inflatable rubber cuff that is applied to the arm and enables the determination of systole and diastole by increasing and releasing the pressure in the cuff. 8. How is hypertension treated? Hypertension is treated by behavior modification like changing a diet and increasing exercise for mild cases. For more severe cases, they require medications like diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers.
9. Name 3 risk factors for hypertension. Three risk factors for hypertension can include being overweight, too much salt in your diet, and/or drinking too much alcohol. 10. What is atherosclerosis? A progressive disease that is characterized by a buildup of plaque within the arteries. 11. What is electrocardiography? Every time the heart beats, tiny electrical impulses are discharged and those electrical discharges can be recorded and used to measure the heart’s condition by an electrocardiography.
12. Describe how angioplasty works? The technique of mechanically widening narrowed or obstructed arteries. A balloon held on a wire is guided to the narrow locations and inflated. The inflated balloon opens up the blocked arteries. 13. Why are artificial hearts not an option for permanent replacement of a bad heart? A natural heart is living muscle and for the artificial heart is made of plastic, aluminum, and Dacron polyester which makes it susceptible to infection that can be fatal.
14. Name two symptoms of a heart attack? The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain. Another symptom can consists of shortness of breath. 15. Distinguish between platelets and plasma. Platelets are irregularly-shaped, colorless bodies that are present in blood. Their sticky surface lets them, along with other substances, form clots to stop bleeding. Plasma is the colorless fluid part of blood in which corpuscles or fat globules are suspended.