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The Heart and the Circulatory System
Glossary
Anterior: adjective referring to front end of an animal or organism.
Aorta: the main systemic artery of the body, emerging directly from the left
ventricle.
Arteriole: a small arterial branch that delivers blood directly to a capillary bed.
Artery: a muscular blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.
Arthropod: Phylum which is bilaterally symmetric segmented animal with tough,
chitinous exoskeleton. Phylum contains crustaceans, insects, spiders,
centipedes and millipedes.
Atrium: one of the chambers of the heart that receives blood directly from a
vein.
Circulatory system: the system of the body responsible for internal transport.
Composed of the heart, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, lymph, and the
blood.
Closed circulatory system: a type of circulatory system where the blood is
contained within a system of vessels and the heart.
Coronary artery: one of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.
Coronary vein: one of the veins that receive blood from the heart muscle and
empty directly into the right atrium.
Deoxygenated blood: blood that is low in oxygen concentration.
Dorsal: adjective referring to the top or upper surface of an organism.
Heart: the muscular organ composed of cardiac muscle that is responsible for
pumping blood throughout the body.
Heart attack: a condition occurring when a section of the heart is deprived of
oxygenated blood and dies.
Interstitial fluid: the fluid filling the microscopic spaces between cells of the
body.
Mollusca: phylum of bilaterally symmetrical invertebrates. Primarily marine
invertebrates, but also includes land snails and slugs.
Open circulatory system: a type of circulatory system where the blood is not
contained within a system of vessels and the heart. Blood empties from
vessels into sinuses and then returns through other vessels to a "heart.".
Peristalsis: wave-like muscular contractions in the walls of tubular organs, e.g.
the alimentary canal. Peristalsis serves to push material contained within the
organ along its length.
Posterior: adjective referring to the hind end of an animal.
Pulmonary artery: one of the arteries carrying deoxygenated blood from the
heart to the lungs.
Septum: the wall dividing the two ventricles.
Sinus: a cavity into which blood flows and baths the internal organs in
organisms with an open circulatory system.
Spiracle: opening which leads to a trachea in an insect, arachnid, isopod, centipede or millipede.
Vein: one of the blood vessels that carries blood to the heart.
Ventral: adjective referring to the lower surface of an animal or organism.
Ventricle: one of the muscular chambers of the heart that is responsible for
pumping blood from the heart into the arteries.
Venule : a small venous branch that carries blood from a capillary bed to a
vein.
For further information please see:
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AE Classic Collection Index
