Structures&Functions

STRUCTURE	FUNCTION	DEOXY/OXY BLOOD
LEFT ATRIUM	Receives oxygenated blood from the pulmonary veins and pumps it to the left ventricle.	OXY
LEFT VENTRICLE	Pumps oxygenated blood through the aortic valve into the aortic arch and to all the tissues in the body.	OXY
RIGHT ATRIUM	Blood enters through the superior and inferior vena cava and pumps into the pulmonary veins and around the lungs.	DEOXY
RIGHT VENTRICLE	Passes blood up through the pulmonary valve and through the pulmonary artery and to the lungs.	DEOXY
PULMONARY ARTERY	Carries blood from the heart to the lungs.	DEOXY
AORTA	The aorta is the artery that carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle. Because the aorta can stretch, the pressure of the blood leaving the heart is more slowly and regularly transferred to the arteries.	OXY
PULMONARY VEINS	The whole function of these systems is carried with the help of lungs and heart which are themselves a complex network of different small parts and structures.	OXY
SUPERIOR VENA CAVA	The superior vena cava brings de-oxygenated blood from parts of the body higher than the heart and returns the blood to the right atrium.	DEOXY
INFERIOR VENA CAVA	The inferior vena cava is the large vein that carries de-oxygenated blood from the lower half of the body into the right atrium of the heart.	DEOXY
ATRIOVENTRICULAR VALVES (Mitral & Tricuspid)	They allow flow of blood from the atria to the ventricles, and interesting the sound of the valves closing (along with the semilunar valves) is what the sound is in a heartbeat.	N/A
CHORDAE TENDINAE	The chordae tendinae are two tendons in the heart that contribute to the complex series of processes that happen with every cycle within the organ.	N/A
SEMI LUNAR VALVES (Pulmonary & Aortic)	The semilunar valves separate the ventricles from major arteries and prevent the back flow of blood within the heart's chambers. One of these valves is found at the opening of the aorta, while the other is placed at the opening of the pulmonary artery.	N/A
SEPTUM	The ventricular septum has a function of ensuring that the deoxygenated blood of the right ventricle stays separate from the deoxygenated blood of the left ventricle. This part separates the two large chambers of the heart.	N/A