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Definitions and Concepts

Chapter 9: Animal Transport


Circulatory systems

Circulatory system - The main transport system(blood system) of all mammals.

Oxygenated blood - Oxygenated blood is simply a blood cell with a high proportion of oxygen and a low amount of carbon dioxide.

Deoxygenated blood - The oxygen in oxygenated blood is taken up by the body cell. Blood that is low in oxygen (as cells have used it) and high in carbon dioxide (as cells have produced it).

Double circulatory system - The blood passes through the heart twice on one complete circuit of the body.

Single circulatory system - Fish have a circulatory system in which the blood passes through the heart only once on a complete circuit.

The heart

Atria - The heart is divided into four spaces, called chambers. The two upper chambers are called atria (singular: atrium).

Ventricles - The two lower chambers.

Septum - The tissue that separates the left and right sides of the heart and enables blood to flow as it should.

Pulmonary veins - Blood vessels that transfer freshly oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atria of the heart.

Venae cavae - A large vein that carries blood to the heart. In anatomy, the venae cavae are two large veins (great vessels) that return deoxygenated blood from the body into the heart

artery - The part of your circulatory (cardiovascular) system, are the blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood from your heart to all of your body's cells.

Aorta - The first and largest artery in the body. It is responsible for transporting nutrient-rich blood to the systemic circulation following ejection from the left ventricle of the heart.

Pulmonary artery - The pulmonary arteries function to transport deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs for oxygenation

Valves

Atrioventricular valves - The four valves in the mammalian heart are two atrioventricular valves separating the upper atria from the lower ventricles. They allow blood to flow from the atria into the ventricles but prevent it from going in the opposite direction.

Semilunar valves - The valves in the entrances to the aorta and the pulmonary artery.

Coronary arteries

Coronary arteries - Blood vessels on the outside of the heart.

Coronary heart disease - Blockage of the coronary arteries. CHD for short.

Blood vessels

Arteries - Arteries, part of your circulatory (cardiovascular) system, are the blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood from your heart to all of your body's cells.

Capillaries - Capillaries, very tiny vessels, deliver blood containing oxygen and nutrients close to every cell in the body. No cell is very far away from a capillary.

Veins - Blood vessels located throughout your body that collect oxygen-poor blood and return it to your heart

Hepatic artery - Hepatic artery supplies the liver with oxygen-rich arterial blood.

Hepatic portal vein - This vein brings blood from the digestive system, so that the liver can process the food which has been absorbed, before it travels to other parts of the body.

Hepatic veins - All the blood leaves the liver in the hepatic veins.

Blood

Plasma - The liquid part of blood is called plasma.

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