Circulatory & Respiratory Key Terms

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM The body system that consists of the heart, blood vessels and blood. Also called the Circulatory System.

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM Sp: Sistema cardiovascular The cardiovascular system, also known as the circulatory system, consists of the heart, blood vessels and blood.

EPITHELIAL Cells that form a tissue like membrane and cover a surface and line a tube or cavity of an animal body. Skin tissue.

EPITHELIAL Sp: epitelial The innermost layer of artery wall is made up of epithelial cells.

HEART A hollow muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body. Sp: corazón The heart is made of cardiac muscle which can contract over and over without getting tired.

CHAMBER An enclosed space or cavity. A small space inside something.

CHAMBER Sp: cámara Each side of the heart has two compartments, or chambers – an upper chamber and a lower chamber.

ATRIUM Each of the two upper chambers of the heart that receives blood that comes into the heart. Upper section of the heart where the blood enters.

ATRIUM Sp : atrio Each of the two upper chambers, called the atrium, receives blood that comes into the heart.

VENTRICLE Each of the two lower chambers of the heart that pumps blood out of the heart. The lower section of the heart where the blood leaves.

VENTRICLE Sp : ventrículo The force exerted by the ventricles pushes blood out of your heart and into arteries.

EXERT To put a force on. Sp : ejercer When muscles cells in the ventricle contract they exert a force on the blood.

NETWORK An interconnected or interrelated chain group or system. A system of lines wires etc. that are connect to each other.

NETWORK Sp : red Like the roads that link all parts of the country, your body has a “highway network” called the cardiovascular system that links all parts of your body.

BLOOD VESSELS The tubular structure that carries blood through tissues and organs. The tubes that blood flows through in the body.

Sp : vasos sanguíneos Although some blood vessels are as wide as your thumb, most of the them are much finer than a human hair.

ARTERY A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. Sp : la arteria Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

VEIN Blood vessels that carries blood back to the heart. Sp: vena The walls of veins, like those of arteries have 3 layers with muscle in the middle layer.

CAPILLARY A tiny blood vessel where substances are exchanged between the blood and the body cells. Very small blood vessels where substances are exchanged.

CAPILLARY Sp : capilar In the capillaries substances are exchanged between the blood and the body cells.

VALVE A flap of tissue in the heart or a vein that prevents blood from flowing backward. Sp: válvula As the valves between the ventricles and the blood vessels snap shut they make a dup sound.

AORTA The largest artery in the body; receives blood from the left ventricle. Sp: aorta From the left ventricle the blood is pumped into the aorta, the largest artery in the body.

PACEMAKER A group of cells located in the right atrium that sends out signals that make the heart muscle contract and regulates heart rate. Cells in the right atrium that sends out signals that regulates heart contractions.

PACEMAKER Sp: marcapasos In some people the pacemaker becomes damaged as a result of disease or accident.

CONTRACTION The shortening and thickening of muscles to produce movement. Sp: contraccíon When muscles cells in the ventricle contract they exert a force on the blood.

OXYGEN-RICH Full of oxygen. Sp: rica en oxígeno Oxygen-rich blood moves from the lungs to the left atrium.

OXYGEN-POOR Lacking oxygen. Sp: pobre en oxígeno The right ventricle pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs.

ELECTRICAL IMPULSES A sudden flow of electric current in one direction. Electricity going in one directions. Sp: impulsos eléctricos

ELECTRICAL IMPULSES Tiny electrical impulses travel from the battery through the wires and make the heart contract.

HEART RATE The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually expressed as beats per minute. Heartbeats in the a certain time. Sp: ritmo cardíaco

HEART RATE The pacemaker constantly receives messages about the body’s oxygen needs. It then adjusts the heart rate to match

WASTE An unusable or unwanted substance or material. Sp: residuos When cells break down glucose they produce carbon dioxide as a waste product

BEATS A contraction of the heart. Sp: ritmo (pulsación) Your heart beats much faster when you are exercising that when you are standing quietly.

PHASE A particular stage in a periodic process. A part of a repeating process.

PHASE Sp: fase A heart beat which sounds something like a lub dup can be heard during the pumping phase.

ADJUSTS Regulate or bring into a proper state or position. Changes to make more appropriate. Sp: ajusta

ADJUSTS The pacemaker constantly receives messages about the body’s oxygen needs. It then adjusts the heart rate to match.

IMPLANTED To insert into the body. Sp: implantado Modern artificial pacemakers are implanted beneath the skin and are connected by wires to the heart.

PLASMA Liquid part of blood. Sp: plasma Most of the materials transported in the blood travel in the plasma.

RED BLOOD CELL A cell in the blood that takes up oxygen in the lungs and delivers it to cells elsewhere in the body. Type of blood cells that carries oxygen to body cells.

RED BLOOD CELL Sci. name: erythrocyte Sp: glóbulo rojo Mature red blood cells have no nuclei.

HEMOGLOBIN An iron-containing protein that binds chemically to oxygen molecules; makes up most of the red blood cells. Major part of RBC that contains iron that oxygen attaches to

HEMOGLOBIN Sp: hemoglobina When hemoglobin combines with oxygen, the cells become bright red.

WHITE BLOOD CELL A blood cell that fights disease. Sci. name: leukocytes Sp: glóbulo blanco

WHITE BLOOD CELL Like red blood cells, white blood cells are produced in bone marrow.

PLATELET A cell fragment that plays an important part in forming blood clots. A cell piece that helps in making blood clots.

PLATELET Sp: plaqueta The platelets release chemicals that start a chain reaction.