1. The Heart and Blood Pressure

2. Valves

3. How does the heart work?
Your heart pumps blood through your body every second
The right side of your heart pumps blood to the lungs
The left side pumps blood to the rest of the body

5. What is pressure?
Pressure is the force that something causes over an area.
Example: a water hose
As water flows through, it pushes against the walls, creating pressure

6. What causes blood pressure?
Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of your body in vessels called arteries.
Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries.
Each time the heart beats (about times a minute at rest), it pumps out blood into the arteries.
Your blood pressure is at its highest when the heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure.
When the heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure.

7. Blood Pressure