| Term | Definition |
|---|
| arteriole | a small branch of an artery that communicates with a capillary network |
| atrium | chamber of heart that receives blood from veins |
| capillary | a small blood vessel that connects an arteriole and a venule |
| cardiac conduction system | system of specialized cardiac muscle fibers that conducts cardiac impulses from the S-A node into the myocardium |
| diastole | phase of the cardiac cycle when a heart chamber wall relaxes |
| electrocardiogram | a recording of the electrical activity associated with the heartbeat |
| endocardium | inner lining of the heart chambers |
| epicardium | the visceral portion of the pericardium on the surface of the heart |
| functional syncytium | merging cells |
| myocardium | muscle tissue of the heart |
| pericardium | serous membrane that surrounds the heart |
| peripheral resistance | resistance to blood flow due to friction between the blood and the walls of the blood vessels |
| pulmonary circuit | system of blood vessels that carries blood between the heart and the lungs |
| systemic circuit | the vessels that conduct blood between the heart and all body tissues except the lungs |
| systole | phase of the cardiac cycle when a heart chamber wall contracts |
| vasoconstriction | a decrease in the diameter of a blood vessel |
| vsaodilaton | an increase in the diameter of a blood vessel |
| ventricle | a cavity that contains blood |
| venule | a vessel that carries blood from capillaries to a vein |
| viscosity | the tendency for a fluid to resist flowing due to the internal friction of its molecules |
Combine with other sets
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