The Cardiovascular System- Heart and Vessels

arter/o, arteri/o

artery

ather/o

fatty substance

atri/o

atrium

brady/

slow

cardi/o

heart

coron/o

heart

pericardi/o

pericardium

rhythm/o

rhythm

sphygm/o

pulse

steth/o

chest

tachy/

rapid

vas/o

vessel

vascul/o

vessel

ven/o, ven/i

vein

ventricul/o

ventricle

agglutin/o

clumping

blast/o

primitive cell

coagul/o

clot

cyt/o

cell

erythr/o

red

granul/o

granules

hem/o

blood

hemat/o

blood

leuk/o

white

phag/o

eat, swallow

thromb/o

clot

anastomoses

A cross-connection between adjacent channels, tubes, fibers, or other parts of a network. A connection made surgically between adjacent blood vessels, parts of the intestine, or other channels of the body, or the operation in which this is constructed.

arrhythmia

A condition in which the heart beats with an irregular or abnormal rhythm.

atria

Each of the two upper cavities of the heart from which blood is passed to the ventricles. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the veins of the body; the left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the pulmonary vein.

auricles

Another term for atrium (of the heart).
Strictly, a small muscular appendage of each atrium.

diastole

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle relaxes and allows the chambers to fill with blood.

intercalated

Inserted between others

ischemia

An inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body, especially the heart muscles.

mitral

Denoting or relating to the mitral valve.

proprioceptors

A sensory receptor that receives stimuli from within the body, especially one that responds to position and movement.

Purkinje

Any of numerous nerve cells that occupy the middle layer of the cerebellar cortex and are characterized by a large globe-shaped body with massive dendrites directed outward and a single slender axon directed inward�called also Purkinje neuron.

sphygmomanometer

An instrument for measuring blood pressure

systole

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood from the chambers into the arteries.

tachycardia

An abnormally rapid heart rate.

tamponade

Compression of the heart by an accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac. The surgical use of a plug of absorbent material.