Cardiovascular System - The Pathway of Blood through the Heart

Trace the path of blood through the heart!

Fill in the blanks below using the drop down word bank given for each of the blank lines. Use your diagram and your slides to help you. In cells throughout the body, oxygen-rich blood is exchanged for carbon dioxide and waste filled blood. Veins carry blood into the heart. Two large veins, the Superior Vena Cava and the Inferior Vena Cava collect deoxygenated blood and return it the right atrium of the heart. Blood flows from the right atrium into the right ventricle through a valve. Then blood flows from the contracting right ventricle into the Pulmonary Artery, which brings deoxygenated blood to the lungs. From the lungs, oxygenated blood returns to the heart and travels through the Pulmonary Vein and enters the left atrium. From the left atrium, blood flows through a valve into the left ventricle, when the heart is relaxed. When the heart contracts again, blood flows from the left ventricle into the Aorta, the largest artery in the body. All arteries carry blood away from the heart. Backflow from the Aorta into the ventricle is prevented by the valves closing. Arteries branching out from the Aorta carry oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body.