Start Key Terms: Anatomy & Physiology Key Terms Cardiovascular

Question: artificial pacemaker

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medical device that transmits electrical signals to the heart to ensure that it contracts and pumps blood to the body

Question: aortic valve

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(also, aortic semilunar valve) valve located at the base of the aorta

Question: atrioventricular bundle branches

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(also, left or right bundle branches) specialized myocardial conductile cells that arise from the bifurcation of the atrioventricular bundle and pass through the interventricular septum; lead to the Purkinje fibers and also to the right papillary muscle via the moderator band

Question: atrial reflex

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(also, called Bainbridge reflex) autonomic reflex that responds to stretch receptors in the atria that send impulses to the cardioaccelerator area to increase HR when venous flow into the atria increases

Question: afterload

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force the ventricles must develop to effectively pump blood against the resistance in the vessels

Question: anastomosis

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(plural: anastomoses) area where vessels unite to allow blood to circulate even if there may be partial blockage in another branch

Question: atrioventricular (AV) node

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clump of myocardial cells located in the inferior portion of the right atrium within the atrioventricular septum; receives the impulse from the SA node, pauses, and then transmits it into specialized conducting cells within the interventricular septum

Question: anterior interventricular artery

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(also, left anterior descending artery or LAD) major branch of the left coronary artery that follows the anterior interventricular sulcus

Question: anterior cardiac veins

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vessels that parallel the small cardiac arteries and drain the anterior surface of the right ventricle; bypass the coronary sinus and drain directly into the right atrium

Question: anterior interventricular sulcus

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sulcus located between the left and right ventricles on the anterior surface of the heart

Question: atrioventricular bundle

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(also, bundle of His) group of specialized myocardial conductile cells that transmit the impulse from the AV node through the interventricular septum; form the left and right atrioventricular bundle branches