Conclusion Questions - Activity 4.1.

1 Path of Blood in the Heart- John Robinson

1. Which chamber of the heart do you think is the most muscular?

Explain your reasoning.

The left ventricle is the most muscular because it is responsible for

pumping blood thru the aorta.

2. A growing fetus has a vessel, the ductus arteriosus, in the heart that
connects the pulmonary artery with the aorta and conducts blood
directly from the right ventricle to the aorta. Why do you think this
vessel closes soon after birth?
The vessel closes so there is full separation between oxygenated blood and
deoxygenated blood.

3. In most of the body, the arteries carry oxygenated blood and the
veins carry deoxygenated blood. The exception to this pattern is the
heart. Explain how and why specific arteries and veins of the heart are
different from the pattern seen in the rest of the body.

In the exception of the heart, pulmonary veins transport oxygenated

blood from the lungs to the heart. The veins are supposed to carry
deoxygenated blood which makes a difference in the rest of the body.

4. Describe the mechanisms in place to prevent the blood from flowing

in the wrong direction through the heart.

The valves keep the blood from flowing in the wrong direction. The
valves on the connecting arteries keep the blood from flowing in the
wrong direction.

5. Explain what happens to tissues, such as the heart, or the brain, if

oxygenated blood is not delivered in a timely manner.

Tissues will begin to die and organs will begin to fail.

Conclusion Questions 4.2.3

1. Anna’s autopsy revealed that she had an internal pacemaker. What does the pacemaker replace in the
heart? Explain. It replaces the electrical system that the heart would naturally have that send shocks or
impulses to the heart in order for it to pump blood throughout the body. The SA node is what is being
replaced with the pacemaker.

2. Given Anna’s medical history, describe the most likely reason she needed a pacemaker. The rhythm of
Anna’s heart were irregular. She also had arrhythmia.

3. What do you think would happen in the heart if the AV node could no longer do its job? Explain how
this would affect the contraction of the heart and the movement of blood. The heart would stop
contracting and blood would stop moving.

4. In the space below, explain what an EKG can tell a physician about the heart of a specific patient. It
can tell whether a patient has any abnormalities or electrical issues with their heart. It also tells if there
are any structural issues with the heart.