Heart structure and cycle
Mon, Apr 26, 2027 · Week 15 · Human Anatomy & Physiology (Human Body Systems)
Today's goal: Students will describe heart chambers, vessels, and the cardiac cycle using teacher notes and the PLTW online task.
What a finished product looks like
This is a model of the work you should turn in today. Use it to check your own: match the structure and the level of detail, do not copy it. Your data and wording should be your own.
Blood path I traced (oxygen-poor blood in, oxygen-rich blood out):
Right atrium, then through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle, then out the pulmonary artery to the lungs (pulmonary circuit, picks up oxygen), back through the pulmonary veins to the left atrium, through the mitral valve to the left ventricle, then out the aorta to the body (systemic circuit).
Vessel comparison: arteries carry blood away from the heart, veins return blood to the heart, and capillaries are the thin-walled site where gas and nutrient exchange happens.
Cardiac cycle note: systole is when the ventricles contract and pump; diastole is when they relax and fill.
My question about the cardiac cycle: How do the valves stay closed against the high pressure of ventricular contraction?
| Step | Structure | Circuit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Right atrium then right ventricle | Receiving |
| 2 | Pulmonary artery to lungs | Pulmonary |
| 3 | Pulmonary veins to left atrium | Return |
| 4 | Left ventricle to aorta | Systemic |
Also due today: Submit the completed PLTW online cardiac-cycle task with your diagram.
WebXam problem for today's skill
One exam-style question that uses exactly what you practiced today. Try it before you reveal the answer, then read why each choice is right or wrong.
Tap an answer to see the full explanation. Nothing is recorded or graded.