Heart Anatomy Structures

STRUCTURE	FUNCTION	DEOXY/OXY BLOOD
LEFT ATRIUM	Collects oxygen rich blood from the lungs and delivers to the left ventricle.	Oxy
LEFT VENTRICLE	Strongest and largest chamber in the heart. Pushes blood through aortic valve to rest of the body	Oxy
RIGHT ATRIUM	Collects oxygen poor blood returning from body and sends it to right ventricle.	Deoxy
RIGHT VENTRICLE	Collects oxygen poor blood from right atrium and forces it through pulmonary valve to the lungs	Deoxy
PULMONARY ARTERY	Carries blood from heart to lungs to collect oxygen	Deoxy
AORTA	Largest artery in the body. Carries oxygen rich blood from heart to rest of the body	Oxy
PULMONARY VEINS	Carry oxygen rich blood from lungs back to heart	Oxy
SUPERIOR VENA CAVA	Oxygen poor blood through upper part of body returns to heart through superior vena cava	Deoxy
INFERIOR VENA CAVA	Oxygen poor blood through lower part of body returns to heart through inferior vena cava	Deoxy
ATRIOVENTRICULAR VALVES (Mitral & Tricuspid)	Carry blood from atria to ventricles	both
CHORDAE TENDINAE Thick, strong and stringlike	Makes sure the valves shut so the blood keeps going forward.	Neither
SEMI LUNAR VALVES (Pulmonary & Aortic)	Push blood from ventricles to arteries	both
SEPTUM	wall of muscle that separates both atria and ventricles	neither