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| Aorta | The large arterial trunk that carries blood from the heart to be distributed by branch arteries through the body. |
| Aortic Valve | The semilunar valve separating the aorta from the left ventricle that prevents blood from flowing back into the left ventricle. |
| Artery | Any of the tubular branching muscular and elastic-walled vessels that carry blood from the heart through the body. |
| Atrium | An anatomical cavity or passage; especially a chamber of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into a ventricle or ventricles. |
| Cardiovascular System | The transport system of the body responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients to the body and carrying away carbon dioxide and other wastes; composed of the heart, blood vessels, and blood. |
| Cell | The smallest structural unit of living matter capable of functioning independently. |
| Inferior Vena Cava | A vein that is the largest vein in the human body and returns blood to the right atrium of the heart from bodily parts below the diaphragm. |
| Mitral Valve | A valve in the heart that guards the opening between the left atrium and the left ventricle; prevents the blood in the ventricle from returning to the atrium. Alternative name is bicuspid valve. |
| Pulmonary Circulation | The passage of venous blood from the right atrium of the heart through the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries to the lungs where it is oxygenated and its return via the pulmonary veins to enter the left atrium and participate in systemic circulation. |
| Superior Vena Cava | A vein that is the second largest vein in the human body and returns blood to the right atrium of the heart from the upper half of the body. |
| Systemic Circulation | The branch of the circulatory system that supplies all body organs and then returns oxygen-poor blood to the right atrium via the veins. |
| Tissue | An integrated group of cells with a common function, structure, or both. |
| Tricuspid Valve | A valve that is situated at the opening of the right atrium of the heart into the right ventricle and that resembles the mitral valve in structure but consists of three triangular membranous flaps. |
| Valve | A body structure that temporarily closes a passage or orifice, or permits movement of fluid in only one direction. |
| Vein | A vessel that returns blood to the heart. |
| Atrioventricular Node | A specialized mass of conducting cells located at the atrioventricular junction in the heart. |
| Blood Pressure | Pressure exerted by the blood upon the walls of the blood vessels, especially arteries, usually measured by means of a sphygmomanometer and expressed in millimeters of mercury. |
| Cardiology | The study of the heart and its action and diseases. |
| Diastole | The stage of the heart cycle in which the heart muscle is relaxed, allowing the chambers to fill with blood. |
| Diastolic Pressure | Blood pressure that remains between heart contractions. |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG) | A measurement of heart electrical activity. |
| Heart Rate | A measure of cardiac activity usually expressed as the number of beats per minute. |
| Hypertension | An abnormally high blood pressure. |
| Pacemaker | An electrical device for stimulating or steadying the heartbeat or reestablishing the rhythm of an arrested heart. |
| Pulse | The rhythmic expansion and recoil of arteries resulting from heart contraction; can be felt from the outside of the body. |
| Sinoatrial Node | A small mass of tissue that is made up of Purkinje fibers, ganglion cells, and nerve fibers, that is embedded in the musculature of the right atrium, and that originates the impulses stimulating the heartbeat -- called also S-A node, sinus node. |
| Sphygmomanometer | An instrument for measuring blood pressure and especially arterial blood pressure. |
| Systole | The stage of the heart cycle in which the heart muscle contracts and the chambers pump blood. |
| Systolic Pressure | The pressure generated by the left ventricle during systole. |
| Allele | Alternative versions of a gene that produce distinguishable phenotypic effects. |
| Atherosclerosis | Changes in the walls of large arteries consisting of lipid deposits on the artery walls. |
| Cholesterol | A lipid that forms an essential component of animal cell membranes and acts as a precursor molecule for the synthesis of other biologically important steroids. |
| Electrophoresis | The movement of suspended particles through a fluid or gel under the action of an electromotive force applied to electrodes in contact with the suspension. |
| Familial Hypercholesterolemia | A metabolic disorder that is caused by defective or absent receptors for LDLs on cell surfaces, that is marked by an increase in blood plasma LDLs and by an accumulation of LDLs in the body resulting in an increased risk of heart attack and coronary heart disease, and that is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. |
| Genotype | All or part of the genetic constitution of an individual or group. |
| HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) | A cholesterol-carrying particle in the blood, made up of cholesterol and other lipids surrounded by a single layer of phospholipids in which proteins are embedded. An HDL particle carries less cholesterol than a related lipoprotein, LDL, and may be correlated with a decreased risk of blood vessel blockage. |
| Heterozygous | Having two different alleles for a given gene. |
| Homozygous | Having two identical alleles for a given gene. |
| LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) | A cholesterol-carrying particle in the blood, made up of cholesterol and other lipids surrounded by a single layer of phospholipids in which proteins are embedded. An LDL particle carries more cholesterol than a related lipoprotein, HDL, and high LDL levels in the blood correlate with a tendency to develop blocked blood vessels and heart disease. |
| Mutation | A rare change in the DNA of a gene, ultimately creating genetic diversity. |
| PCR | A laboratory technique for amplifying DNA in vitro by incubating with special primers, DNA polymerase molecules, and nucleotides. |
| Phenotype | The physical and physiological traits of an organism that are determined by its genetic makeup. |
| Restriction Enzyme | A degradative enzyme that recognizes specific nucleotide sequences and cuts up DNA. |
| Angiogram | The radiographic visualization of blood vessels after the injection of radiopaque substance. |
| Angioplasty | Surgical repair or recanalization of a blood vessel. |
| Coronary Bypass | A surgical bypass operation performed to shunt blood around an obstruction in a coronary artery that involves grafting one end of a segment of vein removed from another part of the body into the aorta and the other end into the coronary artery beyond the obstructed area to allow for increased blood flow. |
| Heart Attack | An acute episode of heart disease marked by death or damage of heart muscle due to insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle usually as a result of coronary thrombosis or a coronary occlusion and that is characterized especially by chest pain. |
| Heart Disease | An abnormal organic condition of the heart or of circulation. |
| Metabolic Syndrome | A syndrome marked by the presence of usually three or more of a group of factors (as high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, high triglyceride levels, low HDL levels, and high fasting levels of blood sugar) that are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. |
| Risk Factor | Something which increases risk or susceptibility. |
| Stenting | A surgical procedure or operation for inserting a stent, a mold designed to keep a passageway open, into an anatomical vessel. |
| Stroke | Sudden loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of a blood vessel of the brain. |
