Watch: “The Heart and Circulatory System – How They Work”

What Is It About?
This short video shows how your heart functions as a powerful pump, moving blood throughout the body. It explains:

  • Heart Structure: The heart’s four chambers, how the right and left sides keep oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich blood separate, and why that matters.
  • Valves & Flow: The role of valves in preventing backward flow, plus how the heart muscles contract and relax (systole and diastole).
  • Oxygen Exchange: How oxygen-poor blood heads to the lungs and returns to the heart, rich in oxygen, ready to travel to the rest of the body.
  • Electrical Conduction: The “wiring” that keeps your heart beating in a regular rhythm.
  • Coronary Arteries: The blood vessels that nourish the heart itself.

Instructions
Watch the entire video carefully.

Take brief notes on any facts that stand out to you (e.g., how many times the heart beats in a day or what “systole” and “diastole” mean).

Answer the questions below after viewing.

1.

  • Where in the body is the heart located?
    A. In the center of the chest, slightly to the left
    B. Directly in the middle of the abdomen
    C. On the right side of the chest
    D. Under the left rib, near the stomach

2.

  • What is the primary function of the heart?
    A. To supply oxygen to the lungs
    B. To pump blood throughout the body
    C. To store blood for emergencies
    D. To filter out waste from the bloodstream

3.

  • Which statement is true about the heart’s two sides?
    A. The division helps both sides contain only oxygen-rich blood
    B. The division prevents oxygen-rich blood from mixing with oxygen-poor blood
    C. The right side only receives blood from the lungs
    D. The left side only pumps blood to the lungs

4.

  • Where does the right side of the heart send oxygen-poor (blue) blood?
    A. Back to the body
    B. To the brain
    C. To the lungs for oxygen
    D. Directly to the left side of the heart

5.

  • When the blood returns from the lungs, it is:
    A. Still low in oxygen
    B. Now oxygen-rich (red)
    C. Mixed with oxygen-poor blood
    D. Ready to exit the body

6.

  • Which of the following are the four valves of the heart mentioned in the video?
    A. Tricuspid, Mitral, Pulmonary, Aortic
    B. Tricuspid, Pulmonary, Cranial, Bicuspid
    C. Aortic, Vena Cava, Pulmonary, Mitral
    D. Coronary, Pulmonary, Tricuspid, Aortic

7.

  • What do the heart valves do?
    A. Mix oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich blood
    B. Prevent blood from clotting
    C. Open one way to keep blood moving forward
    D. Close all chambers of the heart at once

8.

  • Which term refers to the ‘contraction’ phase of the heart’s pumping action?
    A. Diastole
    B. Systole
    C. Atrial
    D. Ventricular

9.

  • During diastole, what happens in the heart?
    A. The ventricles force blood into the lungs
    B. All valves slam shut
    C. The ventricles relax and fill with blood
    D. Blood leaves through the coronary arteries

10.

  • What is the role of the heart’s electrical conduction system?
    A. To keep the heart beating in a coordinated rhythm
    B. To produce blood cells in the heart chambers
    C. To stop the heart from beating too quickly
    D. To blend oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood

Answers below

Make sure to complete the quiz before checking the answers!

1.

  • Answer: A
    Explanation: As stated in the video, the heart is located slightly left of center in your chest.

2.

  • Answer: B
    Explanation: The heart’s primary function is to pump blood and circulate oxygen throughout the body.

3.

  • Answer: B
    Explanation: The heart’s division stops oxygen-rich blood from mixing with oxygen-poor blood.

4.

  • Answer: C
    Explanation: The right side of the heart sends oxygen-poor blood to the lungs through the pulmonary arteries.

5.

  • Answer: B
    Explanation: After blood flows through the lungs, it becomes oxygen-rich (red) before returning to the heart.

6.

  • Answer: A
    Explanation: The four valves in the video are the tricuspid, mitral, pulmonary, and aortic valves.

7.

  • Answer: C
    Explanation: The valves open only one way, ensuring blood moves forward and doesn’t flow backward.

8.

  • Answer: B
    Explanation: Systole refers to the contraction phase of the heart’s pumping action.

9.

  • Answer: C
    Explanation: Diastole is when the ventricles relax and fill with blood coming from the atria.

10.

  • Answer: A
    Explanation: The electrical conduction system keeps the heart beating in a coordinated, regular rhythm.