BiologyCode 9700
The heart
What this topic asks you to be able to do
- describe the structure of the mammalian heart, both on the outside and on the inside
- account for the variation in wall thickness between the atria and ventricles, and between the left ventricle and right ventricle
- describe the cardiac cycle, linking changes in blood pressure during systole and diastole to when the valves open and shut
- explain how the sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node and Purkyne tissue each contribute to the cardiac cycle (you are not expected to know how it is controlled by nerves and hormones)