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GCSE Biology · key term
One of the two lower heart chambers that pumps blood out of the heart.
Used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR
Specification 4.2.2.2 · Paper 1
A lower chamber of the heart that pumps blood out of the heart.
Revise: The Heart, Double Circulation and the PacemakerThe two atria at the top receive blood; the two ventricles below pump it out. Valves keep blood moving forwards rather than flowing backwards. The right and left sides handle different journeys, so blood passes through the heart twice in one complete circuit: this is a double circulatory system.
Specification 8.8 · Paper 2
Trace blood in the direction of flow: body → vena cava → right atrium → right ventricle → pulmonary artery → lungs → pulmonary vein → left atrium → left ventricle → aorta → body.
Trace blood in order: vena cava → right atrium → right ventricle → pulmonary artery → lungs → pulmonary vein → left atrium → left ventricle → aorta.
Trace blood as one continuous route rather than memorising isolated labels: vena cava → right atrium → tricuspid valve → right ventricle → pulmonary semilunar valve → pulmonary artery → lungs → pulmonary veins → left atrium → bicuspid valve → left ventricle → aortic semilunar valve → aorta.
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The two upper chambers, the atria, receive blood; the two lower chambers, the ventricles, pump it out. A muscular septum separates the right and left sides, so oxygen-poor blood returning from the body does not mix with oxygen-rich blood returning from the lungs.
Specification B2.2d · Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher)
One of the two lower chambers of the heart, which pumps blood out of the heart.
Revise: Heart and blood vesselsThe two upper chambers are the right and left atria. They receive blood returning to the heart and push it only a short distance into the ventricles, so their walls are relatively thin.
Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)
Revise: Heart StructureThere are four chambers: the right atrium and left atrium above, and the right ventricle and left ventricle below. The atria receive blood returning to the heart and pass it into the ventricles. The ventricles have the main job of pumping blood out.