WGU D313 Course Study Guide 2026 - Test-Ready Solutions Pack

WGU D313 Course Study Guide 2026 - Test-Ready Solutions Pack Parts of the Heart - answer - Systemic Circuit - answer - transports oxygenated blood to virtually all of the tissues of the body and returns relatively deoxygenated blood and carbon dioxide to the heart to be sent back to the pulmonary circulation Pulmonary Circuit - answer - transports blood to and from the lungs, where it picks up oxygen and delivers carbon dioxide for exhalation Pulmonary capillaries - answer - where gas exchange occurs: carbon dioxide exits the blood, and oxygen enters Superior to the diaphragm, Medial to Lungs - answer - Where is the heart positioned? Layers of the wall of the heart - answer - endocardium(composed of simple squamous called endothelium), myocardium(Thickest layer, composed of framework of collagenous fibers. Responsible for heart contractions), epicardium Heart Diagram - answer - Major pumping chamber for the systemic circuit - answer - Left Ventricle, it ejects blood into the aorta through the aortic semilunar valve Which chamber of the heart receives oxygenated blood - answer - Left Atrium The mitral (bicuspid) valve is between which chambers of the heart? - answer - Left atrium and Left ventricle Which structure collects deoxygenated blood from the myocardium? - answer - Coronary Sinus What is a difference between the atrioventricular (AV) and semilunar valves? - answer - The atrioventricular valves contain chordae tendineae, while the semilunar valves do not. Which blood vessel carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium? - answer - Pulmonary Veins Which structure is responsible for the sound of the human heartbeat? - answer - Valves Conducting Artery and Distributing Artery - answer - Elastic Artery and Muscular Artery Arteriole - answer - A very small artery that leads to a capillary. Critical in slowing down and resisting blood flow Three types of capillaries - answer - Continuous: Most common type of capillary, the continuous capillary, is found in almost all vascularized tissues. A complete endothelial lining with tight junctions between endothelial cells characterizes continuous capillaries Fenestrated: A fenestrated capillary has pores (or fenestrations) in addition to tight junctions in the endothelial lining. These make the capillary permeable to larger molecules. Common in small intestine. Sinusoid: A sinusoid capillary (or sinusoid) is the least common type of capillary. Sinusoid capillaries are flattened, and they have extensive intercellular gaps and incomplete basement membranes, in addition to intercellular clefts and fenestrations Vasomotion - answer - Vasomotion is the intermittent contraction and relaxation of the precapillary sphincters that pushes blood from a metarteriole through to a capillary. Vasomotion is controlled by chemicals released by endothelial cells Venule - answer - Extremely small vein Which statements are true about veins? - answer - They are more numerous than arteries. They lack smooth muscle. Hydrostatic Pressure - answer - The primary force driving fluid transport between the capillaries and tissues Osmotic Pressure - answer - The net pressure that drives reabsorption—the movement of fluid from the interstitial fluid back into the capillaries Transcytosis - answer - A less common method of capillary exchange. It is a mechanism important in the movement of large, lipid-insoluble molecules that cannot pass through capillary walls in any other way, e.g., the hormone insulin and maternal antibodies. Capillary Exchange Network - answer - What might be expected if blood hydrostatic pressure increases? - answer - Filtration will increase Systemic circulation pathways - answer - Which artery is the source of all systemic arteries? - answer - Aorta Blood from the digestive organs is transported to the liver by which vessel? - answer - Portal Vein Which blood vessel brings blood that is filtered through the hepatic portal system back to the heart