BLG 111 MIDTERM 1 QUESTIONS AND
ALL ACTUAL ANSWERS 2026
UPDATED.
What is the primary function of the heart? - Answer To act as a transport system consisting of
two side-by-side pumps.
What does the right side of the heart do? - Answer Receives oxygen-poor blood from tissues
and pumps it to the lungs.
What does the left side of the heart do? - Answer Receives oxygenated blood from the lungs
and pumps it to body tissues.
What are the two circuits of the cardiovascular system? - Answer Pulmonary circuit and
systemic circuit.
What is the role of the pulmonary circuit? - Answer To carry blood to the lungs for gas
exchange.
What is the role of the systemic circuit? - Answer To carry oxygen-rich blood to all body
tissues.
What is the pericardium? - Answer A double-walled sac that surrounds the heart, reducing
friction.
What are the three layers of the heart wall? - Answer Epicardium, myocardium, and
endocardium.
What is the function of the myocardium? - Answer It consists of circular or spiral bundles of
contractile cardiac muscle cells.
What is pericarditis? - Answer Inflammation of the pericardium that can cause a friction rub
heard with a stethoscope.
What is cardiac tamponade? - Answer Excess fluid in the pericardial space that compresses
the heart's pumping ability.
,What are the four chambers of the heart? - Answer Right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle,
and left ventricle.
What separates the right and left atria? - Answer Interatrial septum.
What separates the right and left ventricles? - Answer Interventricular septum.
What are the receiving chambers of the heart? - Answer The atria.
What are the discharging chambers of the heart? - Answer The ventricles.
What is the function of the tricuspid valve? - Answer To prevent backflow into the right
atrium when the right ventricle contracts.
What is the function of the mitral valve? - Answer To prevent backflow into the left atrium
when the left ventricle contracts.
What are chordae tendineae? - Answer Fibrous cords that anchor the cusps of the AV valves
to papillary muscles.
What is the aorta? - Answer The largest artery in the body that carries oxygenated blood
from the heart.
What are the pulmonary veins responsible for? - Answer Returning oxygenated blood from
the lungs to the left atrium.
What is the function of the pulmonary valve? - Answer To prevent backflow into the right
ventricle when the right ventricle relaxes.
What is the function of the aortic valve? - Answer To prevent backflow into the left ventricle
when the left ventricle relaxes.
What is the role of papillary muscles? - Answer To anchor the chordae tendineae and help
prevent valve prolapse.
What type of blood does the superior vena cava carry? - Answer Deoxygenated blood from
body regions above the diaphragm.
,What type of blood does the inferior vena cava carry? - Answer Deoxygenated blood from
body regions below the diaphragm.
What is the fossa ovalis? - Answer A remnant of the foramen ovale, found in the right atrium.
What is the significance of the coronary sinus? - Answer It returns deoxygenated blood from
the coronary veins to the right atrium.
What is the myocardium's arrangement in the heart? - Answer It is arranged in circular and
spiral bundles to facilitate contraction.
What are the two types of atrioventricular (AV) valves? - Answer Tricuspid valve (right AV
valve) and Mitral valve (left AV valve, bicuspid valve)
What is the function of the chordae tendineae? - Answer To anchor cusps of AV valves to
papillary muscles, holding valve flaps in a closed position and preventing them from everting
back into the atria.
What happens to the AV valves when the ventricles contract? - Answer Blood is forced
against the AV valve cusps, causing them to close.
What are the two semilunar (SL) valves? - Answer Pulmonary semilunar valve and Aortic
semilunar valve.
Where is the pulmonary semilunar valve located? - Answer Between the right ventricle and
the pulmonary trunk.
What is the role of semilunar valves during ventricular contraction? - Answer They open in
response to rising intraventricular pressure, allowing blood to be pushed into the arteries.
What condition occurs when a valve is incompetent? - Answer Blood backflows, causing the
heart to repump the same blood repeatedly.
What is valvular stenosis? - Answer A condition where stiff valve flaps constrict the opening,
requiring the heart to exert more force to pump blood.
What is the pathway of blood through the right side of the heart? - Answer Superior vena
cava → Right atrium → Tricuspid valve → Right ventricle → Pulmonary semilunar valve →
Pulmonary trunk → Pulmonary arteries → Lungs.
, What is the pathway of blood through the left side of the heart? - Answer Four pulmonary
veins → Left atrium → Mitral valve → Left ventricle → Aortic semilunar valve → Aorta →
Systemic circulation.
What anatomical difference exists between the right and left ventricles? - Answer The left
ventricle has a thicker wall than the right ventricle, which is round and has a thinner wall.
What is coronary circulation? - Answer The functional blood supply to the heart muscle itself,
delivered when the heart is relaxed.
What are the major coronary arteries? - Answer Left coronary artery and right coronary
artery, both arising from the base of the aorta.
What is the role of the coronary sinus? - Answer It empties into the right atrium and is
formed by merging cardiac veins.
What is angina pectoris? - Answer Thoracic pain caused by a fleeting deficiency in blood
delivery to the myocardium.
What is a myocardial infarction? - Answer A heart attack caused by prolonged coronary
blockage, leading to areas of cell death.
What happens to the semilunar valves when ventricles relax? - Answer Blood flows back from
the arteries, filling the cusps of the semilunar valves and forcing them to close.
What is the significance of the interventricular septum? - Answer It separates the left and
right ventricles and contributes to the structural integrity of the heart.
How does the heart function as a double pump? - Answer Each side of the heart supplies its
own circuit: the right side pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs, and the left side pumps
oxygen-rich blood to the body.
What are the functions of the papillary muscles? - Answer They contract to tighten the
chordae tendineae, preventing valve flaps from everting into the atria.
What is the role of the aortic semilunar valve? - Answer It is located between the left
ventricle and the aorta, preventing backflow into the ventricle.
ALL ACTUAL ANSWERS 2026
UPDATED.
What is the primary function of the heart? - Answer To act as a transport system consisting of
two side-by-side pumps.
What does the right side of the heart do? - Answer Receives oxygen-poor blood from tissues
and pumps it to the lungs.
What does the left side of the heart do? - Answer Receives oxygenated blood from the lungs
and pumps it to body tissues.
What are the two circuits of the cardiovascular system? - Answer Pulmonary circuit and
systemic circuit.
What is the role of the pulmonary circuit? - Answer To carry blood to the lungs for gas
exchange.
What is the role of the systemic circuit? - Answer To carry oxygen-rich blood to all body
tissues.
What is the pericardium? - Answer A double-walled sac that surrounds the heart, reducing
friction.
What are the three layers of the heart wall? - Answer Epicardium, myocardium, and
endocardium.
What is the function of the myocardium? - Answer It consists of circular or spiral bundles of
contractile cardiac muscle cells.
What is pericarditis? - Answer Inflammation of the pericardium that can cause a friction rub
heard with a stethoscope.
What is cardiac tamponade? - Answer Excess fluid in the pericardial space that compresses
the heart's pumping ability.
,What are the four chambers of the heart? - Answer Right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle,
and left ventricle.
What separates the right and left atria? - Answer Interatrial septum.
What separates the right and left ventricles? - Answer Interventricular septum.
What are the receiving chambers of the heart? - Answer The atria.
What are the discharging chambers of the heart? - Answer The ventricles.
What is the function of the tricuspid valve? - Answer To prevent backflow into the right
atrium when the right ventricle contracts.
What is the function of the mitral valve? - Answer To prevent backflow into the left atrium
when the left ventricle contracts.
What are chordae tendineae? - Answer Fibrous cords that anchor the cusps of the AV valves
to papillary muscles.
What is the aorta? - Answer The largest artery in the body that carries oxygenated blood
from the heart.
What are the pulmonary veins responsible for? - Answer Returning oxygenated blood from
the lungs to the left atrium.
What is the function of the pulmonary valve? - Answer To prevent backflow into the right
ventricle when the right ventricle relaxes.
What is the function of the aortic valve? - Answer To prevent backflow into the left ventricle
when the left ventricle relaxes.
What is the role of papillary muscles? - Answer To anchor the chordae tendineae and help
prevent valve prolapse.
What type of blood does the superior vena cava carry? - Answer Deoxygenated blood from
body regions above the diaphragm.
,What type of blood does the inferior vena cava carry? - Answer Deoxygenated blood from
body regions below the diaphragm.
What is the fossa ovalis? - Answer A remnant of the foramen ovale, found in the right atrium.
What is the significance of the coronary sinus? - Answer It returns deoxygenated blood from
the coronary veins to the right atrium.
What is the myocardium's arrangement in the heart? - Answer It is arranged in circular and
spiral bundles to facilitate contraction.
What are the two types of atrioventricular (AV) valves? - Answer Tricuspid valve (right AV
valve) and Mitral valve (left AV valve, bicuspid valve)
What is the function of the chordae tendineae? - Answer To anchor cusps of AV valves to
papillary muscles, holding valve flaps in a closed position and preventing them from everting
back into the atria.
What happens to the AV valves when the ventricles contract? - Answer Blood is forced
against the AV valve cusps, causing them to close.
What are the two semilunar (SL) valves? - Answer Pulmonary semilunar valve and Aortic
semilunar valve.
Where is the pulmonary semilunar valve located? - Answer Between the right ventricle and
the pulmonary trunk.
What is the role of semilunar valves during ventricular contraction? - Answer They open in
response to rising intraventricular pressure, allowing blood to be pushed into the arteries.
What condition occurs when a valve is incompetent? - Answer Blood backflows, causing the
heart to repump the same blood repeatedly.
What is valvular stenosis? - Answer A condition where stiff valve flaps constrict the opening,
requiring the heart to exert more force to pump blood.
What is the pathway of blood through the right side of the heart? - Answer Superior vena
cava → Right atrium → Tricuspid valve → Right ventricle → Pulmonary semilunar valve →
Pulmonary trunk → Pulmonary arteries → Lungs.
, What is the pathway of blood through the left side of the heart? - Answer Four pulmonary
veins → Left atrium → Mitral valve → Left ventricle → Aortic semilunar valve → Aorta →
Systemic circulation.
What anatomical difference exists between the right and left ventricles? - Answer The left
ventricle has a thicker wall than the right ventricle, which is round and has a thinner wall.
What is coronary circulation? - Answer The functional blood supply to the heart muscle itself,
delivered when the heart is relaxed.
What are the major coronary arteries? - Answer Left coronary artery and right coronary
artery, both arising from the base of the aorta.
What is the role of the coronary sinus? - Answer It empties into the right atrium and is
formed by merging cardiac veins.
What is angina pectoris? - Answer Thoracic pain caused by a fleeting deficiency in blood
delivery to the myocardium.
What is a myocardial infarction? - Answer A heart attack caused by prolonged coronary
blockage, leading to areas of cell death.
What happens to the semilunar valves when ventricles relax? - Answer Blood flows back from
the arteries, filling the cusps of the semilunar valves and forcing them to close.
What is the significance of the interventricular septum? - Answer It separates the left and
right ventricles and contributes to the structural integrity of the heart.
How does the heart function as a double pump? - Answer Each side of the heart supplies its
own circuit: the right side pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs, and the left side pumps
oxygen-rich blood to the body.
What are the functions of the papillary muscles? - Answer They contract to tighten the
chordae tendineae, preventing valve flaps from everting into the atria.
What is the role of the aortic semilunar valve? - Answer It is located between the left
ventricle and the aorta, preventing backflow into the ventricle.
