Pathway of Blood Through the Heart
In this educational lesson, we learn about the blood flow order through the human heart in 14 easy steps, from the superior and inferior vena cava to the atria and ventricles. Come also learn with us the heart’s anatomy, including where deoxygenated and oxygenated blood flow, in the superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, atrium, ventricle, aorta, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, and coronary arteries.
Quick & Easy Video on Blood Flow Pathway Through the Heart
Blood Flow Order: Step by Step Animation Tutorial
To gain a visual step-by-step understanding, check out our quick and easy video on the blood flow pathway through the heart in less than 90 seconds. Please notice that blue represents deoxygenated blood, and red represents oxygenated blood.
14 Steps of Blood Flow Through the Heart
In summary from the video, in 14 steps, blood flows through the heart in the following order: 1) body –> 2) inferior/superior vena cava –> 3) right atrium –> 4) tricuspid valve –> 5) right ventricle –> 6) pulmonary arteries –> 7) lungs –> 8) pulmonary veins –> 9) left atrium –> 10) mitral or bicuspid valve –> 11) left ventricle –> 12) aortic valve –> 13) aorta –> 14) body.
Superior Vena Cava & Inferior Vena Cava
The vena cava is the largest vein in the body that delivers oxygen-poor or deoxygenated blood to the right atrium of the heart. The superior vena cava comes from the upper part of the body, including the brain and arms, while the inferior vena cava comes from the abdominal area and legs.
Vena Cava and Inferior Vena Cava, respectively?
Left Atrium & Right Atrium
The atria are the top two chambers of the heart that receive incoming blood from the body. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood through the superior and inferior vena cavas from the body and pumps it to the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve, which opens to allow the blood flow through and closes to prevent blood backing up the atrium. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood through the pulmonary veins from the lungs. It pumps the blood through the mitral valve to the left ventricle. Attached to the atria are the pouches called auricles that expand to allow the atria to include more blood volume. For fetal circulation, there is a special hole shunt between the left atrium and right atrium called the foramen ovale that diverts blood away from the lungs and goes directly to the rest of the fetus’s body.
passing through the right atrium into the right ventricle?
Left Ventricle & Right Ventricle
The ventricles are the two lower chambers of the heart. The right ventricle receives oxygen-poor blood from the right atrium and pumps it through the pulmonic semilunar valve to the pulmonary artery and into the lungs to be filled with oxygen. On the other hand, the left ventricle receives oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium and pumps it through the aortic semilunar valve to the aorta to deliver the oxygen to the rest of the body.
Pulmonary Arteries & Pulmonary Veins
The pulmonary arteries deliver oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs, while the pulmonary veins deliver oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. For fetal circulation, there is a special hole shunt called the ductus arteriosus that is between the pulmonary arteries and aorta to divert blood away from the fetus’s lungs. Learn more about how the ductus arteriosus works here, and why it’s there for fetuses.
delivers blood from the heart to the lungs?
Aorta & Coronary Arteries
The aorta is the largest artery in the body that leads from the left ventricle of the heart to the rest of the body. It carries oxygen-rich blood to deliver to the body’s cells. As an artery, it contains thicker walls than veins because it has to withstand the tough pumping blood pressure of the heart.
The coronary arteries are a set of arteries that branch off the aorta and are located on the heart. They carry oxygenated blood and nutrients to nourish the heart tissue cells. When the coronary arteries are clogged by excessive fatty tissue in cholesterol, it can lead to a lack of nutrients and oxygen for the heart, whose cells begin to perish, and this leads to a heart attack.
blood?
Final Test Your Knowledge! 😀
blood flow order through the heart is correct?
–> Inferior/Superior Vena Cava –> Right Atrium –> Right Ventricle
–>Pulmonary Arteries –> Lungs –> Pulmonary Veins –> Left
Atrium –> Left Ventricle –> Aorta –> Body
Ventricle –> Pulmonary Arteries –> Lungs –> Pulmonary Veins –>
Right Atrium –> Right Ventricle –> Aorta –> Body
Arteries –> Lungs –> Pulmonary Veins –> Right Atrium –> Right
Ventricle –> Inferior/Superior Vena Cava –> Body
Ventricle –> Pulmonary Veins –> Lungs –> Pulmonary Arteries –>
Left Atrium –> Left Ventricle –> Aorta –> Body
Summary: What are the 14 steps of blood flow through the heart?
Blood flows through the heart in the following order: 1) body –> 2) inferior/superior vena cava –> 3) right atrium –> 4) tricuspid valve –> 5) right ventricle –> 6) pulmonary arteries –> 7) lungs –> 8) pulmonary veins –> 9) left atrium –> 10) mitral or bicuspid valve –> 11) left ventricle –> 12) aortic valve –> 13) aorta –> 14) body.
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*This article has been accepted into Moosmosis’s Journal of Global Health and Education . Accepted 2020. Published July 2020.
Works Cited
- Tubbs RS. The heart is simply a muscle. Clin Anat. 2016;29(3):267-268. doi:10.1002/ca.22704
- Miao JH, Makaryus AN. Anatomy, Thorax, Heart Veins. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020.
- Anderson RH, Wilcox BR. Understanding cardiac anatomy: the prerequisite for optimal cardiac surgery. Ann Thorac Surg. 1995;59(6):1366-1375. doi:10.1016/0003-4975(95)00195-q
- Courchaine K, Rykiel G, Rugonyi S. Influence of blood flow on cardiac development. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2018;137:95-110. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.05.005
- Efimov IR. Innovation in optical imaging: looking inside the heart. Heart Rhythm. 2007;4(7):925-926. doi:10.1016/j.hrthm.2007.04.006
Soo cute and educational!!
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Thanks so much! We’re glad that you enjoyed it. ❤
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Thank You guys so much for creating this website. It made it much easier for me to understand the heart. I lubb you guys!!!
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Aww thank you so much for your kind comment! Your kindness makes our day, and we glad you enjoyed learning with us! ❤
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This reminds me of the heart surgery I got five years ago -great stuff you do here on this site! Just showed this to my wife, and she loved the pick-up line in your article.
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Thank you Percy for sharing! Your comment warms our hearts. We’re glad that your wife enjoyed our pun-ny pick-up line. 😀 We wish you great health and happiness! Take care.
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Reblogged this on Peach6972's Re🤗Blog🥀.
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😉
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Thanks for posts like this! I’m a medical coder and find these so helpful for the work I do. Thanks!
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Thank you so much Sofia! You are so kind. We’re glad that our post helps! 🙂 Great blessings to you and your medical pursuits!
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Thank you so much, Oldpoet56! We appreciate your kindness!
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Reblogged this on Truth Troubles.
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I’m a cardiologist and showed this to my kids when they asked me about the heart’s parts 💕
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I “lub” this article! 😘
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Had questions on the 14 steps of heart blood flow and valve replacement on my exam, thanks for the article and review questions, they were really helpful! 😄
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Glad to help, Barry!
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Thank you so much, Melanie! ❤ So glad you enjoyed it. Happy learning!
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This is a really easy to understand and well written article. Thanks for the practice questions on medicine too, here’s to acing tomorrow’s cardiology exam!
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Good luck, Mark! Thank you for your nice comment. 🙂
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Terrific explanations, content, and visuals of the heart.
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Wonderfully written article on the blood flow steps of the heart.
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Really helpful article on heart blood flow! 😄
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Love this! ❤️ Your article made the 14 steps of blood flow to my heart. Sharing this with my study group!
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Thank you so much for sharing Annie! We’re glad that this has helped you learn the 14 blood flow steps. Good luck on your studies!
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You’re welcome and thanks again!
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Excellent article on the 14 steps of heart blood flow. I shared it with my class.
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❤️
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Phenomenal content about heart blood flow! My husband has a heart condition, awaiting for surgery soon, and I showed him this article. We “Lub it” 😍 So helpful and I just donated to your organization!
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Thank you so much, Kathy! You are very kind, and we appreciate your donation to our organization that will help us keep doing what we love to do. Glad that you enjoyed the heart blood flow article as well. We wish you and your husband good luck on the surgery and forthcoming great health!
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Excellent. Just what I was looking for
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Very very helpful. This makes heart blood flow so easy to learn. Donated to your site!
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Excellent article! ❤️ Just what I was looking for our cardiology unit
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Awesome article on heart blood flow! And funny too!
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Excellent! I’m so glad I read your fantastic article while studying for my exam. This has been so helpful. Thank you for sharing the steps for heart blood flow! You make it so easy to learn. I just donated! Take care 😀
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Great article!
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Blood flow pathway to my heart ❤️
As a nurse, I love your article. I show this to my patients and their loved ones when I want to share an easy to understand way for heart blood flow. They appreciate it and find it fun!
You’re superstars ⭐️
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Love it
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Reblogged this on nutrition101web.
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excellent article!! and really helpful
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Wow! ❤️
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Reminds me of my grandpa’s heart attack. Blood stopped flowing through his LAD artery. Cath lab took care of him. Anyways great stuff in this article!
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Thanks Chris for sharing! Hope your grandpa’s doing well now!
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Love it!
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