Three-chambered heart
congenital abnormality in which there may be a single atrium with two ventricles or a single ventricle with two atria. Rudimentary parts of the atrial and ventricular septa may be present but are incompetent to prevent a virtual single chamber in either case.
amphibians and most reptiles have a heart with three chambers—two atria and a single ventricle. These animals also have separate circuits of blood vessels for oxygenating blood and delivering it to the body. Deoxygenated blood returning from the body empties into the right atrium. From there, blood is conducted to the ventricle and is then pumped to the lungs. After picking up oxygen and getting rid of carbon dioxide in the lungs, blood returns to the heart and empties into the left atrium. The blood then enters the ventricle a second time and is pumped out to the body. The second trip through the heart keeps blood pressure strong and blood flow rapid as blood is pumped to the tissues, helping the blood deliver oxygen more efficiently.
Dictionary > Three-chambered heart
You will also like...
The Evolution of Cell Organelles
The nucleus containing the genetic material, DNA, and the mitochondria, well-identified as the "powerhouse of the cell",..
Protein Synthesis
Part of the genetic information is devoted to the synthesis of proteins. mRNA, a type of RNA, is produced as a transcri..
Adaptation Tutorial
Adaptation, in biology and ecology, refers to the process or trait through which organisms or the populations in a habit..
Insects
There are more species of insects than any other species combined. This surely illustrates that insects have the selecti..
Developmental Biology
Developmental biology is a biological science that is primarily concerned with how a living thing grows and attains matu..
Selective Breeding
Gregor Mendel's studies into Monohybrid and Dihybrid crossing and Charles Darwin's study of evolution and natural select..