Cardiologist: Glossary of Terms

Cardiac Arrhythmia: abnormal electrical activity in the heart.

Cardiac Electrophysiologist: a physician who specializes in the electrical activities of specific regions of the heart.

Catheter: a tube that is inserted into different parts of the body to drain or inject fluids to the body.

Extrasystole: an irregular heartbeat where the ventricle contracts prematurely.

Left Atrium: a chamber in the heart that receives oxygenated blood from the pulmonary veins and pumps it into the left ventricle.

Left Ventricle: a chamber in the heart that receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium and pumps it to the aorta.

Palpitation: abnormal beating of the heart.

Pulmonary Arteries: carries blood from the heart to the lungs.

Right Atrium: a chamber in the heart that receives de-oxygenated blood from the venae cavae and the coronary sinus and pumps it into the right ventricle.

Right Ventricle: a chamber in the heart that receives de-oxygenated blood from the right atrium and pumps it into the pulmonary artery.

Venae Cavae: the veins that transfer deoxygenated blood from the body to the heart.

Ventricle: a heart chamber that collects blood from an atrium and pumps it out of the heart.