External observation Procedures:
1. Identify the right and left sides of the heart. Look closely and on one side you will see a diagonal line of blood vessels that divide the heart. The half that includes all of the apex (pointed end) of the heart is the left side.
2. Confirm this by squeezing each half of the heart. The left half will feel much firmer and more muscular than the right side. (The left side of the heart is stronger because it has to pump blood to the whole body. The right side only pumps to the lungs.)
3. Locate the coronary arteries and veins that are on the surface of the heart.
4. Find the flaps of the dark tissue on the top of the heart. These ear-like flaps are called auricles.
5. A little down and to the left of the superior vena cava there is another blood vessel opening. Insert your probe into this; it should also lead into the right atrium. This is the inferior vena cava, which brings blood from the lower tissues.
6. You can also see another blood vessel next to the left auricle. This is a pulmonary vein that brings blood from the lungs to the left atrium.
7. Sticking straight up from the center of the heart is the largest blood vessel you will see. This is the aorta, which takes oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body (the ventricles are the lower chambers of the heart).
8. Behind and to the left of the aorta there is another large vessel. This is the pulmonary artery which takes blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.
2. Confirm this by squeezing each half of the heart. The left half will feel much firmer and more muscular than the right side. (The left side of the heart is stronger because it has to pump blood to the whole body. The right side only pumps to the lungs.)
3. Locate the coronary arteries and veins that are on the surface of the heart.
4. Find the flaps of the dark tissue on the top of the heart. These ear-like flaps are called auricles.
5. A little down and to the left of the superior vena cava there is another blood vessel opening. Insert your probe into this; it should also lead into the right atrium. This is the inferior vena cava, which brings blood from the lower tissues.
6. You can also see another blood vessel next to the left auricle. This is a pulmonary vein that brings blood from the lungs to the left atrium.
7. Sticking straight up from the center of the heart is the largest blood vessel you will see. This is the aorta, which takes oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body (the ventricles are the lower chambers of the heart).
8. Behind and to the left of the aorta there is another large vessel. This is the pulmonary artery which takes blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.