OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

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Study for the OCR GCSE Biology Exam. Use multiple choice questions and quiz flashcards with explanations and hints. Excel in your exams!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

How does blood flow through the heart?

From the left ventricle to the right atrium
From the right atrium to the left ventricle
From the atrium to the ventricles
From the ventricles to the veins

The correct answer is: From the atrium to the ventricles

Blood flow through the heart involves a series of systematic movements that ensure efficient circulation. The correct answer highlights the pathway from the atria to the ventricles, which is fundamental to the heart's function. The heart has four chambers: the right and left atria (upper chambers) and the right and left ventricles (lower chambers). Blood enters the heart through the atria, which contract to push blood into the ventricles. This dynamic is essential; when the atria contract, they force the blood into the ventricles, preparing them for the next phase of the heartbeat where the ventricles will contract to pump blood out of the heart and into the circulation. Understanding this pathway clarifies the role of the atria as the collection points for blood returning from the body and lungs. Once blood fills the ventricles, the contraction that follows sends blood either to the lungs for oxygenation (from the right ventricle) or to the rest of the body (from the left ventricle). Other choices describe different processes in blood circulation that do not accurately reflect the sequential mechanics of blood flow through the heart’s chambers.