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PE - Year 1 > 1.1 The Cardiovascular System > Flashcards

1.1 The Cardiovascular System Flashcards

1
Q

List 5 ways exercising and being fit improves your physical health.

A
  1. increased metabolism
  2. increased stroke volume
  3. decrease in resting heart rate
  4. cardiovascular/ respiratory improvement
  5. develop more red blood cells (more oxygen can be taken to working muscles)
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2
Q

Describe the pathway of blood in the heart.

A
  1. Venae Cavae (Superior and Inferior) - brings deoxygenated blood
  2. Right atrium
  3. tricuspid valve
  4. right ventricle
  5. pulmonary semilunar valves
  6. pulmonary artery
  7. lungs
  8. Pulmonary vein
  9. Left atrium
  10. bicuspid valve
  11. left ventricle
  12. aortic semilunar valve
  13. aorta
  14. body
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3
Q

List 4 differences between being trained and untrained.

A
  1. increase in red blood cells and haemoglobin (can be done through training at high altitudes or an altitude tent)
  2. trained athletes go through cardiac hypertrophy
  3. this leads to them having an increase in stroke volume (both at rest and whilst exercising) and therefore lower HR
  4. allows them to return to their resting HR quicker.
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4
Q

How does the cardiac conduction system work?

A
  1. sinoatrial node (SAN)
  2. atrial systole
  3. Atrioventricular node (AVN)
  4. bundle of his
  5. bundle of branches
  6. purkinje fibers
  7. ventricular systole
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5
Q

define fitness

A

the ability to meet and cope with the demands of the environment

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6
Q

define health

A

state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease/ infirmity/ injury.

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7
Q

define diastole

A

relaxation phase in the cardiac cycle

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8
Q

define systole

A

describes the contraction phase of the cardiac cycle

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9
Q

define anticipatory rise

A

slight increase in HR usually before activity starts due to the expectation of exercise.

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10
Q

define stroke volume

A

volume of blood that leaves the heart during each contraction (untrained average volume: 70ml + trained average volume: 150-180ml)

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11
Q

define cardiac output

A

volume of blood the heart pumps out per minute (untrained person at rest: 5.6 L/min)

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12
Q

What?Where?When? - Diastole phase

A

What: the heart is relaxing and filling with blood.
Where: atria fills with blood (pressure builds)
When: as pressure increase, valves open, letting small amounts of blood through.

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13
Q

What?Where?When? - Systole phase

A

Atrial systole:
valves are forced open, both atrial contract, remaining blood forced into ventricles
Ventricular systole:
ventricles contract (increasing pressure)
aortic semilunar valve opens
blood is forced out

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14
Q

define Heart Rate

A

number of beats per minute (average for males: 70 bpm and females: 72 bpm)

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15
Q

What is the equation for cardiac output

A

SV x HR

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16
Q

Short term effects of exercise

A
  • increased HR (due to rise in adrenaline levels)
  • increase in cardiac output
  • increase in stroke volume (due to stronger ventricular contractions)
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17
Q

Long term effects of exercise

A
  • decrease in resting HR
  • thicker left ventricular wall
  • increase in resting stroke volume
  • hypertrophy of the heart
  • improvement in cardiac output during exercise
  • increased number of capillaries in muscles (more efficient oxygen delivery to muscles)
  • increase in blood volume (increase in red blood cells to carry oxygen)
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18
Q

Explain the points A-F on the maximal vs submaximal heart rate graph.

A 
A = anticipatory rise - hormonal action of adrenaline that causes the Sinoatrial node (SAN) to increase the HR 
B = sharp rise in HR mainly due to anaerobic work 
C = HR continues to rise due to maximal workloads stressing the anaerobic system 
D = steady state - athlete is able to meet oxygen demand with oxygen supply 
E = rapid decline in HR as soon as exercise stops (rapid recovery) 
F = body returns to resting levels, HR needs to stay elevated to remove waste products such as lactic acid ( therefore this is the slower recovery)
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19
Q

What is part of the neural control system?

Specify what they do.

A

Sympathetic nervous system - stimulates the heart to beat faster
Parasympathetic system - returns the heart to its resting level
Medulla oblongata - is the cardiac control centre

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20
Q

how does chemoreceptors cause a change in heart rate?

A
  • they detect an increase in Carbon dioxide
  • causing the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system
  • causing the heart to beat faster
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21
Q

How does Baroreceptors cause a change in heart rate?

A
  • detects an increase in blood pressure (specifically at the arterial wall)
  • sends a signal to the medulla oblongata
  • an increase in BP causes an increase in the stretch of the baroreceptor resulting in the decrease of HR
  • if there is a decrease in BP there will be a decrease in the stretch of the baroreceptor causing an increase in HR
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22
Q

How does Proprioceptors cause a change in heart rate?

A
  • located in muscles
  • detect increase in muscle movement
  • receptor sends an impulse to the medulla oblongata
  • this then sends an impulse through the sympathetic nervous system to the SAN to increase HR
  • when the parasympathetic system stimulates the SAN, it decreases the HR
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23
Q

What is the hormonal control mechanism ?

A

the release of adrenaline during exercise
it increases cardiac output
results in more blood being pumped to the working muscles
they receive more oxygen for the energy they need

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24
Q

define myogenic

A

capacity of the heart to generate its own impulses

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25
Q

define sinoatrial node

A

small mass of cardiac muscle found in wall of right atrium that generates the heart beat

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26
Q

define Atrioventricular node

A

this node relays the impulse between the upper and lower sections of the heart

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27
Q

define bundle of his

A

collection of heart muscle cells that transmit electrical impulses from the AVN via the bundle branches to the ventricles

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28
Q

What are the two chambers divided by in the heart?

A

the interventricular septum

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29
Q

Why do ventricles have thicker muscular walls compared to the atria?

A
  • because they need to be able to contract a much greater force in order to push the blood out of the heart
  • specifically the left side as it needs to get around the whole body, whereas, the left side only needs to get the deoxygenated blood to the lungs which are in close proximity to the heart.
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30
Q

What are two factors that affect the rate of the conduction system?

A
  1. neural control mechanism - medulla oblongata

2. hormonal control mechanism - adrenaline

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31
Q

What effect does adrenaline have on the hormonal control mechanism?

A
  • it is a stress hormone released by sympathetic nerves and the cardiac nerve during exercise
  • it stimulates SAN –> increasing the speed and force of contractions
  • increases cardiac output
    therefore increases amount of oxygenated blood that gets to working muscles for energy
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32
Q

What three things does stroke volume depend on?

A
  1. Venous return: (this is the volume of blood that returns to the heart via the veins) if it increases then the stroke volume will also increase.
  2. Elasticity of cardiac fibres (the degree of stretch of cardiac tissue during the diastole phase of the cardiac cycle - greater the stretch = greater the contraction)
  3. Myocardium (contractility of cardiac tissue) - greater the myocardium = greater the contraction –> increase in SV
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33
Q

define the sympathetic system

A

part of the autonomic nervous system that speeds up heart rate

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34
Q

define the parasympathetic system

A

part of the autonomic nervous system that decreases heart rate

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35
Q

define the medulla oblongata

A

part of the brain that regulates processes that keep us alive such as breathing and heart rate

36
Q

What are chemoreceptors?

A

Tiny structures in the carotid arteries and aortic arch that detect a change in blood acidity caused by an increase or decrease in the concentration of carbon dioxide

37
Q

What are Baroreceptors?

A

Special sensors in tissues in the aortic arch, carotid sinus, heart and pulmonary vessels that respond to changes in blood pressure to either increase or decrease heart rate

38
Q

What are Proprioceptors?

A

Sensory nerve endings in muscles, tendons and joints that detect changes in muscle movements

39
Q

define ejection fraction

A

the percentage of blood pumped out by the left ventricle per beat

40
Q

What is Starling’s law?

A

Increased venous return –> greater diastolic filling of the heart –> cardiac muscle stretched –> more force of the contraction –> increased ejection fraction (or SV)

41
Q

define cardiac hypertrophy

A

thickening of the muscular wall of the heart so it becomes bigger and stronger; also can mean a larger ventricular cavity

42
Q

define bradycardia

A

decrease in resting heart rate to below 60 beats per minute

43
Q

How do you calculate maximum heart rate?

A

220 - your age

44
Q

How does oxygen get transported around the body?

A
  1. oxygen diffuses into the capillaries (3% –> plasma, 97% –> combines with haemoglobin to form oxyhaemoglobin)
  2. when fully saturated, haemoglobin will carry 4 oxygen molecules (happens when the partial pressure of oxygen in the blood is high - in alveolar capillaries in the lungs)
  3. oxygen gets released from oxyhaemoglobin at the tissues due to the low pressure of oxygen that exists there
  4. in muscle, oxygen is stored as myoglobin
  5. this will store the oxygen for the mitochondria (in centre of muscle where aerobic respiration takes place) until it is used by the muscles
45
Q

define oxyhaemoglobin dissociation.

A

the release of oxygen from oxyhaemoglobin to the tissues.

46
Q

define plasma

A

the fluid part of blood (mainly water) that surrounds blood cells and transports them

47
Q

define haemoglobin

A

an iron-containing pigment found in red blood cells which combines with oxygen to form oxyhaemoglobin.

48
Q

define mitochondria

A

‘powerhouse’ of the cell as respiration and energy production occur there

49
Q

define myoglobin

A

iron-containing muscle pigment in muscle fibres that stores oxygen which can be used quickly when exercise begins

50
Q

define the bohr shift

A

when an increase in blood carbon dioxide and a decrease in pH results in the reduction of the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen

51
Q

define pH

A

a measure of acidity (1-14 , less than 7 = acidic)

52
Q

What are the causes of the Bohr shift.

A
  1. increase in carbon dioxide
  2. increase in body temperature
  3. increase in acidity or lower pH
53
Q

Why does the Bohr shift occur?

A
  • during exercise the body has a higher demand for oxygen
  • this means oxyhaemoglobin dissociation needs to increase
  • to do this the % saturation of haemoglobin with oxygen needs to decrease
  • so more oxygen can get to the muscles
  • high to low concentration of oxygen in muscles due to more co2 because of exercise means more oxygen will dissociate
54
Q

define vascular shunt mechanism

A

the redistribution of blood flow to areas where it is most needed

55
Q

Why should performers not eat less than 2 hours before exercise?

A
  • a full gut would result in more blood being directed to the stomach instead of working muscles
  • detrimental effect on performance
  • less oxygen is being made available
56
Q

define vasodilation

A

widening of blood vessels to increase the flow of blood into the capillaries

57
Q

define vasoconstriction

A

narrowing of the blood vessels to reduce blood flow into the capillaries

58
Q

What controls blood pressure and blood flow?

A
  • vasomotor centre

- located in the medulla oblongata

59
Q

What are the chemoreceptors job in controlling blood flow?

A
  • detect increase in carbon dioxide / lactic acid during exercise
  • stimulate vasomotor centre
  • redistribute blood flow through vasodilation and vasoconstriction
60
Q

What nerves should be stimulated to allow the redirection of blood flow

A
  • sympathetic nerves
  • located in the walls of the blood vessel
  • as sympathetic stimulation increases, vasoconstriction occurs
  • as sympathetic stimulation decreases, vasodilation occurs
61
Q

What are Pre-capillary sphincters?

A

they are tiny rings of muscle at the opening of the capillaries
they contract to reduce blood flow
and relax to increase blood flow

62
Q

Why is the redistribution of blood important?

A
  1. increase supply of oxygen to working muscles
  2. remove waste products from muscles (CO2 + lactic acid)
  3. ensure more blood goes to skin during exercise –> regulate body temperature + get rid of heat through: radiation, evaporation and sweating
  4. direct more blood to heart as it needs more oxygen to beat during exercise
63
Q

define arterio- venous difference

A

the difference between the oxygen content of the arterial blood arriving at the muscles and the venous blood leaving the muscles

64
Q

What happens to the arterio- venous difference during exercise?

A
  • it is high as much more oxygen is needed from the blood for the muscles
  • this increase affects gaseous exchange
  • at the alveoli more oxygen is taken in and more carbon dioxide is removed
65
Q

What happens to the arterio-venous difference of a trained individual?

A

it increases due to a trained performer being able to extract a greater amount of oxygen from the blood

66
Q

What is pulmonary circulation?

A
  • deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs and oxygenated blood back to the heart
67
Q

What is systemic circulation?

A
  • oxygenated blood to the body from the heart and then the return of deoxygenated blood from the body to the heart
68
Q

What is the order of blood vessels from the heart?

A

Heart –> arteries –> arterioles –> capillaries –> venules –> veins –> heart

69
Q

what is the structure of a vein, artery and capillary?

A

capillary: one cells thick slowing down blood flow for the exchange of nutrients
artery: high pressure, thick artery wall, smaller lumen and smooth inner layer
vein: thinner wall , low pressure , valves , wider lumen

70
Q

define blood pressure

A

the force exerted by the blood against the blood vessel wall (blood flow x resistance)

71
Q

define systolic pressure

A

the pressure in the arteries when the ventricles are contracting

72
Q

define diastolic pressure

A

the pressure in the arteries when the ventricles are relaxing

73
Q

What is a typical blood pressure reading?

A

120 / 80 mmHg

74
Q

define venous return

A

the return of blood to the right side of the heart via the vena cava

75
Q

What is a venous return mechanism?

A
  • a mechanism that helps bring the blood back to the heart through the veins
76
Q

What is the skeletal muscle pump?

A
  • muscle around a vein contracts
  • changes shape
  • causing pressure to be put on that vein
  • pumping effect
  • squeeze blood to the heart
77
Q

What is the respiratory pump?

A
  • muscle contracts during breathing
  • causes a change in pressure in the thoracic and abdominal cavities
  • compresses nearby veins (inferior vena cava)
  • assists blood going back to the heart
78
Q

What are pocket valves?

A
  • keeps blood flowing in one direction

- valves close to prevent backflow

79
Q

What are the three other factors that help venous return?

not skeletal muscle, respiratory pump or pocket valves

A
  1. gravity; helps blood return to the heart from upper body
  2. suction pump action of the heart
  3. smooth muscle; contracts slightly to move blood back to the heart
80
Q

What is the importance of a cool down?

A
  • muscles need to keep contracting to keep the blood flowing around the body and to keep pressure on the veins
  • stops blood from pooling
  • clears lactic acid
  • maintain venous return
  • helps the venous return mechanisms
81
Q

What happens to venous return when the systolic pressure changes?

A
  • increase in systolic pressure means an increase in venous return
  • a decrease in systolic pressure means a decrease in venous return
82
Q

what is the equation for venous return?

A 
 venous vascular resistance (Rv)
83
Q

What will increase venous return?

A
  1. increase in venous pressure
  2. decrease in right atrial pressure
  3. decrease in venous resistance
84
Q

What will decrease venous return?

A

an increase in right atrial pressure

85
Q

What will have an effect on venous return?

A

a change in pressure gradient

PE - Year 1 (16 decks)

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