2. The Heart As A Pump Flashcards
Which vessel type are classed as ‘resistance vessels’, why is this?
Arteries, as they restrict blood flow to drive supply to hard to perfuse areas of the body
Which vessels act as capacitance vessels? How do they do this?
Veins
They enable the system to vary the amount of blood pumped around the body
Which valve is present between the right atria and right ventricle?
Tricuspid valve
Which valve is present between the left atria and ventricle?
Mitral valve
Define systole.
Contraction and ejection of blood from ventricles
Define diastole.
Relaxation and filling of ventricles.
What is stroke volume?
The amount of blood ejected per ventricle contraction
What is the average stroke volume?
70ml
What is the structure of cardiac muscle?
Striated
Branched
Intercalated discs between cells with gap junctions to allow action potentials to pass through myocardium easily.
An action potential in cardiac muscle increases the intracellular concentration of which ion?
Calcium
How does the length of the action potential in cardiomyocytes differ to others?
280ms
It is relatively long - lasts for the duration of a single contraction of the heart.
What is the function of the papillary muscles and chordae tendineae that attach to tricuspid and mitral valves?
Prevent inversion of the valves on systole when high pressures are exerted onto them.
What is the significance of atrioventricular delay?
Prevent the ventricles contracting at the same time as the atria, it gives them time to fill and allows atria to finish contracting.
How does the excitation spread through the ventricular myocardium?
Inner (endocardial) to outer (epicardial) surface
What happens to systole and diastole when heart rate increases?
Systole stays the same and diastole will shorten
Name the 7 stages of the cardiac cycle.
- Atrial Contraction
- Isovolumetric contraction
- Rapid ejection
- Reduced ejection
- Isovolumetric relaxation
- Rapid filling
- Reduced filling
What occurs during atrial contraction ?
Atria contract, accounting for the last 10-20% of ventricle filling.
What causes the ‘A wave’ in wiggers diagram?
Atrial pressures rising due to atrial systole.
What does the P wave on an ECG represent?
P wave signified the onset of atrial depolarisation.
What is the End-Diastolic Volume (EDV) and when is it reached?
It is the maximal ventricular volume, reached after atrial contraction in phase 1.
What is the typical EDV?
120ml
What causes the mitral valve to close during isovolumetric contraction?
The intraventricular pressure exceeds atrial pressure.
What wave is created on the atrial pressure curve when the mitral valve closes?
C wave
What does the QRS complex on an ECG signify?
The onset of ventricular depolarisation
What causes the first heart sound, S1?
Closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves during the isovolumetric contraction phase.
What pressure changes cause the aortic valve to open?
During rapid ejection phase, when the intraventricular pressure exceeds the pressure within the aorta.
What is aortic pressure during diastole?
80mmHg
What it the “X descent” on the atrial pressure curve?
A decrease in the atrial pressure as the ventricle contracts and the atrial base is pulled downwards.
What is the “V wave” on the atrial pressure plot?
A gradual rise in atrial pressure due to continued venous return from the lungs during reduced ejection phase.
Which ECG wave represents ventricular repolarisation?
T-wave