Anatomy and Histology - Cardiovascular System Flashcards
What is the major histological difference between the ventricle and atrium?
Ventricular wall thickness >>> atrial wall thickness
Describe the autonomic innervation of the heart.
Sympathetic (superior cervical ganglion - T4)
Parasympathetic (vagus, CN 10)
In the sympathetic NS, […] is the neurotransmitter released onto […] receptors on heart muscle.
NE
Mostly Beta 1 adrenergic, some Beta 2
In the parasympathetic NS, […] is the neurotransmitter released onto […] receptors on heart muscle.
Acetylcholine
Mostly muscarinic type 2, some muscarininc type 3
What are the 3 layers of the heart tissue itself.
Myocardium = cardiac muscle cells
Endocardium = simple squamous epithelium
The […] muscle is the first to contract during ventricular contraction.
Papillary muscle
The mesothelium of the epicardium is what type of epithelium?
Simple squamous
What is one of the most striking differences between veins and arteries?
Smooth muscle layer (tunica media) of arteries is >>>> thicker than veins
- What layer of the heart muscle is this?
- How are the nuclei arranged?
- What is the arrow pointing at?
Intercalated discs are where gap junctions are located. Gap junctions electrically couple the heart cells allowing for coordinated contraction of heart cells
Purkinje fibers are rich in glycogen –> ID on section b/c they’ll appear lighter since glycogen doesn’t stain well
What type of valve is shown in each image?
How can you differentiate between the 2 in section?
Which way does each valve move?
Semilunar valves have no chordae tendinae
AV valve will swing up (in image shown)
Semilunar valve will swing down (in image shown)
What are the 3 layers of tissue within a heart valve?
What is unique about the spongiosa layer of heart valve tissue?
It contains large amounts of proteoglycans and serves as a shock absorber
Do valves receive their own blood supply?
No - they are avascular
What is the cardiac skeleton?
Briefly describe, in general terms, the conduction system pathway of the heart.
What is the pericardium?
Outer protective covering of heart, pericardial space is between heart and pericardium
The epicardium is synonymous with the […]
Visceral layer of the serous pericardium
What are the 3 layers of tissue present in vessels?
- Composition of each layer
- Location relative to other layers
- Type of cell tissue found
What is unique about the tunica adventitia (externa)?
It contains the vasa vasorum (blood supply to the blood vessels) and the nervi vascularis (innervation of blood vessels)
True or false: Only arteries have a tunica interna, Tunica media and tunica adventitia.
False - all vessels have the same sub structure, relative thickness and composition can vary (i.e. tunica media >>> in arteries than veins)
What is an elastic artery and what is an example?
Why do elastic arteries have more elastic fibers?
During systole, blood ejected from the heart travels to these arteries with a lot of force and so these arteries need to expand and become larger to accomodate the moving fluid. During diastole, they rebound and relax back to baseline –> need more elastic fibers to accomodate this expansion and recoil.
What type of artery is this?
What is the structure with the arrow and what is its purpose?
IEL - allows lumen to become larter or smaller
What is the function of lymphatics as it relates to the CV system?
When fluid leaves the blood to enter the tissues, the lymphatics are able to reabsorb some of that fluid and return it to the blood. The lymphatic system has valves, which prevents backflow and also has a muscular layer to propel fluid through the system. This is also aided by the force of external muscular contraction in the body.
What are the 3 kinds of capillaries we should know?
How thick are capillaries?
1 cell thick
