Anatomy & Functioning of the Heart Flashcards

1
Q

What is the major portion of the heart called?

A

Myocardium

It consists largely of cardiac muscle

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2
Q

How many chambers does the heart have? What are they called?

A

4 chambers in total

2 upper thin-walled atria

2 lower thick-walled ventricles

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3
Q

What are the purpose of the valves in the heart?

A

Prevent the backflow of blood

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4
Q

What are the valves between the atria and the ventricles called?

A

Atrioventricular valves

(A-V Valves)

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5
Q

What are the valves in the aorta and pulmonary trunk called?

A

semilunar valves

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6
Q

What do the chordae tendineae do?

A

They ensure the correct operation of the AV valves as the heart beats.

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7
Q

What is the right side and the left side of the heart separated by?

A

Septum

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8
Q

Where does the cardiac muscle of the heart get its oxygenated blood from?

A

Coronary Arteries

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9
Q

What is an artery?

A

A vessel that travels away from the heart

(usually but not always, carrying oxygenated blood)

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10
Q

What is a vein?

A

a vessel that travels back to the heart

(usually but not always, carrying deoxygenated blood)

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11
Q

What does systole refer to?

A

contraction of the heart muscle

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12
Q

What does diastole refer to?

A

the relaxation of the heart muscle

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13
Q

What is the cardiac cycle?

A

The 2 atria contract together then the 2 ventricles contract together

1 heart beat

  • Atrial systole, ventricular diastole
  • Atrial diastole, ventricular systole
  • Atrial diastole, ventricular diastole
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14
Q

Describe the heart sounds

A

Heartbeat sounds are described as lub-DUPP

the lub sound is due to the closing if the AV valves

the DUBB sound is due to the closing of the semilunar vlaves

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15
Q

What is it called when the valves don’t work as they should and blood ends up backflowing?

A

a heart murmur

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16
Q

How do you determine heart rate or pulse?

A

It is the number of times your heart beats per minute (bpm)

As the left ventricle contracts, blood enters your arteries and the artery dilates to accommodate the blood flow. Its what you feel as your pulse.

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17
Q

What is your resting heart rate?

A

The rate at which your heart beats when you are not exercising. Your oxygen and glucose demands are at their lowest.

If you are more fit you often have a lower resting heart rate because your heart muscle is stronger and can pump more blood per beat

18
Q

What is cardiac output?

A

The volume of blood pumped with each heartbeat

Cardiac Output (mL/min) = Stroke volume (mL/beat) x Heart Rate (bpm)

19
Q

What changes occur in the circulatory system as a result of long-term exercising?

A
  1. A stronger heart
  2. A increase in blood volume
  3. An increase in red blood cells and hemoglobin
  4. Arteries maintain their elasticity
  5. An increased growth of capillaries into the muscle.
20
Q

What does it mean to have an increase in red blood cells and hemoglobin?

A

it means your blood has a greater ability to carry O2 to the tissues and remove waste CO2. There fore your heart does not need to pump that often.

21
Q

What does it mean to have an increase in growth of capillaries into the muscle?

A

This means an increase in blood flow, O2, and glucose delivery to the muscles as well as increased CO2 removal. Adding an extra pound of body fat means you will need to grow over a kilometre of capillaries to supply it. That means the heart has to work harder to move blood through the body.

22
Q

What does it mean when the heart muscle hypertrophies?

A

It gets bigger and stronger

23
Q

What measures blood pressure?

A

A blood pressure cuff called a sphygmomanometer.

24
Q

How does a blood pressure cuff work?

A

It is wrapped around your upper arm.

Then it is inflated to a pressure higher than your systolic blood pressure

they release the pressure in the cuff and listen for the first sound in the stethoscope - That is the systolic pressure

They keep deflating and listening. When the noise goes away, that is your diastolic pressure

25
Q

How is blood pressure recorded?

A

Systolic pressure/Diastolic pressure

26
Q

What is a healthy blood pressure?

A

120/80 or less than in either numbers.

27
Q

When looking at blood pressure, which is more important? the top (systolic) or the bottom (diastolic)?

A

Typically more attention is given to the top number.

In most people, systolic pressure rises with age because the arteries get stiffer and there has been more time for plaque to build up.

28
Q

What is hypertension?

A

High blood pressure

29
Q

What is hypotension?

A

low blood pressure

30
Q

What causes hypertension (high blood pressure)?

A

Smoking - Nicotine acts as a vasoconstrictor

Stress - acts as a vasoconstrictor

Diabetes - increases blood volume

Too much salt - increases blood volume

Lack of physical activity - vessel become less elastic

Older Age - vessels become less elastic

Genetic/Family History - good vs bad cholesterol & plaque build up.

31
Q

What is blood pressure?

A

The measure of the force of blood pushing against artery walls

32
Q

What is Artherosclerosis?

A

Fatty deposits (Plaques) that build up in the smooth muscle layers of the arteries

Reduces the flow & stiffens the artery walls (less elastic)

33
Q

How does diabetes increase blood volume?

A

excess sugar in the blood makes the blood hypertonic and water diffuses into the blood vessel.

34
Q

How does too much salt in the diet increase blood volume?

A

excess salt in the blood makes the blood hypertonic and water diffuses into the blood vessel.

35
Q

What causes hypotension? (Low blood pressure)

A
  1. Major bleeding
  2. Dehydration
  3. Shock
36
Q

How does shock cause hypotension?

A

massive vaso-dilation (many blood vessels open up at the same time). It decreases blood flow to major organs and can be dangerous.

37
Q

How are blood pressure and heart rate related?

A

There is no good correlation. Measuring pulse rate does not indicate high or low blood pressure.

38
Q

How does your body maintain its heartbeat?

A

The heart can beat independently of any nervous stimulation (INTRINSIC)

There are 2 places in the wall of the right atrium where there is special tissue that can control the beating of the heart.

39
Q

What are the tissues in the right atrium that control the heartbeat?

A

The sino-atrial node (SA node) is the pacemaker since it starts the contraction of the right atrium causing a wave of contraction to pass through all the atrial tissue

The wave reaches the atrio-ventricular node (AV node)

The AV node immediately passes this wave down the septum and up the Purkinje fibres causing the ventricles to contract from the bottom upwards

40
Q

What are Purkinje Fibres?

A

Fibres in the ventricles that ensure the ventricle contract from the bottom.

41
Q

How does the autonomic nervous system control the heartbeat?

A

The heart rate centre is in the medulla oblongata of the brain

There are 2 autonomic systems that act like “ON” and “OFF” switches

Sympathetic nervous system - “Fight or Flight” increase heart rate/increases blood pressure

Parasympathetic nervous system - “Rest & Digest” slows down heart rate/decreases blood pressure