Apparato Cardiovascolare

Question 1

Main constituents of the cardiovascular system?

Answer 1

Heart
Arteries
Vein
Capillaries
Lymphatic vessels

Question 2

What is blood?

Answer 2

Blood is a liquid connective tissue made up of plasma and corpuscular components (erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelet)

Question 3

Key characteristics of erythrocytes?

Answer 3

Erythrocytes or, also called red blood cells, don’t have any nucleus; they are red because of the presence of hemoglobin, protein specialized in the transport of O2; they are produced in the bone marrow. The red blood cells live for only 120days before they die and are taken to the spleen.

Question 4

What are the characteristics of leukocytes?

Answer 4

Leukocytes or also called white blood cells are ‘defense cells’; the have nucleus and other cytoplasmic organelles, making it a complete functional cell; it has mobility because it moves to any infected area; it is produced in the bone marrow.

Question 5

What are the matured leukocytes?

Answer 5

Neutrophil
Basophil
Eosinophil
Monocyte
Lymphocyte

Question 6

What type of organ is the heart?

Answer 6

The heart is a muscular involuntary (striated) hollow organ, about the size of the fist.

Question 7

Where is the heart located?

Answer 7

The heart is in the mediastinum, at the center of the pleural cavities (lungs), posterior to the sternum, anterior to the vertebral column (between the 5-8 vertebral), superior to the diaphragm (apex is sitting on top of the diaphragm) and anterior (the base) to the second rib (it’s between the 2-6 rib).

Question 8

What are the boundaries of the thoracic cavity?

Answer 8

The thoracic cavity is located in your chest: it begins just below your neck and ends at the bottom of your ribcage.
1. Top boundary (superior thoracic inlet): clavicle till the chest
2. Bottom boundary is the diaphragm, which separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity
3. Front boundary is your sternum
4. Back boundary thoracic spine (backbone), precisely C7

Question 9

What are the three layer tissues that form the heart?

Answer 9

The inner layer is endocardium (epithelial tissue)
The middle layer is myocardium (muscular striated tissue)
The outer layer epicardium
The overall layer is pericardium: fibrous (parietal), pericardial fluid (for less friction between them as the heart beats) and serous (visceral)

Question 10

What is pericarditis?

Answer 10

Pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardium. A common symptom is chest pain.

Question 11

What rapport does the heart have with it’s environment?

Answer 11

Below the heart there’s the diaphragm;
Laterally there are the two pleurae (lungs);
Anteriorly there are the thymus and the sternum;
Posteriorly there is the trachea

Question 12

What is the external configuration of the heart?

Answer 12

The heart presents a sterno costal surface (relation with the sternum and the ribs), a pulmonary surface, diaphragmatic surface, a right border, a base and an apex

Question 13

Describe the internal configuration of the heart?

Answer 13

The heart is divided into 4 chambers: right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium and left ventricle.
There are 4 valves that controls the flow of blood in the heart
1) Between the right atrium and right ventricle there’s the tricuspid valve;
2) Between the right ventricle and the pulmonary arteries there’s the semilunar pulmonary valve;
3) Between the left atrium and the left ventricle there’s the mitral or bicuspid valve;
4) Between the left ventricle and the aorta there’s the semilunar aortic valve

Question 14

Describe the large circulatory system?

Answer 14

The large circulatory system: heart pumps blood to the rest of your body
Oxygenated blood through the pulmonary veins enters the left atrium, which pumps the blood to the left ventricle. Then the left ventricle sends the blood to the aorta. From the aorta the blood will get to the capillaries.

Question 15

Describe the small circulatory system?

Answer 15

The small circulation: the deoxygenated blood from the cells goes back to the heart through the vena cavas.
The blood enters the right atrium then it is pumped to the right ventricle, which will send it to the lungs to be re-oxygenated through the pulmonary arteries

Question 16

What is the cardiac conduction system?

Answer 16

The cardiac conduction system consists of a network of specialized muscle cells found in the heart’s wall that send signals to the rest of the heart muscle causing a contraction

Question 17

What are the main parts of the cardiac conduction system?

Answer 17

SA (sino-atrial) node
AV (atrio-ventricular) node
Bundle of His
Bundle branches
Purkinje fibers

Question 18

What are the steps of the cardiac conduction system?

Answer 18

There are 4 steps of cardiac conduction
1) Pacemaker impulse generation: SA node (the pacemaker) contracts, generating nerve impulses that travels throughout the heart wall, making both atria to contract.
2) When the impulses from SA reach the AV node, they are delayed for about 10s, in order for the atria to contract and empty their contents in the ventricles
3) The impulses are sent to the bundle of His from the atrioventricular bundle, and then sent to to the left and right ventricle from the center of the heart
4) When the impulses reach the Purkinje fibers, they trigger the muscle fibers in the ventricles to contract

Question 19

What causes your heart to beat?

Answer 19

The heart beats as a result of the generation and conduction of electrical impulses. Cardiac conduction is the rate at which the heart conducts electrical impulses , which causes the heart to contract and relax .

Question 20

Describe the cardiac cycle?

Answer 20

The cardiac cycle is a series of pressure changes that take place within the heart.
The cardiac cycle events can be divided into diastole and systole.
Diastole represents ventricular relaxation and filling
Systole represents ventricular contraction, forcing blood into the arteries.

Question 21

What is the arterial system?

Answer 21

The arterial system is the higher-pressure portion of the circulatory system. It is a complex structure of vessel that carry blood away from the heart

Question 22

Where are the key arteries located

Answer 22

• The aorta is the biggest artery
• Internal Carotid artery supplies blood to the brain and the external Carotid artery supplies blood to the neck and lower face.
• Bronchial artery supplies blood to the lungs
• Pericardial artery carries blood to the membrane around the heart
• Posterior and superior intercostal arteries both carries blood to areas of the torso (skin, spinal cord and back)
• Abdomen arteries: celiac trunk supplies blood to the liver, spleen, and stomach; superior and inferior mesenteric arteries carry blood to the intestines and pancreas; inferior phrenic artery carries blood to the diaphragm; renal arteries carry blood to the kidneys; the lumbar arteries deliver blood to the spinal cord and vertebra.
• Arm arteries: axillary (from torso to arm), the brachial artery (to the upper part of the arm), radial and ulnar arteries (to the hand and wrist)
• Leg arteries: femoral arteries which carries blood to the thigh; the popliteal artery which carries blood to the area below the knee; tibial arteries supply blood to the feet and ankles.

Question 23

What is the venous system?

Answer 23

The venous system refers to your network of veins and the ways the veins connect with other blood vessels and organs throughout the body.
The veinous system is organized into two main parts or circuits: systemic e pulmonary

Question 24

What are the peculiarities of the veins in the venous system?

Answer 24

The veins in the venous system are designed to drain the majority of the blood against gravity.
The veins have one valve that prevents the back-flow of blood, allowing the venous blood to be pumped back to the heart.
Veins do not contain as much muscle in their walls as arteries.
The veins have a large capacity to hold blood

Question 25

What is the difference between superficial and deep venous system?

Answer 25

In the superficial venous system, the superficial veins drain the blood from the upper limbs.
In the deep venous system, the deep veins drain the blood from deeper fascia, muscles and bones.

Question 26

What are the principal superficial veins that drain the upper limb?

Answer 26

The Cephalic veins drains predominantly the radial side of the upper extremity, then it will penetrate the deep fascia around the axilla region to drain into the subclavian vein.
While the basilic vein drains the medial side, then it drains either into the brachial or axillary vein

Question 27

What is the ascending aorta?

Answer 27

The ascending aorta is the first part of the aorta and it has two small branches: right coronary artery that bifurcates into posterior inter ventricular artery and left coronary artery ( circumflex artery and anterior descending coronary artery ).

Question 28

Where is the ascending aorta located?

Answer 28

The ascending aorta sits atop the left ventricle on the left side of the heart; it is located right behind the sternum. It arises from the aortic orifice from the left ventricle and ascends to the aortic aorta

Question 29

Who mediates the rapports of the heart?

Answer 29

Pericardium

Question 30

What is the aortic arch?

Answer 30

The aortic arch is the continuation of the ascending aorta and begins at the level of the secondo sterno-costal joint and ends at the level of the T4 vertebra. It helps distribute blood to the head and upper extremities via the branchiocephalic trunk (right subclavian artery, right common carotid artery), the left common carotid and left subclavian artery.

Question 31

What is the aorta and it’s four sections?

Answer 31

The aorta is the largest artery of the body and it can be divided into four sections:
- the ascending aorta
- the aortic arch
- the thoracic (descending aorta)
- the abdominal aorta

Question 32

What are the main branches of the aortic arch?

Answer 32

There are three major branches arising from the aortic arch. Proximal to distal:
- Branchiocephalic trunk which splits into the right common carotid and right subclavian artery, and they supply the right side of the head and neck, and the right upper limb.
- Left common carotid artery supplies the left side of the head
- Left subclavian artery supplies the left upper limb.

Question 33

Describe the position of the thoracic aorta?

Answer 33

The thoracic (descending) aorta goes from the T4 to T12 vertebra; it leaves the thorax vi the aortic hiatus in the diaphragm, and becomes the abdomen aorta.

Question 34

What are the branches of the thoracic aorta and their functions?

Answer 34

In a descending order, the branches of the thoracic aorta are:
- Bronchial arteries carries oxygenated blood to the lungs at a pressure 6x that of the pulmonary arteries; they provide nourishment to the visceral pleura (lungs) and do not participate in the exchange of gas.
- Mediastinal arteries are small arteries that supply the lymph glands
- Oesophageal arteries are unpaired visceral branches that supply the oesophagus
- Pericardial arteries are small unpaired arteries that supply the dorsal portion of the pericardium
- Superior phrenic arteries are paired parietal branches that supply the superior portion of the diaphragm.
- Intercostal and subcostal arteries are small paired arteries that branch off throughout the length of the posterior thoracic aorta. The 9 pairs of intercostal arteries supply the intercostal spaces, with the exception of the first and second (they are supplied by a branch from the subclavian artery). The subcostal arteries supply the flat abdominal wall muscles.

Question 35

Where does the abdominal aorta starts and ends?

Answer 35

The abdominal aorta starts at the level of T12 vertebrae and ends at the level of the L4 vertebra where it bifurcates into the right and left common iliac arteries that supply the lower body.

Question 36

Describe the branches of the abdominal aorta?

Answer 36

In a descending order, the branches are:
- Inferior phrenic arteries: diaphragm and inferior part of esophagus;
- Adrenal arteries: adrenal glands;
- Celiac trunk: left gastric artery (stomach and adjacent portion of esophagus), Splenic artery (spleen, pancreas and stomach), common hepatic artery (liver, stomach, gallbladder, duodenum, pancreas);
- Renal arteries (kidneys);
- Superior mesenteric artery (pancreas, small intestine, appendix and 2/3 of the large intestine);
- Gonadal arteries (testes, ovaries)
- Inferior mesenteric artery (last third of large intestine);
- Lumbar arteries ( vertebrae, spinal cord, lumbar region);
- Common iliac arteries

Question 37

Describe the branches of the abdominal aorta?

Answer 37

In a descending order, the branches are:
Inferior phrenic arteries

Question 38

Describe the branches of the abdominal aorta?

Answer 38

In a descending order, the branches are:
Inferior phrenic arteries

Question 39

Describe the branches of the abdominal aorta?

Answer 39

In a descending order, the branches are:
Inferior phrenic arteries

Question 40

Describe the branches of the abdominal aorta?

Answer 40

In a descending order, the branches are:
• Inferior phrenic arteries: Paired parietal arteries arising posteriorly at the level of T12. They supply the diaphragm.
• Coeliac artery: A large, unpaired visceral artery arising anteriorly at the level of T12. It is also known as the celiac trunk and supplies the liver, stomach, abdominal oesophagus, spleen, the superior duodenum and the superior pancreas.
• Superior mesenteric artery: A large, unpaired visceral artery arising anteriorly, just below the celiac artery. It supplies the distal duodenum, jejuno-ileum, ascending colon and part of the transverse colon. It arises at the lower level of L1.
• Middle suprarenal arteries: Small paired visceral arteries that arise either side posteriorly at the level of L1 to supply the adrenal glands.
• Renal arteries: Paired visceral arteries that arise laterally at the level between L1 and L2. They supply the kidneys.
• Gonadal arteries: Paired visceral arteries that arise laterally at the level of L2. Note that the male gonadal artery is referred to as the testicular artery and in females, the ovarian artery.
• Inferior mesenteric artery: A large, unpaired visceral artery that arises anteriorly at the level of L3. It supplies the large intestine from the splenic flexure to the upper part of the rectum.
• Median sacral artery: An unpaired parietal artery that arises posteriorly at the level of L4 to supply the coccyx, lumbar vertebrae and the sacrum.
• Lumbar arteries: There are four pairs of parietal lumbar arteries that arise posterolaterally between the levels of L1 and L4 to supply the abdominal wall and spinal cord.