cardiovascular 1-5 Flashcards
What are the names of the two circuits of the CV system?
- pulmonary
- systemic
State the route of blood through circulation in the CV system.
(HInt - RAA CV)
- RBC in suspension
- arteries (away from the heart)
- arterioles
- capillaries (in lungs)
- veins (back through the heart)
Where must each circuit of the double circulatory system begin/end and contain?
- begin and end at heart (transport system pump)
- contains arteries, capillaries and veins
Describe circulation in terms of valves in the CV system.
Hint - 1-4. L-AS-A-SIC and 5-8. R-R-P-P
- left ventricle (aortic valve)
- aorta and systemic arteries
- arterioles (heart)
- superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, coronary sinus
- right atrium, deoxygenated blood (tricuspid valve)
- right ventricle (pulmonary valve)
- pulmonary trunk and pulmonary arteries
- in pulmonary capillaries, blood loses CO₂ and gains O₂ (lungs)
Where is the heart located?
- mediastinum
- posterior to sternum and great vessels
Where are the sternum and great vessels connected to the heart?
to the base (superior end)
Where does the base of the heart sit posterior to, at what level is it and what is it formed by?
(Hint - not at vertebrae but at a CC)
- posterior to sternum
- at the level of 3rd costal cartilage
- formed by atria
Where is the apex of the heart and what is it formed by?
- pointed (bottom) tip of the heart
- formed by LV
Where does the heart extend to anteriorly and obliquely?
Hint - anteriorly in the back and between peparey, obliquely from ribs numbered according to that diet Philip did
- anteriorly: vertebral column, first rib and between lungs
- obliquely: 12-14 cm from 2nd rib to 5th intercostal space
What does the heart divide by and how is it centred?
- 2 unequal halves by the septum
- about 1.2cm to LHS
How many atria and ventricles are there and what do they do?
Hint - A collects then V gets rid
- 2x atria - collecting chambers of the heart that contract to fill ventricles
- 2x ventricles - muscular chambers which eject blood
What is systole?
Hint - s is later in the alphabet than d so think of the AV actions like that
ventricular contraction – atrial elongation
What is diastole?
ventricular relaxation and filling
From the vena cava, what is the flow of blood through the chambers and valves of the heart?
(Hint - R → L and A → V, for each ventricle it also passes through the nearest big vessels PA arteries)
1) RA and tricuspid AV valve (3 cusps)
2) RV and pulmonary artery
3) LA and biscupid/mitral AV valve (2 cusps)
4) LV and aorta
What are the 3 layers of the pericardium?
- epicardium (external)
- visceral layer of serous (secretes lubricant) pericardium - myocardium (middle)
- 95% of the heart’s cardiac muscle (cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts) - endocardium (innermost)
What is pericardium and the names of its 2 layers?
- membrane surrounding and protecting heart
- while allowing free movement
1. fibrous pericardium
2. serous pericardium
Describe the composition of the serous and fibrous pericardium.
- serous pericardium: thinner membrane which forms a double layer around heart
- fibrous pericardium: inelastic dense irregular CT which prevents overstretching and provides protection
What is the (inner) visceral layer of serous pericardium also called?
epicardium
Which fluid is found between parietal and visceral layers of serous pericardium what is its function?
- pericardial fluid
- reduces friction
What are the two atrioventricular valves?
- tricuspid valve
- bicuspid (mitral) valve
What are the two semilunar valves?
- pulmonary valve
- aortic valve
What happens to AV valves when atria contract/ventricles relax?
- cusps project into ventricle
- in ventricle, papillary muscles relax + chordae tendineae slac
What are the actions of AV valves when the atria relax/ventricles are contracted?
- pressure drives cusps upward until edges meet and close opening
- papillary muscles contract tightening chordae tendinae
What does the action of AV valves prevent?
regurgitation (backflow)
Compare cardiac muscle fibres to skeletal muscle fibres.
Hint - cells arrangement, number of energy-producing organelles and branching/stripes
- muscle fibres shorter, less circular, branched, one, centrally-located nucleus
- muscle fibres more mitochondria
- single-branched striated muscle cells
Compare the similarities and differences in cardiac and skeletal muscle.
- same arrangement of sarcomeres
- same contraction mechanisms (sliding filament model)
- different stimulus for contraction
- different Ca sources
How are cardiomyocytes connected?
intercalated discs (= thickenings of sarcolemma)
Which three junctions make up an intercalated disc?
Hint - EA sports “For Da Game”
- fascia adherens or Z discs (anchoring sites for actin, connected to closest sarcomere)
- desmosomes (hold myocytes together)
- gap junctions (physical connections which propagate cell-to-cell electrical signalling)
Describe the unique banding pattern of striated/cardiac muscle.
- two major contractile filaments actin and myosin arranged into myofibrils
- each myofibril consists of sarcomeres (= contractile units)
- each sarcomere separated by Z band/disc (thin line) in which:
- thin actin filaments forming I-band attach Z-disc
- darker A-band made of myosin filaments present between I bands
What happens to actin filaments when muscle contracts?
- actin filaments of I band slide over myosin filaments of A band
- Z discs move closer together
What are thin filaments made of?
actin
What protein forms thick filaments?
myosin
What is an action potential?
a characteristic apid rise and subsequent fall in voltage/p.d. across a cellular membrane
State the route of an action potential in the heart.
Hint - SABLP
SAN → AV node → AV bundle/bundle of His → L+R bundle branches → Purkinje fibres
State the 5 stages by which an action potential is conducted.
- stimulus → rapid change in voltage/AP above threshold
- depolarization →Na⁺ channels in cell membrane open and influx of Na⁺
- repolarization → rapid Na⁺ channel activation and large influx of K⁺ due to activated K⁺ channels
- hyperpolarisation → lowered membrane potential caused by K⁺ efflux ions and K⁺ channels closing
- resting state → return to RMP
During embryonic development of the heart, how many fibres become autorhythmic (heart pacemaker cells)?
1% of cardiac muscle fibres
State the 2 functions of autorhythmic fibres.
- pacemaker cells driving autorhythmic contractility activity of heart
- form specialised conducting system of muscle fibres to allow coordinated excitation of different regions of heart
How do SAN cells conduct action potentials?
- no stable RMP → repeated spontaneous depolarization to threshold
- current activates upon hyperpolarization at -40/-70 mV
- pacemaker potential reaches threshold → triggers AP
- AP from SAN → throughout both atria (via gap junctions of IC discs) → both atria simultaneously contract