cardiovascular Flashcards
what is the thorax + what does it contained
sealed cavity that contains the heart, thoracic oesophagus, thymus, blood vessels, nerves, lymph nodes and lungs.
How is the thorax contained
- Laterally = the ribcage
- Cranially = the thoracic inlet
- Dorsally = the thoracic vertebrae
- Ventrally = the sternum
- Caudally = the diaphragm
How many ribcages does a dog have
13
What does each rib join onto
thoracic vertabrea and hypaxial muscle
What is the rib made of
dorsal 2/3 = bone
ventral 1/3 = cartialage
How do the rib bones join together
First 9 ribs join the sternum ventrally, the bottom 4 join their cartilage together to from the costal arch, with the last rib not connecting to anything (floating rib).
How many bones is the sternum made up of + what are they called
8 sternabrae
What is the diaphragm
sheet of skeletal muscle extending from the sternum, ribs and vertebrae and inserts on a central aponeurotic tendon
What is the thoracic inlet
Not an enforced boundary, where blood vessels and other things like the trachea and oesophagus enter and leave the thorax.
What is the pleura
Thorax is lined by shiny serous membrane = pleura. Seals off the thorax, very thin and smooth mesothelial sheet. It is separated into two parts
What are the two parts of the pleura
- Visceral pleura = attaches to the lungs
- Parietal pleura = where it lines everything else. Mediastinal = oragans in midline. Diapragmatic = diaphragm at caudal extent. Costal = laterally on ribs
How does the pleura create a potential space
Layers form a potential space, separated by thin layer of fluid to allow lungs to move over ribs. Maintains negative pressure so lungs pulled open when breathing in
Describe the trachea
tube that contains rings of cartilage for structure and a muscle at each dorsal aspect
what are the lungs split into
lobes
How are the lobes subdivided
- Left lung = 2 lobes. Cranial (split into cranial and caudal) and the caudal
- Right lung = 4 lobes. Cranial, middle, caudal and accessory. In most domestic animals except horses, who lack a middle lobe.
What is the base of the heart
fatter bit at the top where blood vessels enter and leave the heart sits cranially and dorsally to the apex
What is the apex of the heart
point at the bottom which consists of the left ventricle, sits caudally and ventrally to the base
What is the pericardium
invaginated sac of serous membrane that covers heart, is an extension of the pleura
What is the structure of the pericardium
contains two layers : parietal and visceral layers, fluid filled gap in the middle to allow movement.
What is muscular contraction of the heart stimulated by
electrical impulses (action potentials) that orginate rom the SAN
How does the action potential spread across the heart
spread cell to cell by branching of the cells and communicated by intercalculated diiscs
How do intercalated discs work
contain gap junctions that allow cations to move in-between cells to depolarise, so the cardiac muscle contracts at the same time
What does functional syncytium mean
means the cardiac muscle acts as one cell and all contract as one unit as the action potential is transmitted cell to cell very quickly
Which nervous system does the heart receive input from
autonomic nervous system - causes changes in the heart rate and contractility to change cardiac output
Which nerve does the sympathetic nervous system access the heart from
cardiac nerves (also piggy backs on the vagus nerve)
Which nerve does the parasympathetic nervous system access the heart rom
vagus nerve
What does automaticity
cells in the san node spontaneously depolarise and create action potentials
Which cells of the hearts possess automaticity
sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes, faster cells are in the SAN - they are the pacemaker .
Can av node become pacemaker
they have a slower depolarisation so only take over if signal from AV node is disrupted. Other cells in myocardium can become pacemaker cells if they are damaged (develop automaticity)
What are ectopic pacemakers
damaged myocardium cells not in the AV or SA nodes that develop automaticity after being damaged, can be responsible for abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias)
What is the electrical pathway
1) Action potential generated from the SAN in the right atrium
2) wave of depolarisation spreads across both atria via the intercalated discs causing simultaneous contractions of all atria cells (happens relatively slowly)
3) wave of depolarisation collects at the AVN where it is delayed - as fibres are narrow - before being passed onto the ventricles. Allows atrial systole to optimise ventricular filling – atria and ventricles are electrically isolated from each other by annulus fibrosus
4) action potential passed from the AVN to the bundle of his which goes down the interventricular septum into the left and right ventricles by left and right branch. Right bundle branch crosses right ventricle by septomarginal band to free wall. Left branch divides into anterior+ posteriorfasicles for thick walls
5) causes contraction from the apex up to push blood out of the ventricles back into circulation
why doesn’t the action potential spread straight from the atria to the ventricles
they are electrically isolated by the annulus fibrosus which is the fibrosus skeleton of the heart