Cardiovascular Anatomy

Question 1

What is the name of the body cavity the heart is contained in?

Answer 1

Mediastinum

Question 2

What is the name of the protective double membrane that surrounds the heart?

Answer 2

Pericardium

Question 3

Where is the heart located?

Answer 3

• 1/3 lies to the right of the midline
• 2/3 lies to the left of the midline

(pyramid/cone shape - tilted)

Question 4

What are the names of the (4) chambers of the heart?

Answer 4

• Right Atrium
• Left Atrium
• Right Ventricle
• Left Ventricle

Question 5

What produces the “sound” of the heart beat?

Answer 5

Closing of the valves

Question 6

Where is the apex of the heart?

Answer 6

At the bottom (inferior) on the left border

(point of the heart)

Question 7

Where is the base of the heart?

Answer 7

An imaginary line that travels diagonally across the heart (where the valves are)

Question 8

What are the receiving chambers?

Answer 8

Atria

Question 9

What are the pumping chambers?

Answer 9

Ventricles

Question 10

What is the fibrous pericardium made of?

Answer 10

Tough fibrous connective tissue

Question 11

What are the purposes of the fibrous pericardium?

Answer 11

• Protects heart
• Prevents overfilling
• Anchors heart to surrounding structures (including diaphragm via the central tendon)

Question 12

Pericardium.

Answer 12

A double-walled sac surrounding the heart

Question 13

Fibrous pericardium.

Answer 13

The outer layer of the pericardium

Question 14

Serous pericardium.

Answer 14

The inner layer of the pericardium

Question 15

What lines the fibrous pericardium?

Answer 15

Parietal pericardium

Question 16

Parietal pericardium.

Answer 16

Lines the fibrous pericardium

Question 17

Visceral pericardium.

Answer 17

Fused to external layer of the heart wall (epicardium)

Question 18

Pericardial fluid.

Answer 18

In between the parietal and visceral pericardium - pericardial cavity

(lubricates and creates frictionless environment)

Question 19

What are the (3) layers that compose the walls of the heart?

Answer 19

• Epicardium
• Myocardium
• Endocardium

Question 20

Epicardium.

Answer 20

Outer layer - a thin layer of external membrane

(visceral pericardium)

Question 21

Myocardium.

Answer 21

Middle layer of cardiac muscle
- Thickest layer of the wall of the heart
- This layer contracts
- Composed of cardiac muscle fibres arranged in spirals and loops
- Separate systems for atria and ventricles
- Cardiac muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) are specialised “excitable cells”

Question 22

Endocardium.

Answer 22

Thin layer of endothelium

Question 23

Why do atria have smaller + thinner walls than ventricles?

Answer 23

Only have to pump blood into the adjoining ventricle, but ventricles pump blood to the lungs + body

Question 24

What are the names of the valves between the atrium & ventricles (Left/Right)?

Answer 24

Atrioventricular valves

Left = bicuspid vale (mitral valve)
Right = tricuspid valve

Question 25

What are the names of the valves between the ventricles & arteries (Left/Right)?

Answer 25

Semilunar valves Left = aortic valve Right = pulmonary valve

Question 26

Where are coronary arteries located?

Answer 26

In the epicardium (superficial) (send branches deeper into the myocardium)

Question 27

Coronary sinus.

Answer 27

Coronary veins return deoxygenated blood to the right atrium

Question 28

What is the "Lub" sound in a heart beat?

Answer 28

Sound of the AV valves closing

Question 29

What is the "Dub" sound in a heart beat?

Answer 29

Sound of the aortic & pulmonary valves closing

Question 30

What are (4) specialised conduction fibres in the heart?

Answer 30

- Sinoatrial node (pacemaker) - Atrioventricular node (AV node) - Atrioventricular bundle of His - Purkinje fibres

Question 31

What are true capillaries?

Answer 31

Actual exchange vessels

Question 32

What is microcirculation?

Answer 32

Flow of blood from arteriole to venule through capillary bed

Question 33

What is the primary function of lung surfactant?

Answer 33

Reduce surface tension of the alveoli

Question 34

What is metarteriole?

Answer 34

Thoroughfare channel connecting arteriole to venule (vascular shunt)

Question 35

What is bulk flow?

Answer 35

Where filtered blood plasma moves in & out of tissues via pressure + osmotic changes

Question 36

Atrioventricular valves

Answer 36

- Prevent backflow of blood from ventricles into the atria - Close and open passively

Question 37

Aortic & Pulmonary artery valves

Answer 37

Semi-lunar valves snap shut at end of systole to prevent backflow of blood

Question 38

Which chamber of the heart pumps oxygenated blood into the systemic circulation?

Answer 38

Left ventricle