Cardiovascular and Immune System Flashcards
cardiovascular system
a closed circulatory system since the fluid contents are pumped from the heart throughout the body and back to the heart
Atria
upper chambers of heart and receives blood
Ventricles
lower chambers of heart and pumps blood out through the blood vessels
Veins
carry blood back to the heart
Capillaries
exchange materials with tissues
Arteries
elastic, thick walled vessels which are capable of expanding to accommodate the larger blood volume flowing from the heart at the end of each heartbeat
What are the three functions of the circulatory system?
- Transporting gases, nutrients and wastes throughout the body, 2. Clotting to prevent loss of blood from ruptured vessels 3. Fighting invasion of the body by foreign bodies.
arterioles
small arteries that are constricted and dilated by muscles controlled by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system which increases or decreases the blood pressure, respectively.
Peripheral resistance
Arterioles are the vessels primarily responsible for providing differing levels of “peripheral resistance” to blood flow (caused by varying blood pressure) depending on the conditions affecting the body
how are capillaries formed?
The branching of arterioles causes the formation of even narrower tubes which are interconnected to form capillary beds
what do capillaries do?
perform the exchange of materials with the cells of the body
Venules
The blood is collected from the capillary beds by small veins called venules many of which join to form a vein which returns the blood to the heart.
is the largest amount of blood in the arteries or the veins?
the veins
Veins
thinner walled vessels which are under less pressure from the heart.
describe the internal valves of veins
Veins have internal valves which open toward the heart and close at the end of a heart beat to prevent blood from flowing backward
heart
a fist sized, cone-shaped muscular organ located in the mediastinal cavity (mediastinum) between the lungs and the diaphragm
Mediastinal cavity
one of three cavities in the thoracic cavity. The mediastinum is home to the heart, trachea, great vessels, and some other structures.
Myocardium
the bulk of the heart, composed mainly of cardiac muscle and is the layer that actually contracts.
Pericardium
a tough, thick sac that encloses the heart, protects the heart and anchors it to the diaphragm.
Endocardium
a white sheet of endothelium lining the heart which is continuous with the blood vessel linings.
Septum
a partition separating the right and left chambers of the heart
Auricles
muscular pouch on the upper surface of the atria
Fossa ovalis
depression that marks the place of an opening between the atria that is present in all developing fetuses. It allows fetal blood to move directly from right to left atrium, bypassing the undeveloped lungs.
tricuspid
the three flap valve that connects the right atria to the right ventriclethe three flap valve that connects the right atria to the right ventricle
bicuspid
aka mitral (two flap) valve that connects the left atria to the left ventricle
aortic semilunar valve
located at the exit from the left ventricle to prevent the flow of blood from the aorta back into the left ventricle.
pulmonary semilunar value
located at the exit from the right ventricle to prevent the flow of blood from the pulmonary artery back into the right ventricle.
pulmonary circuit
flow of blood from right atria going through lungs and ending in left atria
systemic circuit
flow of blood from left atria out to the body and coming back to the right atria
left and right coronary arteries
arise from base of the aorta and supply and nutrients to the heart tissues.
Systole
contraction of the ventricle heart chambers
Diastole
relaxation of the ventricle heart chambers
Sphygmomanometer
a blood pressure cuff that measures the amount of pressure required to stop the flow of blood through an artery
What is normal blood pressure?
120/80
Which of the two numbers in a blood pressure reading is systolic and which is diastolic?
top number is systolic and lower number is diastolic
Hypertension
the condition when the systolic and diastolic pressures are significantly higher than 120/80 mm Hg.. Hypertension is seen in individuals with kidney disease and also in individuals who have atherosclerosis, which is an accumulation of soft masses of fatty materials, particularly cholesterol, beneath the inner linings of arteries.
Angina pectoris
characterized by a radiating pain in the left arm which comes from a coronary artery being partially blocked with plaque
Streptokinase
a drug that can be given intravenously to dissolve a clot, it converts plasminogen, a molecule found in blood, into plasmin, an enzyme that dissolves blood clots
t-PA
a genetically engineered drug that converts plasminogen, a molecule found in blood, into plasmin, an enzyme that dissolves blood clots
angioplasty
a cardiologist threads a plastic tube into an artery of an arm or a leg and guides it through a major blood vessel toward the heart. When the tube reaches the region clogged by plaque in a coronary artery, the balloon attached to the end of the tube is inflated, forcing the vessel open.
coronary artery bypass surgery
During this operation, surgeons take a segment of another blood vessel from the patient’s body and stitch one end of the aorta and the other end to a coronary artery past the point of obstruction. Once the heart is exposed, some physicians may also use lasers to open clogged coronary vessels.
plasma
the liquid portion of blood - one of two main portions of blood
formed elements
the “cells” of blood consisting of red and white cells and platelets
what is the difference between serum and plasma?
serum is identical to plasma except that the clotting proteins have been removed.
What is the most abundant cell in the blood?
Red Blood Cells
What is the medically correct term for red blood cells?
Erythrocytes
What are Red blood cells shaped like?
erythrocyte cells (red blood cells) are shaped like small bi-concave disks
What do red blood cells contain?
the protein hemoglobin
Approximately how many red blood cells are there in one mm of whole blood?
There are 4 million to 6 million red blood cells per mm of whole blood
Approximately how many hemoglobin molecules are in each red blood cell?
250 million hemoglobin molecules are in each red blood cell
what does Hemoglobin in the red blood cells do?
carries oxygen to the tissues of the body
What does Hemoglobin contain and how does that substance function to fulfill hemoglobin’s purpose?
Hemoglobin contains an iron which combines loosely with oxygen, and in this way oxygen is carried in the blood.
Are white blood cells or red blood cells bigger?
White blood cells are bigger
Do white blood cells contain hemoglobin?
No - white blood cells do not contain hemoglobin