Cardiovascular Physiology Flashcards
What are the general characteristics of circulatory systems?
1. pump/propulsive structures
* main: heart
* accessory pumps: help gets blood to main pump -> leg muscles that contract around vessel
2. system of tubes, channels or spaces through which fluids flows
3. fluid that circulates the system
- mammalian - blood; other - hemolymph
What is the difference between cardiovascular systems in small animals vs bigger animals?
- Unicellular + some small animals lack circulatory systems and rely on diffusion to transport molecules since their radius is small enough
- As animals get bigger and more complex, diffusion is too slow to transport nutrients and gases
What is the goal of the circulatory system?
- To enable RAPID circulation of fluids
- To exchange nutrients, gases, wastes and help with homeostasis
Closed circulatory system
- fluid stays in vessels and does not bathe the tissue
- fluid is distinct from interstitial fluid -> fluid that is not blood that bathes tissue
- have evolved many times, support higher flow rates, better at controlling where the fluid goes
Open circulatory system
- fluid enters sinus at least once therefore directly in contact with tissue
- blood flows in one direction (enter/leave heart) and once it reaches the end of the tube, empties into bathing open space mixing with interstitial fluid
What kind of circulatory system do arthropods have? Explain the process/path.
OPEN SYSTEM where blood is pumped from posterior to anterior (anterograde flow = forward)
1. blood exits through holes -> ostia
2. …to tissues that need blood (wing + leg muscles) so nutrients are dropped off, waste picked up)
3. remaining fluid exits through head (driven by accessory pumps in antenna)
4. blood circulated throughout body w/ current until picked up into ostia again
*accessory pumps throughout body ensure blood is circulated wherever necessary
What are the parts of the circulatory plan of vertebrates?
- arterial system
- oxygenated blood
- distributes blood + regulates blood pressure - venous system
- deoxygenated blood
- returns blood to heart + acts as a blood volume reservoir - capillaries
- site of gas + nutrient exchange - heart
- creates pressure that drives blood flow
- has sensory + endocrine functions
What are the main components of blood?
1. plasma (55%): water electrolytes, proteins, nutrients, hormones, waste products, etc.
- hydrophilic, H2O containing fluid
- helps buffer blood (maintain pH)
2. white blood cells (<1%)
3. red blood cells/erythrocytes (45%)
- proteins involved in O2 + CO2 transport (ie haemoglobin, carbonic anhydrase)
What are the different types of blood cells in insects vs vertebrates? (Make a table)
Refer to table made in summary sheet
How to determine percentage of plasma and cells?
Hematocrit: proportion of blood composed of RBCs
- ideal hematocrit = 40-50% (~45% in humans)
- low = 25-30% -> may be anemic meaning there is an issue w/ RBC production
- high = leukemia -> more WBCs
Where does the left side of the heart pump blood to vs the right side?
Left = systemic
Right = pulmonary
Why does ____ ventricle have a much thicker heart tissue than ____?
left;right
This is because more contractile force is needed to pump blood systemically. The right side being less muscular is actually good or else we would blow out our heart with every heart beat.
What do the semilunar valves do?
Open up to allow blood to be passed to lungs or to aorta (pulmonary arteries)
How do atrialventricular valves open and what are the two types?
Valves between atria and ventricles -> opening is triggered by pressure
- Left = bicuspid
- Right = tricuspid
Vertebrate blood vessels
Describe what each vessel is made of and describe the pressure change
Veins + arteries
- tunica externa
- tunica media
- tunica intima
- endothelium
- veins: thin-walled, not as muscular therefore they are flexible + distensable
- arteries: thick
Venules
- tunica externa
- endothelium
Arterioles
- tunica media
- endothelium
Capillaries
- endothelium
- Pressure is HIGHEST in arteries close to heart
- drops further from heart
- LOW pressure as it gets to venous system but accessory contractile structures help blood get back to heart
tunica externa: connective tissue
tunica media: smooth muscle tissue
What is the law of circulation?
Blood flow equation
Coronary artery disease
Blood flow = deltaP/R
- more resistance = less flow
- less resistance = more flow
- blood flow is inversely proportional to R -> increased friction = bad blood flow
- coronary artery disease: plaque builds up -> resistance increases, blood flow decreases, heart tissue starved of O2 + nutrients
Cardiovascular pressures and velocity
Refer to graphs + explanations in summary sheet
Pressure differences in morphology of heart chambers
Pulmonary: LOW pressure and resistance circuit
1. prevent fluid filtration in lungs
2. prevents damage of alveoli
3. minimizes workload by right ventricle
Systemic: HIGH pressure and resistance circuit
1. ensure good fluid filtration in systemic capillaries
2. maintain high flow rates to many tissues
3. left ventricle has high workload