Cardiovascular Physiology Flashcards
Hemodynamics
study of blood flow
not the absolute pressure at any point but the different in pressure between two relevant points
F = delta P / R
F = flow
delta P = pressure difference between two fixed points
R = resistance to flow
Blood flows from ____ pressure to ____ pressure
high to low
Hydrostatic pressure
the pressure that the volume of blood within the circulatory system exerts on the walls of the blood vessels
Factors that determine blood flow
viscosity - friction between molecules of the blood (hematocrit - number of RBC in blood)
blood vessel length - long –> more friction
blood vessel diameter - thin –> more friction
R = 8 L n / pi r to the 4
R = resistance to blow flow
L = vessel length
n = blood viscosity
r = inside radius of vessel raised to the 4 (greatest effect)
Functions of the cardiovascular system
- deliver oxygen and nutrients
- remove waste product
- fast chemical signaling to cells by circulating hormones or neurotransmitters
- thermoregulation
- mediation of inflammatory and host defense responses against invading microorganisms
Components of the cardiovascular system
- heart
- blood vessels
- blood
Blood vessels
arteries - carry blood away from heart
arterioles - small branching vessels with high resistance
capillaries - smallest vessel, exchange between cells and blood
venules
veins - carry blood back to heart
Atria
thin walled chambers
low pressure chambers
receive blood returning back to heart
Ventricles
thick walled chambers
responsible for forward propulsion of blood when they contract
left has increased thickness to the right (higher pressure for large lengths it travels)
Apex
lowest superficial surface of heart
Septa
Interatrial septum - separates left and right atria
Interventricular septum - separates left and right ventricle
allows pumps to function as dual pump
Left side of heart pumps ___ blood to ____ circuit
highly oxygenated; systemic
Right side of heart pumps _____ blood to _____ circuit
poorly oxygenated; systemic
Pulmonary circuit
blood enters the lungs poorly oxygenated
oxygen diffuses from lung tissues to blood
blood leaves the lungs highly oxygenated
System circuit
blood enters the body tissues highly oxygenated
oxygen diffuses from the blood to interstitial fluid to tissue cells
blood leaves the body tissues poorly oxygenated
Arteries
carry blood away from heart
most carry highly oxygenated blood except pulmonary trunk and pulmonary arteries
Veins
carry blood to the heart
most carry poorly oxygenated blood except pulmonary venules and pulmonary veins
Functions of the pericadrium
- stabilizes the heart in the thoracic cavity
- provides protection to the heart by physically surrounding it
- reduces friction as the heart beats by secreting the pericardial fluid
- limits overfilling of the heart chambers
3 layers of the pericadrial
fibrous pericardium
parietal pericardium
visceral pericardium
Fibrous pericadrium
out layer
provides protection and stability by attaching to structures in the chest
holds heart in place
limited distensibility which prevents sudden overfilling
Parietal pericardium
part of the serous pericardium
lies underneath the fibrous pericardium and is attached to it
secretes fluid
Visceral pericardium
part of the serous pericardium
innermost layer and is also called epicardium when contact with heart muscle
secretes fluid
Pericardial cavity
separates the parietal and visceral pericardium
holds secreted fluid which decreases friction between pericardial membrane as heart beats
Pericarditis
inflammation of the pericardium caused by virus, bacteria, fungi, trauma, malignancy
leads to fluid accumulation in pericardial cavity
Cardiac tamponade
compression of heart chambers due to excessive accumulation of pericardial fluid
heart’s movement is limited and heart chambers cannot fill with adequate blood
3 layers of the heart wall
epicardium, myocardium, endocardium
Epicardium
also called visceral pericardium
layer immediately outside the heart muscle and covers the surface of the heart
connective tissue attaches to myocardium
protective layer of the heart
Myocardium
muscle wall of heart
underneath the epicardium
contains muscle cells or myocytes that contract and relax as heart beats
contains nerves and blood vessels
Endocardium
innermost layer of the heart wall
lines heart cavities and heart valves
thin layer of endothelium (smooth surface for blood to flow over)
Myocytes
cardiac muscle cells
branched or Y shaped cells
joined longitudinally or end to end to allow for greater connection
striated appearance (actin and myosin)
rich in mitochondria
intercalated disk: 2 different myocytes are closely opposed and very intertwined at attachment
Desmosomes
adhering junctions that hold cells together
mechanically couple one heart cell to another
cadherins, plaques, intermediate filaments
Gap junctions
communication junctions - ion channels
electrically couple one heart cell to another
spread of action potential
connexons
Atrioventricular valves
found between the atria and ventricular on left and right side of heart
left AV - bicuspid valve
right AV - tricuspid valve
Semilunar valves
found between the ventricles and the arteries
tricuspid valve
left - aortic valve
right - pulmonary valve
do not have chordae tendineae or papillary muscles
What are valves made of?
fibrous collagen tissue covered by endothelium
What are valve rings made of?
cartilage
Function of valves
unidirectional flow of blood through the heart
open and close passively to differenced in pressure
do not require energy or muscles
Chordae tendineae
edges of AV valve leaflets
tough thin fibrous cords
attach to papillary muscles
Papillary muscles
cone shaped muscles that protrude from inner surface of ventricular walls
when they contract, they pull chordae tendineae taut
Cardiac skeleton
dense connective tissues
includes the heart valve rings and tissue between them
physically separates atria from ventricles
electrically inactive
Coronary circulation
supplies blood to and provides drainage from the tissue cells of the heart
Coronary arteries - arteries supplying the heart
- aorta sinus
Cardiac veins - collect poorly oxygenated blood and empty into coronary sinus
Coronary sinus
collection of veins joined together to form large vessel that collects blood from the myocardium of the heart and empties into the right atrim
Systole
the time during the left and right ventricles contract and eject blood into respective artery
blow flow almost ceases
Disatole
the time when the ventricles are not contracting; relaxed
blow flow peaks
Coronary artery disease / atherosclerosis
condition where arteries harden and narrow because of excessive accumulation of plaque in vessel wall
plaque is made of up fat, cholesterol and calcium
Angina
when plaque restricts blood flow to the heart muscle and results in chest pain
Myocardial infarction
heart attack
when plaque completely blocks arterial blood flow, heart muscle dies due to loss of blood supply
Cardiac syncytium
mechanically, chemically, electrically connect myocytes to one another
entire heart resembles single enormous muscle cell
all or nothing excitation
2 syncytia: left and right atria, left and right ventricles
Autorhythmicity/automaticity
the heart contracts or beats rhythmically as a result of action potentials it generates itself
action potentials are generated without nervous or hormonal stimulation
Contractile cells
- perform the mechanical work of pumping and contracting the propel blood forward
- 99% of myocytes
- do not initiate action potentials but contract when stimulated by adjacent cell
Conducting cells
- autorhythmic cells which initiate and conduct action potentials
- without nervous or hormonal stimulus
- 1% of myocytes
Conduction system
SAN generates action potential –> internodal pathways –> contractile cells of left and right atria leading to contraction at same time –> stimulus passed to AVN –> passed to Bundle of His –> leads to contraction of left and right ventricles at the same time
Sinoatrial (SA) node
- generate action potentials the fastest; 60-100/min
- stimulus is passed to other regions
- cardiac pacemaker: initiates action potentials that set the heart rate
Atrioventricular (AV) node
- receives stimulus by SAN through internodal pathways
- AV nodal delay: 100 msec to pass through AVN and Bundle of His
- ensures atria depolarize and contract before ventricles do
Bundle of His
- only electrical connection between atria and ventricle
- transmits signal from AVN
Left and right bundle branches
travel along to intraventricular septum and apex
Purkinje fibers
- large number, diffuse distribution, fast conduction velocity
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
- born with abnormal extra connection called an accessory pathway
- connects directly between atria and ventricle
- allows electrical signals to bypass the AVN and move to ventricles faster than usual
- leads to abnormally fast heart beat (tachycardia)
Fast action potentials
- found in contractile myocytes in the atrial myocardium, ventricular myocardium, bundle of His, bundle branches, and Purkinje fibers
- rapid rate of depolarization where threshold potential is reached quickly
Slow action potentials
- found in conducting myocytes in the sinoatrial node and atrioventricular node
- slow rate of depolarization where threshold potential is reached slowly
- Ca2+ currents are responsible for depolarization not Na+
Ion permeability
K+ in > K+ out
Ca2+ out > Ca2+ in
Na+ out > Na+ in