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NUT1005 > Cardiovascular Physiology > Flashcards

Cardiovascular Physiology Flashcards

1
Q

What are the general functions of the cardiovascular system

A
  • Circulate gas
  • Provide cells with nutrients
  • Remove waste products of metabolism
  • stop bleeding/ clot
  • regulate body temp
  • transport hormones
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2
Q

What is diastole

A

Relaxation of heart muscle, blood enters atrium

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3
Q

What is systole

A

Heart muscle contracts, pressure in chamber increases as volume decreases to move blood

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4
Q

What is the name of the valve between the right atrium and ventricle

A

Tricuspid valve

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5
Q

What is the name of the valve between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery

A

Pulmonic valve

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6
Q

What is the name of the valve between the left atrium and ventricle

A

The mitral or bicuspid valve

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7
Q

What is the name of the valve between the left ventricle and the aorta

A

Aortic valve

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8
Q

What is the difference between the superior and inferior vena cava

A

Superior transports deoxygenated blood from upper body, infer transports deoxygenated blood from lower body to right atrium

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9
Q

What happens to vessel diameter as you move through the arterial system

A

Decreases

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10
Q

What happens to blood pressure as you move from the aorta to the vena cava

A

Decreases as blood moves down a pressure gradient

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11
Q

What happens to cross sectional area as you move through the arterial system

A

Increases as there is a greater sum of arterioles and capillaries

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12
Q

What happens to blood flow velocity as you move through the arterial system

A

Decreases as higher cross sectional area so more area for blood to flow

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13
Q

Why are arterioles resistance vessels

A

Contain circular layers of smooth muscle for vasoconstriction and vasodilation to regulate and redistribute blood flow

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14
Q

Why is the elastic tissue in the aorta important

A

Enables recoil as blood pressure decreases so constant flow is maintained as blood leaves the heart

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15
Q

How do you calculate blood pressure

A

Cardiac output x total peripheral resistance

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16
Q

What contributes to total peripheral resistance

A

Arterioles as diameter decreases

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17
Q

What is the normotensive systolic blood pressure

A

120 mmHg

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18
Q

What is normotensive diastolic blood pressure

A

80 mmHg

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19
Q

What does blood pressure measure

A

The force exerted on the walls of the vessel by the blood

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20
Q

What are the determinants of total peripheral resistance

A

Vessel diameter, vessel length and blood viscosity

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21
Q

What is the role of pre-capillary sphincters

A

Encircle capillaries at their origin and contact or relax to regulate blood flow to meet metabolic requirements

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22
Q

Why is a high cross sectional area and slow blood flow velocity beneficial in capillaries

A

Large surface area and plenty of time for exchange

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23
Q

What happens to blood flow velocity in the venous system and why

A

Increases as smaller cross sectional area than capillaries

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24
Q

Why is there a lower blood pressure in the venous system

A

Enables veins to be squeezed by contracting muscles towards the heart

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25
What are cardiomyocytes
Cardiac muscle cells
26
What is depolarisation
Positively charged ions flow into the cell, causing it to become less polarised
27
What is repolarisation
Positively charged ions flow out of the cell, causing it to be polarised again. (greater negative charge inside)
28
At rest why can’t Na+ and Ca++ enter the cardiomyocyte
Membrane is impermeable to them
29
What alters the permeability of the membrane enabling Na+ and Ca++ to enter
Action potential reaches cell
30
What initiates muscle contraction in cardiomyocytes
Influx of Ca++ initiates a cascade of events to cause the interaction of actin and myosin in the myofibril and generate a force (shorten the sarcomere)
31
What initiates electrical impulses/ action potentials in cardiomyocytes
The Sinoatrial node (SAN)
32
Describe the SAN and it ‘s role in initiation of heart muscle contraction
The SAN is specialised muscle tissue in the right atrium which spontaneously depolarises and repolarises, which spreads through the RA to the AVN
33
Describe the Atrioventricular node and it’s role in muscle contraction
The AVN is specialised muscle tissue by the interatrial septum of the heart which receives signals from the SAN and holds onto them for a brief delay before transmitting them to the ventricles for contraction
34
What is an Electrocardiogram
Electrodes placed on the skin which detect voltage from electrical events of the cardiac cycle to record the electrical activity of the heart in various phases
35
What are the 3 main waves of the ECG
P wave, QRS complex and T wave
36
What does the P wag represent
Atrial depolarisation
37
What does the QRS complex represent
Ventricular depolarisation and simultaneous atrial repolarisation
38
What does the T wave represent
Ventricular repolarisation
39
What are the three intervals in an ECG
PR, QT and TP
40
What does the PR interval represent and where is it on an ECG
Start of P wave till start of QRS complex, represents transmission from the atria to the ventricles
41
What does the QT interval represent and where is it on an ECG
Start of QRS to end of T wave, represents the duration between ventricular depolarisation and repolarisation
42
What does the TP interval represent and where is it on an ECG
End of T wave to start of P wave, represents duration between ventricular repolarisation and atrial depolarisation
43
What is the end diastolic volume
The volume of blood remaining in the left ventricle
44
What is end systolic volume
Volume of blood left in the ventricle following stystole
45
What is an isovolumetric contraction
Where all valves are closed so there is no change in volume in the left ventricle, while pressure rapidly increases until it exceeds aortic pressure
46
What is stroke volume
The volume of blood ejected from the heart per beat
47
How do you calculate stroke volume
End diastolic volume- end systolic volume
48
What is an ejection fraction
The fraction of blood within the left ventricle ejected during systole
49
How does you calculate the ejection fraction
Stroke volume/ end diastolic volume
50
How do you calculate cardiac output
HR X SV
51
What are the mechanisms that regulate heart rate (and therefore cardiac output)
Sympathetic NS, parasympathetic NS and circulating epinephrine
52
How does the parasympathetic NS affect HR
Parasympathetic cardioinhibitory nerves innervate the SA and AV node via the vagus nerve, releasing acetylcholine to reduce depolarisation of the SA node, reducing HR and the conduction velocity (speed of spread)
53
How does the sympathetic nervous system influence HR
Sympathetic cardioacceleror nerves innervate the SA and AV nodes, releasing norepinephrine to accelerate SA node depolarisation so the heart beats faster and conduction velocity increases
54
What gland is epinephrine secreted from
The adrenal gland
55
What mechanisms regulate stroke volume (and therefore cardiac output)
Sympathetic nerves and circulating epinephrine, preload and afterload
56
How does the sympathetic NS influence stroke volume
Sympathetic nerves innervate cardiomyocytes and release norepinephrine to increase the contractile force of cardiomyocytes
57
What is preload
The increased filling pressure in the ventricles during diastole which causes greater tension and an increased stroke volume
58
What is the Frank-Starling mechanism
Stroke volume will increase as left ventricular volume increases (preload)
59
What is Afterload
The resistance the left ventricle must overcome to circulate blood through the aorta
60
How does afterload influence stroke volume
The greater the afterload, the higher the pressure that must be exceeded for blood to be ejected
61
How does epinephrine influence SV
Released from adrenal gland and stimulates increased contractile force of cardiomyocytes
62
What are neuro-hormones
Responses elicited by the autonomic NS which bind to the target cell or organ to cause and increase (sympathetic) or decrease (parasympathetic) in activity
63
What is the neuro-hormone of the SNS
Norepinephrine (catecholamines)
64
What is the primary neuro-hormone of the PNS
Acetylcholine
65
What are the distribution vessels
Aorta, large arteries, small arteries and arterioles
66
What are the resistance vessels
Arterioles
67
What are the exchange vessels
Capillaries
68
What are the capacitance vessels
Venules and veins
69
What is aortic systolic pressure
Max pressure in aorta after ejection
70
What is aortic diastolic pressure
Minimum pressure in aorta before ejection
71
How do you calculate mean arterial pressure
Cardiac output x total peripheral resistance
72
What variables can be altered to regulate blood pressure
Cardiac output and total peripheral resistance
73
Why must blood flow be regulated via alterations in total peripheral resistance
As if all arteries dilated the heart would not be able to pump enough blood to meet metabolic demand
74
What is Poiseuille’s Law
Flow (Q)= pressure gradient x radius of arteriole ^4/ 8x blood viscosity x vessel length OR Flow= pressure gradient/ resistance
75
How do you calculate resistance
Viscosity x vessel length/ radius of vessel^4
76
How does the sympathetic NS influence resistance vessel
Increased input = vasoconstriction Decreased input = vasodilation
77
Is the sympathetic or parasympathetic NS more involved in the regulation of vasoconstriction and dilation in resistance vessels
Sympathetic
78
How do baroreceptors regulate blood pressure within restricted limits
When BP decreases there is a reduction in frequency of signals sent from baroreceptors to the cardiovascular control centre in the medulla, the control centre sends signals to the heart and blood vessels to increase cardiac output and vasoconstrict
79
What are the local metabolic influences on arteriole radius and blood flow
Decreased oxygen pressure in blood, decreased pH, increased K+, increased CO2, increased blood lactate, increased temp
80
How does nitric oxide increase blood flow
NO is synthesised with increased arterial stress (increased blood flow) and released by endothelial cells too reduce constriction and increase dilation
81
How does the aorta dampen pulsatile pressure
The aorta has a high content of elastic tissue making it compliant to high blood pressure when heart contracts
82
How much of total peripheral resistance is provided by resistance vessels
60-70%
83
What are the four fundamental mechanisms responsible for cardiovascular changes during exercise
Mechanical, metabolic, autonomic and hormonal
84
What are the receptors within muscles and how do they initiate the increase in sympathetic activity during exercise
Mechanoreceptors are sensitive to mechanical tension and metaboreceptors are sensitive to metabolic disturbances, during exercise they transmit signals to the cardiovascular control centre evoking alterations in sympathetic and/or parasympathetic response

NUT1005 (17 decks)

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