Cardiovascular Physiology 5 Flashcards
What is the difference in thickness between the left and right ventricular wall?
The left ventricular wall is a lot thicker than the right ventricular wall
What are the three layers of the heart wall?
- Epicardium
- Myocardium
- Endocardium
What is the other name for the Epicardium?
The Visceral pericardium
What does the Epicardium cover?
The outer surface of the heart
What does the Epicardium consist of?
A layer of simple squamous cells and an underlying layer of connect tissue attached to the myocardium
What is the function of the Epicardium?
A protective layer of the heart
What is the name of the muscular wall of the heart?
Myocardium
What is found within the Myocardium?
- Cardiac muscle cells
- Blood vessels
- Nerves
What is the innermost layer of the heart wall?
The Endocardium
What does the Endocardium line?
The heart cavities and valves
What kind of tissue is the Endocardium made of?
Endothelium
Where are the layers of the heart found?
In both atria and ventricles
What is the shape of Cardiac Muscle cells?
They are branched Y shaped
What is the configuration of myocytes?
Longitudinally or end to end
Why are myocytes joined longitudinally?
For greater connectivity in the heart such that the arms of one Y shaped myocytes can be attached to two different myocytes
Why are Myocytes striated?
Due to the presence of actin and myosin
How many nucleus and mitochondria are found in myocytes?
One nucleus and many mitochondria
How are adjacent myocytes held together?
In intercalated discs
What junctions are found at the intercalated discs of myocytes?
Desmosomes and gap junctions
What are Desmosomes?
Specialized junctions which anchor cells together in tissues subject to considerable stretching
What are Gap Junctions?
Transmembrane channels that electrically coupled cells and allow small molecules like ions to move from one cell to another
What are Gap Junctions important for?
Spreading action potentials
