Cardiovascular physiology and mechanisms controlling cardiac output Flashcards
what is the role of the cardiovascular system?
- supplies blood to tissues and organs
- helps with homeostasis
- helps transport hormones/signaling molecules
what are the circulations in the heart?
the systemic and the pulmonary (right side takes blood to lungs, left part takes blood to rest of body)
what is the role of veins?
carry blood at low pressure from tissue/organs back to heart.
what is the role of arteries?
carries blood at high pressure to tissues/organs from the heart.
explain the transport of blood from lungs to tissues and back to lungs!
lungs to pulmonary veins, to left atrium, to left ventricles, to aorta to arteries, to arterioles, to capillaries, to venules, to veins, to vena cava to right atrium, to right ventriculces, to pulmonary artery, to lungs.
what valve separates the left atrium from the left ventricles?
mitral valves
what is it called when the heart is resting?
diastole
what is it called when the heart contracts?
systole
what valve separates the aorta from the left ventricles?
aortic semilunar valve
what happens to the rate of blood flow is the pressure gradient between the aorta and vena cava increased?
blood flow would increase
why does pressure drop in the circulation?
due to resistance between the blood and the vessel wall
what is stroke volume?
the volume of blood pumped by one ventricle
-this is approx 75ml
what is cardiac output?
the volume of blood pumped by one ventricle in one minute
what is venous return?
the volume of blood returned to the heart
what is cardiac output equal to?
the venous return
what is the Ca2+ sensor in cardiac cells?
troponin
explain how an action potential triggers atrial and ventricular contractions?
- action potential enters adjacent cell
- voltage gated Ca2+ channels open so Ca2+ enters
- this causes Ca2+ release from Ca2+ sarcoplasmic reticulum
- Ca2+ binds to troponin to intiate contraction
- Ca2+ unbinds from troponin causing relaxation
- Ca2+ is pumped back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum
- other Ca2+ leaves the cell in exchange with Na+
- Na+ gradient is maintained by Na+/K+ ATPase