Cardiovascular Regulation Flashcards
What do baroreceptors detects and control?
Arterial pressure
What is the coordinating centre of the brain?
The medulla
What counteracts increased means arterial pressure?
Bradycardia and vasodilation
What increases venous return?
Increased blood volume
Skeletal muscle pump
Respiratory pump
Venoconstriction
What factors increase heart rate?
Decreasing parasympathetic impulses
Increasing sympathetic impulses and hormones from adrenal medulla
What increases stroke volume?
Increasing sympathetic impulses and hormones from adrenal medulla
What increases cardiac output?
Increasing stroke volume
Increasing heart rate
What increases blood viscosity?
Increasing number of red blood cells (polycythemia)
What increases total blood vessel length?
Increasing body size (obesity)
What increases systemic vascular resistance?
Increasing blood viscosity
Increasing total blood vessel length
Decreasing vessel radius (vasoconstriction)
What factors increase mean arterial blood pressure?
Increasing cardiac output
Increasing systemic vascular resistance
What is the primary objective of cardiovascular regulation?
To maintain a stable Mean arterial pressure and therefore ensure adequate blood flow to the vital organs espically the brain
From where are inputs sent from to cardiovascular centre?
- From higher brain centres: Cerebral cortex, limbic system and hypothalamus
- From proprioceptors: Monitors joint movements
- From baroreceptors: Monitors blood pressure
- From chemoreceptors: Monitors blood acidity
Which nerve caries an impulse, from the cardiovascular system, to give a parasympathetic response? What is the response?
Vagus (X) nerves
Effect is decreased heart rate
Which nerve caries an impulse, from the cardiovascular system, to give a sympathetic response? What is the response?
Cardiac accelerator nerves
Effect increased blood rate and contractility
Vasomotor nerves
Effect: Vasoconstriction of blood vessels
What are the arterial baroreceptors?
They are sprays of non-encapsulated nerve endings in the adventitial layer of the artery walls in the carotid sinus and the aortic arch
What are mechanoreceptors sensitive to?
Sensitive to stretch
How does an increase in arterial pressure excite the baroreceptors?
Increase in arterial pressure increases the DISTENDING PRESSURE on the arterial walls causing it to STRETCH which excites the baroreceptors
What does an electrical stimulation of the carotid sinus nerve result in?
Electrical stimulation of the carotid sinus nerve elicits a reflex hypotension and bradycardia
What is baroreflex?
Homeostatic mechanism
It uses negative feedback
Describe the process of negative feedback
- A decrease in blood pressure is detected by baroreceptors in the arch of the aorta and carotid sinus as they stretch LESS
- They send less nerve impulses to the cardiovascular centre in the medulla
- Results in increased SYMPATHETIC
Decreased parasympathetic
And increased secrete of epinephrine and norepinephrine - This increase heart stroke volume and heart rate to increase cardiac output
- Constriction of blood vessels increases systemic vascular resistance
- This increases blood pressure
What is the ‘set point’ for blood pressure?
95mmHg
What is the latency of the vagal bradycardia? And what is this latency called?
0.5s
This latency is called buffering
Where do baroreceptor afferents project?
They project in cranial nerves of IX and X to the cardiovascular centre