Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Transports oxygenated blood to the rest of the body
Aorta
Explain the role of the Atrioventricular Node (AVN)
Is located between the
atria and the ventricles. It acts as a buffer that slows
down the signal from the SAN. (otherwise the atria and
ventricles would contract at the same time) This allows the
ventricles to fill with blood before contraction.
Explain the increase in both resting and exercising stroke volume
Stroke volume at rest has been shown to be significantly higher after a prolonged endurance-training programme. This allows for more efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients.
Cardiac Hypertrophy helps this by pumping more blood per beat.
Explain capillarisation of skeletal muscle and alveoli in long term training
Exercise increases the capillarisation both around the muscle and alveoli. This means that more oxygen and nutrients can be diffused into the blood from the alveoli and into the muscles.
Long term exercise = increased number of capillaries in the cardiac and skeletal muscle. Increased size and number of blood vessels = increase in blood volume = more efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients
What is the autonomic nervous system?
Regulates body functions such as breathing and heartbeat
It is involuntary
Can be split further into the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous systems
Describe what Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) is
Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) is a genetic heart condition that can
cause sudden death in young and otherwise healthy people
It is usually caused by an irregular heart beat (cardiac arrhythmia)
No clear symptoms but can be discovered through cardiac screening
Remember Fabrice Muamba or Christian Eriksen (footballers)
The main function of plasma is
- Is the transport system that carries the other components of the blood. It also carries carbon dioxide.
- It is a straw-coloured liquid that is 90% water
What does the term vasoconstriction mean?
Vasoconstriction narrows the diameter of the blood vessels near the skin.
This reduces the blood flow resulting in an increase in temperature as heat loss is prevented
Transports oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart
Pulmonary Vein
What are the three additional factors affecting the CV system
- Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS)
- High and Low blood Pressure
- Hyperthermia/Hypothermia
Explain the role of the Sinoatrial Node (SAN)
Often called the heart’s
pacemaker and located on the edge of the right atrium. The SAN sends an impulse to the across the atrias causing the muscular walls to contract. The contraction forces blood from the atriums down into the ventricles.
Bottom chamber that holds oxygenated blood
Left Venticle
Describe Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a drop in core body temperature below 35°C
It can occur when you are exposed to cold or cold and wet conditions for a long period of time.
Hypo = Low
The main function of red blood cells are
- Carry oxygen through a protein called haemoglobin
- RBC are disc shaped with a large surface area
- A drop of blood contains millions of red blood cells
Transports deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs
Pulmonary Artery
What are the seven adaptations to the cardiovascular system?
- Cardiac Hypertrophy
- Increase in resting and working stroke volume
- Decrease in resting heart rate
- Reduction in resting blood pressure
- Decrease heart rate recovery time
- Capillarisation of skeletal muscle alveoli
- Increased in blood volume
What is the diastolic blood pressure?
Second number or bottom number and indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart is resting between beats.
What are the three main parts in the cardiac cycle?
- Sinoatrial Node (SAN)
- Atrioventricular Node (AVN)
- Bundle of His & Purkinje Fibres
Explain the process of removing waste products
As well as providing oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues in the body, the CV system also
carries waste products from the tissues to the kidneys and the liver, also returning CO2 to
the lungs
Explain the fighting infection process
Leucocytes (white blood cells) are produced within the bone marrow. They are then stored in, and transported around the body, by the blood. They can ingest pathogens and destroy them to prevent illness. They also produce antibodies to destroy pathogens and antitoxins to neutralise toxins
What is the main difference between the untrained heart and the trained heart
- An enlarged left ventricle in the trained heart.
- Thicker walls in trained heart.
Explain what happens when we exercise in terms of cardiac output
When we exercise the demand for oxygen increases, therefore
heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output increase.
Explain Cardiac Hypertrophy…
The enlargement of your heart over a longer period of time. Training will cause the walls of your heart to get thicker. Particularly the wall of the left ventricle, increasing the strength of its contractions
Describe the structure of the arteries
- Carry blood away from the heart to the tissues of the body
- Thick muscular walls
- Elastic walls
- Contains blood under high pressure
- Usually contain oxygenated blood (except pulmonary artery)
- Do NOT contain values
What connects arteries to
capillaries? They have thinner walls and they can change diameter to control the blood to the capillaries.
Arterioles
Deoxygenated blood means
Blood without oxygen (containing carbon dioxide)
A wall that separates the left from the right side of the heart
Septum
What does the term vasodilation mean?
Vasodilation widens the diameter of the blood vessels near the skin
This increases the blood blow resulting in a decrease in temperature as heat is carried to the skin surface
Arteries that supply blood to the heart
Coronary Arteries
Explain the decrease in heart rate recovery time
Because the heart is bigger it can not only pump blood at an
increased rate during exercise it does this after exercise which decreases recovery time removing waste products at a faster rate.
How much your heart rate falls in the first minute after exercise. Fitter individuals with more efficient CV systems will recover more quickly
What is the name one cell thick and allow the diffusion of gases. They also surround muscles and the alveoli to allow the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Capillaries
The main function of red blood cells are
- Carry oxygen through a protein called haemoglobin
Definition of blood pressure
The force of circulating blood on the walls of the arteries
After exercise, what does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
Heart rate decreases. As the heart slows down, less blood is sent to the muscles and diverts to the organs that need blood the most.
Stops the blood flowing back into the right atrium
Tricuspid Value
Define Heart Rate
Beats per minute (BPM)
How many times the heart beats per minute
Describe the process of blood clotting
Clotting is a complex process during which white blood cells form solid clots to prevent infection. A damaged blood vessel is covered by a fibrin clot. Platelets form a plug at the site of damage. Coagulation factors respond to form fibrin strands which strengthen the platelet plug and stop the bleeding
What does the sympathetic nervous system do?
It prepares the body for intense physical activity and is often referred to as the ‘fight or flight’ response, causing the CV system to work harder to produce more energy
During exercise, what does the sympathetic nervous do?
Heart rate increases. As the heart speeds up, more blood is sent to the body and lungs, thus invoking more oxygen and delivering more energy.
Explain the response of the anticipatory rise
You may feel your heart rate increase prior to a sports match or event due to the release of adrenaline, this is known as an
anticipatory rise. It is preparing your body for the increased
demands that are about to be put on their body.
Explain the reduction in resting blood pressure?
Training reduces blood pressure, this reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. Exercise keeps our blood vessels healthy.
Exercise causes blood pressure to rise. The quicker your blood pressure returns to normal post exercise, the fitter you are. Steady aerobic exercise can help alleviate hypertension/high blood pressure
What is the maths equation for cardiac output (Q)
Cardiac output = Stroke volume x Heart rate
Q = SV x BPM
Explain the increase in blood volume in long term training
Training increases blood volume this is mainly due to capillarisation through training. This allows more oxygen and nutrients to be delivered around the body. You can also regulate temperature more efficiently.
Blood volume = the amount of blood circulating in your body and increases as a result of capillarisation = more oxygen can be delivered to the muscles, the body can regulate body temperature more effectively
Define Cardiac Output
Amount of blood pumped from the heart in one minute
Name the functions of cardiovascular system
- Delivering oxygen and nutrients
- Removing waste products (CO2 and lactate)
- Thermoregulation
- Fighting infection
- Clotting blood
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
It relaxes the body and inhibits or slows many high energy functions. Can be referred to as the ‘rest and digest’ response. Without this response the CV system would continue to elevate.
Explain the role of blood pressure on during exercise
Blood pressure increases during exercise as more blood is pumped through the blood vessels - which acts as a force against the walls
Oxygenated blood means
Blood containing oxygen
Describe Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is an increase in core body temperature
It can lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke
We usually lose heat through thermoregulation but the body may find this
difficult in hot conditions.
Drinking water before during and after exercise is recommended in warm
conditions.
Hyper = High
Explain the role of the Purkinje Fibres
The electrical stimulus travels from the Bundle of His up the Purkinje Fibres around the outside of the ventricle muscular walls.
This allows the ventricles to contract causing the blood to be pushed out of the heart, either to the lungs or body tissues.
What are the immediate responses to exercise on the cardiovascular system?
- Anticipatory rise in heart rate prior to exercise
- Increased heart rate
- Increased cardiac output
- Increased blood pressure
- Redirection of blood flow
Top chamber of the heart that holds deoxygenated blood
Right Atrium
Explain the process of Thermoregulation
The CV system is responsible for the distribution and redistribution of heat within your body to maintain thermal balance during exercise, ensuring that the body does not overheat. The CV system uses Vasodilation and Vasoconstriction to Thermoregulate
Definition of Stroke volume
Amount of blood ejected from the heart per beat
The main function of white blood cells are
- Protect the body by fighting infections. They identify, destroy and remove pathogens such as bacteria or viruses.
- They originate in bone
marrow but are stored in the blood
Stops the blood flowing back into the right ventricle
Semi-Lunar Value/Pulmonary value
Transports deoxygenated blood from the body to the right Atrium
Vena Cava (Superior and Inferior)
Superior = above
Inferior = below
What are the four components of blood?
- Red blood cells
- Plasma
- White blood cells
- Platelets
Describe the structure of the veins
- Carry blood towards the heart from the tissues of the body
- Thin and less muscular walls
- Less elastic walls
- Contains blood under low pressure
- Usually contain deoxygenated blood (except pulmonary vein)
- Contains values
Bottom chamber that holds deoxygenated blood
Right Ventricle
What is an optimal blood pressure?
120/80 mmHG
The main function of platelets are
- Prevent blood loss.
If you are cut, platelets will gather and stick together with a fibrin mesh and plug the site of the injury stopping blood loss
Explain the response of an increased heart rate
Heart rate increases due to the rise in carbon dioxide picked up by the chemoreceptors. An increase in heart rate is needed due to the increase in demand for oxygen
How many chambers of the heart are there?
Four.
Two Atria
Two Ventricles
Stops the blood flowing back into the left ventricle
Semi-Lunar Value/Aortic Value
Top chamber of the heart that holds oxygenated blood
Left Atrium
Stops the blood flowing back into the left atrium
Bicuspid Value
If you have an increase in cardiac hypertrophy and increased stroke volume, this will equal…
A decrease in resting heart rate
Cardiac hypertrophy + increased stroke volume = lower resting heart rate
(reduced strain on the heart)
Describe high and low blood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure blood exerts on the arteries
High blood pressure can be a risk factor for heart disease and stroke
Low blood pressure can be dangerous, symptoms include dizziness, light-headedness, nausea and fainting
High blood pressure is called hypertension (Above 140/80 mmHG)
Low blood pressure is called hypotension (Below 90/60 mmHG)
Explain the role of the Bundle of His
The Bundle of His is a specialist muscle cell that transports
the impulses from the AVN. It splits into two Bundle Branches and found in the walls of the ventricles. The impulse travels down the bundle of his to the bottom of the septum and then
to the purkinje fibres.
Explain the process of delivering oxygen and nutrients
The CV system delivers nutrients and oxygen to the tissues of the body via the
bloodstream. During exercise the body needs more of both so the CV system meets the
demand. When the needs can no longer be met, the muscles fatigue and performance
deteriorates
What are the units of blood pressure?
mmHG (millimetres of mercury)
What is the systolic blood pressure?
First number or top number and indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when the heart beats.
Explain the redirection of blood flow during exercise
Blood is redirected where it is needed the most, when exercising the blood is needed for the working muscles the blood vessels will vasodilate to allow this extra blood flow.
During exercise blood is not needed for the digestive system
blood flow is reduced to this area by vasoconstriction.
Remember the 80/20 rule.
What connects capillaries to veins?
Venules
