Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Define the role of the cardiovascular system in overall body homeostasis.
Transport
Needed things to the tissues
Nutrients
Oxygen
Enzymes
Waste products away from the tissues
Hormones for signaling
Describe the pathway of blood flow through the heart.
Blood is returned to the heart by the superior and interior vena cavas and enters the right atrium.Blood then passes through the right AV valve and into the right ventricle . Upon contraction blood passes through the pulmonary valve and into the pulmonary artery, where it is distributed to the lungs and oxygenated. Blood travels from the lungs to the pulmonary veins and into the left atrium . Passing through the mitral valve , blood then
enters the left ventricle .
Upon contraction blood passes through the aortic valve, into the aorta Which
distributes blood to the body.
Contractile cells
receive signals from the electrical pathway of the heart or a nearby cell and immediately depolarize by opening VG Na+ channels.
Once depolarized to ~ 120mV , Na+ channels close and K+ channels open, repolarizing the cell . A plateau occurs in repolarization, however, because L-type Ca+ channels open and cause calcium entry , canceling out the potential difference of K+ exit. Ca++ do close while K+ stay open , causing repolarization back to RMP
Autorhythmic cells
have an unstable RMP due to leaky Na+ channels on their membranes that remain open after repolarization. The upward slope of the RMP triggers VG t-type Ca++ channels to open , bringing the cell to threshold .This voltage changes causes
the opening of L-type Ca+ channels , depolarizing the cell . When the L-type channels close , K+ channels open and repolarize the cell.
Compare and contrast the action potential of contractile (fast-response) and auto-rhythmic (slow-response) cardiac cells.
Contractile cells receive signals from the electrical pathway of the heart or a nearby cell and immediately depolarize by opening VG Na+ channels. Once depolarized to ~ 120mV , Na+ channels close and K+ channels open, repolarizing the cell . A plateau occurs in repolarization, however, because L-type Ca+ channels open and cause calcium entry , canceling out the potential difference of K+ exit. Ca++ do close while K+ stay open , causing repolarization back to RMP
Autorhythmic cells have an unstable RMP due to leaky Na+ channels on their membranes that remain open after repolarization. The upward slope of the RMP triggers VG t-type Ca++ channels to open , bringing the cell to threshold .This voltage changes causes the opening of L-type Ca+ channels , depolarizing the cell . When the L-type channels close , K+ channels open and repolarize the cell.
Define pacemaker potential & describe basis for rhythmic electrical activity of cardiac cells.
pacemaker potential : the depolarization to threshold created by the SA node
the mechanism for autorhythmic cells
Cardiac muscle
stimulated by AP on SA node or neighboring cell
uses gap junctions
Ca++ induced Ca++ release
Ca++ binds to troponin
Skeletal
stimulated by AP from somatic motor neuron
no gap junctions (each muscle fiber has a NMJ)
depolarization triggers Ca++ release
Ca++ binds to troponin
Compare and contrast excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac muscle to that of skeletal muscle.
Cardiac
- Stimulated by action potential on SA node or neighboring cell
- Uses gap junction
- Ca++ induced Ca++ released
- Ca++ binds to troponin
Skeletal
- stimulated by AP from somatic motor neuron
no gap junctions (each muscle fiber has a NMJ)
depolarization triggers Ca++ release
Ca++ binds to troponin
Describe gap junctions and their role in cardiac excitation.
Gap junctions connect cardiac cells and electrical signals pass through them. This allows cardiac muscle to contract
as one unit
SA Node
Located in right atrium
Acts as pacemaker
Leaky Na+ channels
Membrane potential goes down to ~ -55mv
When membrane potential reaches -40 mV, slow Ca++ channels open, causing action potential
After 100-150 ms, Ca++ channels close and K+ channels open more, thus returning membrane potential to -55mV
SA Node as Pacemaker
Under normal conditions, SA node is the pacemaker
SA node depolarizes at rate of 70-80/min
AV node: 40-60/min
Purkinje fibers: 15-40/min
Internodal Pathways
Carry signal from SA node to AV node
AV Node
Transfers electrical signal from atria to ventricles
Delays impulse
This allows atria to fully contract before ventricles contract
AV Node delay: 0.09 sec
AV Bundle delay: 0.04 sec
AV Bundle/Bundle of His
Transfers signal from atria to ventricles
Branches into left and right branches that carry signal down septum to apex
Purkinje Fibers
Carry signal throughout ventricle walls
Rapid conduction, due to prevalence of gap junctions