Cardiovascular System Flashcards
How many chambers and valves does the heart have?
4 chambers, 4 sets of valves form 2 pumps
What are the four chambers of the heart?
Right Atra
Right Ventricle
Left Atria
Left ventricle
What are the valves of the heart?
AV valves - tricuspid and bicuspid
Semi-lunar valves - aortic and pulmonary
Where does the pulmonary circulatory system go?
arteries to and veins from the lungs
Where does the systemic circulatory system go?
arteries to and veins from the rest of the body
Why is the heart separated into two distinct parts?
to separate oxygenated and deoxygenated blood
What are the 7 functions of the cardiovascular system?
- transport O2/CO2 from and to the lungs and tissues
- transport of nutrients: from intestine to tissues and from and to the liver and fat
- transport waste: from production to excretion sites
- transport heat: from inside to the skin
- transport hormones: endocrine glands to target cells
- carrying immune cells
- stabilize internal environment: buffer
What is the pericardium?
2 layers of connective tissue with a cavity
What is the function of the pericardium?
prevents overstretching of the heart
What are the names of the two layers of the pericardium?
Parietal layer (outside)
pericardial cavity
Visceral layer (inside)
What is the pericardial cavity filled with?
fluid, allows some movement
What is the function of the atria of the heart?
Serve as reservoirs, help transfer blood to the ventricles
What is the function of the ventricles?
propel blood into systemic and pulmonary circulation
What are the heart valves separated by?
muscular septum
What is the muscle tissue called of the heart?
myocardium
What is the endocardium?
epithelium covering the inner surface
What are the heart valves made out of?
fibrous connective tissue attached to a fibrous ring
What is the function of the valves of the heart?
allow blood to flow in only 1 direction
Where are the AV valves located?
bicuspid (mitral) valve on the left
tricuspid valve on the right
What is a special feature of the AV valves?
the free end of the AV valves attached to papillary muscle (chordae tendonae) in the ventricle (prevents inversion, limits movement)
Where are the semilunar valves located?
aortic: between left ventricle and aorta
pulmonary: between right ventricle and pulmonary artery
What is the mechanism for the opening and closing of valves?
passive mechanism, dependent on blood pressure
If the ventricles are relaxed, what will the valves do?
AV valves opened
If the ventricles are full, what will the valves do?
AV valves closed
If the ventricles contract, what will the valves do?
pressure higher than arterial pressure, aortic and pulmonary valves open
What is the function of the arteries?
convey blood from the heart to tissues and organs
Where does the pulmonary artery leave from the heart?
leaves the right ventricle to bring deoxygenated blood to the lungs
Where does the aortic artery leave from the heart?
leaves the left ventricle to bring oxygenated blood to the rest of the body
What is the function of the veins?
convey blood from the tissues and organs to the heart
Where does the vena cava come into the heart?
bring deoxygenated blood to the right atrium
Where does the pulmonary vein come into the heart?
brings oxygenated blood to the left atrium
Which arteries are elastic and why?
aortic and pulmonary arteries receive tremendous pressure from ventricle contractions
What are the function of small arteries?
deliver blood locally to arterioles and capillaries in tissues, control the pressure via tone of vessels smooth muscle
What is the function of the capillaries?
site of gas exchange nutrient etc.
What is the function of the venules?
collect blood from the capillaries
What is the function of the veins?
receive blood from venules and return it to the heart, change in tone will alter venous return
What are the different blood vessels
artery>small artery>capillaries>venules>veins
What are the similarities vs differences of the systemic vs pulmonary circulation?
both have arteries and veins
pulmonary - heart/lungs loop to oxygenate blood
- relatively low pressure, low resistance, highly distensible
systemic - distribution of oxygenated blood and nutrients throughout the body
- high pressure high resistance
Why is the left ventricular wall much thicker than the right?
Work performed by the left ventricle is 5-7 fold greater than right ventricle
What is the cardiac cycle?
repeating pattern of contraction and relaxation of the heart
What are the two basic stages of the cardiac cycle?
Systole - phase of contraction
Diastole - phase of relaxation/filling
What is the concept of two-step pumping?
both atria contract simultaneously - push blood in ventricles
right and left ventricles contract 0.1 to 0.2 seconds later
What are the steps of the cardiac cycle?
- Diastole
- atrial contraction
- isovolumic contraction
- ejection phase (systole)
- isolvolumic relaxation
What are the two types of cells that the myocardium is composed of?
contractile cells: 99% of cells, AP required for contraction
autorhythmic cells: modified non-contractile cells, concentrated in specific regions of the heart, spontaneously generate AP
What are gap junctions and what is their function?
adjacent cells in the heart are connected by water-filled pores forming open contractions (gap junctions), they allow ions to freely move from 1 cell to another, and electrical activity can pass from cell to cell
What is electrical conduction generated by?
autorhythmic cells (pacemaker cells)
What are the components of the electrical conduction system?
SA node
AV node
bundle of His and Purkinje fibers
What is the function of the SA node?
Command center (determines heart contraction)
rhythmical self-excitation
What is the function of the AV node?
autorhythmic ability but pace is slower so under SA control
gateway for electrical conduction between atria and ventricles
What is the function of the bundle of his and purkinje fibers?
help to quickly propagate electrical activity from the Av node to the rest of the ventricles
What are the three roles of the electrical system?
maintain appropriate heart rate
coordinate contraction of atria and ventricles
coordinate contraction of each chamber
What is the relevance of the electrical system?
use ECG to determine heart rhythm
problems with conduction - abnormal rhythm - arrhythmia
What are the steps to excitation of the heart?
- SA node self excitation (generation of APs)
- Aps propagate through atria = atrial contraction
- AV node activated by AP wave, transmit electrical activity to the bundle of his and purkinje fibers with a little delay (allows packing of blood in ventricles and closure of the AV valves)
- electrical activity propagate through ventricles - ventricular contraction
How is AP generated in the SA node?
cells from SA node gradually depolarize, this drift in potential is caused by the leakage of Na+ inside the cell and reduced diffusion of K+ outside the cell, when threshold is met, AP is generated, cycle is repeated
How does the ANS control the contraction of the SA node?
sympathetic fibers: reduce the time required to reach the threshold, faster pace
parasympathetic fibers: prolong the time required to reach the threshold, slower pace
How does the action potential actually reach the contractile cells in the heart to induce a contraction?
AP from authorythmic cells propagate to the contractile cells