Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Where does the heart lie?
In the mediastinum
What is the mediastinum?
a compartment that runs the length of the thoracic cavity between the pleural sacs of the lungs
What lies on the superior, anterior, inferior and posterior sides of the heart?
Superior: connective tissue of the neck
Anterior: Chest wall behind the sternum
Inferior: Diaphragm
Posterior: thoracic spine
Where is the superior edge of the heart situated?
beneath the 2nd rib?
Where is the apex of the heart situated?
in the 5th intercostal space
What is the Fossa Ovalis/Foramen Ovale and what are the potential complications?
hole in the heart that closes after birth - in the womb deoxygenated and oxygenated blood mixes
if this hole does not close then the following may occur: shortness of breath, cyanosis
What is the Ductus Arteriosis?
Connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery which should also close after birth.
How is the heart divided?
by the intraventricular septum
Which ventricle has the thicker wall?
left ventricle
Which side of the heart receives oxygenated/deoxygenated blood?
oxygenated: left
deoxygenated: right
Frank Starling’s Law
the greater the preload on cardiac muscle fibres before they contract the greater the force of contraction during systole.
Atria pushes as much blood as possible down to the ventricles so that the ventricles are under a large amount of pressure, when the ventricles then contract they forcefully push blood out of the aorta
What would valve regurgitation sound like?
a trickling sound
Aortic valve
between the left ventricle and aorta
listen in the right 2nd intercostal space
Pulmonary valve
between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery
listen in the left 2nd intercostal space
Tricuspid valve
between right atrium and right ventricle
listen in the left 4th intercostal space
has 3 cusps
Bicuspid Valve
between left atrium and left ventricle
listen in the 5th intercostal space
has 2 cusps
Where is Erb’s point?
3rd intercostal space on the left
What structure prevents the valves becoming inverted
Chordae Tendineae
Main heart blood vessels and where they transport blood to and from
Aorta: from left ventricle to rest of the body
Vena Cava: from rest of the body to right atrium
Pulmonary Artery: from right ventricle to lungs
Pulmonary Veins: from lungs to left atrium
Flow of blood on the left hand side
Vena cava - right atrium - tricuspid valve - right ventricle - pulmonary valve - pulmonary artery
Flow of blood on the right hand side
Pulmonary veins - left atrium - mitral valve - left ventricle - aortic valve - aorta
systole v diastole
systole - contraction
diastole - relaxation
Atrial Diastole
Right: deoxygenated blood enters right atrium from vena cava
Left: oxygenated blood enters left atrium from pulmonary veins
Atrial systole/ventricular diastole
Right: blood flows from right atrium into right ventricle via tricuspid valve
Left: Blood flows from left atrium into left ventricle via bicuspid valve
