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AN > Cardiovascular System > Flashcards

Cardiovascular System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the main components of the cardiovascular (CV) system?

A

Heart, blood vessels, the blood itself.

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2
Q

What are primary examples of things transported within the blood itself?

A

Different types of cells; platelets; oxygen; carbon dioxide; electrolytes; nutrients; wastes; etc

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3
Q

What are the general components of the blood?

A
  1. Plasma (liquid component of blood)
  2. Cellular elements (RBCs, WBCs, platelets)
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4
Q

What are the organs of the cardiovascular system?

A

Heart, blood vessels, blood itself

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5
Q

What does the blood transport through the body?

A

Cells, electrolytes, wastes, nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc

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6
Q

What are some functions of blood?

A

Clotting, thermoregulation, maintenance of pH and electrolyte balance

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7
Q

What are the two components that make up blood?

A

Plasma and formed elements
Plasma- liquid portion of blood
Formed elements:
- Erythrocytes (RBCs)
- Leukocytes (WBCs)
- Platelets- clotting

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8
Q

What is the purpose of erythrocytes?

A

Movement of oxygen and carbon dioxide (red blood cells)

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9
Q

What is the purpose of platelets?

A

Clotting factors

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10
Q

What are the types of WBCs (Leukocytes)?

A

Neutrophils
Lymphocytes
Monocytes
Eosinophils
Basophils

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11
Q

What are the three major classes of plasma proteins?

A

Albumins
Globulins
Fibrinogen

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12
Q

What is the purpose of albumins (plasma protein)

A

Fatty acid movement, influences water movement, cations, hormones, etc

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13
Q

What are the types of globulins?

A

Immunoglobulins or antibodies
Transport globulins

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14
Q

What is the purpose of fibrinogen (plasma protein)

A

Blood clotting

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15
Q

What is plasma without the clotting factors (fibrinogen)?

A

Serum

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16
Q

Sequence the flow of blood in the heart, starting with the left ventricle.

A

Start: Left ventricle (apex). Left ventricle contains oxygenated blood. Left ventricle contracts and pushes blood through the aortic valve into the aorta. Aorta carries blood through body (arteries-> arterioles-> capillaries-> venuoles-> veins) and reenters the heart through superior/inferior vena cavae. This blood is deoxygenated. Next, the right atrium contracts and pushes blood through tricuspid valve into right ventricle. Right ventricle contracts and pushes deoxygenated blood through pulmonic valve to pulmonary trunk to pulmonary artery which brings deoxygenated blood to lungs for reoxygenation. Oxygenated blood then returns to heart through pulmonary veins (2 for each lung) which drains into the left atrium. Left atrium contracts and pushes blood through bicuspid/mitral valve back into the left ventricle.

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17
Q

The right side of the heart has (deoxygenated/oxygenated) blood.

A

Deoxygenated.

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18
Q

The left side of the heart has (deoxygenated/oxygenated) blood.

A

Oxygenated.

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19
Q

What is the middle dividing wall that separates the right from the left heart?

A

Septum

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20
Q

How many atria and how many ventricles do we have?

A

2 atria and 2 ventricles.

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21
Q

What are the two main paths of blood circulation?

A

Pulmonary circuit and systemic circuit.

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22
Q

What is the pathway of the pulmonary circuit?

A

Heart-> lungs-> heart

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23
Q

What is the pathway of the systemic circuit?

A

Heart-> body-> heart

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24
Q

What does each circuit contain? (What do the different structures that carry blood do)

A

Arteries- blood away from the heart
Veins- blood towards the heart
Capillaries- gas/nutrient exchange

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25
Q

The right side of the heart need to send blood where?

A

To the lungs to be reoxygenated.

26
Q

The left side of the heart needs to send blood where?

A

To the body.

27
Q

What are the three structures making up the heart wall, from superficial to deep?

A

Epicardium
Myocardium
Endocardium

28
Q

What occupies the space in the pericardial cavity?

A

A thin layer of serous fluid. This fluid allows the heart to move smoothly inside of its pericardial sac.

29
Q

The heart is surrounded by a pericardium, consisting of two serous membranes. What are these layers?

A

Parietal and visceral layer (or epicardium).
The parietal layer lines the inside of the heart sac and the visceral layer is in physical contact with the heart wall surface.

30
Q

Where is the pericardial cavity located and what substance is located inside it?

A

Between the parietal and visceral layers. Containing pericardial fluid.

31
Q

The pericardial cavity surrounds the heart like what? (analogy)

A

Like a balloon surrounds a fist.

32
Q

Where does the heart lie in the body?

A

Lies slightly to the left of the midsagittal plane. Located in the mediastinum (central compartment of chest).
The base is the superior border of the heart and the apex is the inferior portion of the heart.

33
Q

The Right Atrium

A

Receives oxygen-poor venous blood via the superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, and coronary sinus

34
Q

The Right Ventricle

A

Receives oxygen-poor blood from the right atrium.
Blood enters the right ventricle by passing through the right atrioventricular valve (or tricuspid valve).
Blood leaves the right ventricle by passing through the pulmonary valve (or pulmonary semilunar valve).
Leads to the pulmonary trunk, then to the right and left pulmonary arteries.

35
Q

The Left Atrium

A

Receives oxygenated blood from the lungs via the right and left pulmonary veins.
Blood passes through the left atrioventricular valve. (Bicuspid valve, left AV valve, mitral valve).

36
Q

The Left Ventricle

A

Has the thickest wall
- Needed for strong contractions to pump blood throughout the entire systemic circuit
- Compared to the right ventricle, which has a thin wall since it only pumps blood through the pulmonary circuit

Blood leaves the left ventricle by passing through the aortic valve (semilunar valve).
Blood enters the ascending aorta.
Blood then travels to the aortic arch and then down the descending aorta.

37
Q

Which part of the heart has the thickest wall and why?

A

The left ventricle has the thickest wall because it needs to conduct strong contractions to pump blood throughout the entire systemic circuit.

38
Q

What is the function of the coronary arteries?

A

Originate at the base of the ascending aorta.
They supply the cardiac muscle tissue via the coronary cirulation.

39
Q

What are the major coronary arteries? (and branches)

A
  • Right Coronary Artery (RCA)
  • Left Coronary Artery (LCA)
    The LCA branches into the Circumflex artery and the left anterior descending artery.
40
Q

What is the purpose of the coronary veins?

A

Drain cardiac venous blood ultimately into the right atrium.

41
Q

What are the two main coronary veins?

A

Coronary sinus
Anterior cardiac veins

42
Q

What happens when a coronary artery is calcified?

A

Plaque buildup. Harder for coronary arteries to distribute blood to all areas of the heart. Can lead to necrotic areas, can cause myocardial infarction.

43
Q

What is coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)

A

Installation of grafted blood vessel to create new pathway when one or more arteries is blocked by calcification.

44
Q

The cardiac cycle consists of alternate periods of contraction and relaxation. What are these periods called?

A

Contraction= systole
Relaxation= diastole

45
Q

What happens during systole (contraction)?

A

Atrial systole= blood flows into the ventricles

Ventricular systole= blood is ejected into the pulmonary trunk and the ascending aorta

46
Q

What happens during diastole (relaxation)?

A

Chambers are filling with blood

47
Q

How is blood pressure measured?

A

Systolic/diastolic
(Peak pressure exerted on artery walls when the heart is actively pumping blood/pressure in arteries when the heart is resting between beats and filling with blood).

48
Q

What is typical BP?

A

120/80

49
Q

Cardiac contractions are coordinated by two nodes. What are these nodes and what do they do?

A

Sinoatrial node (SA node) and Atrioventricular node (AV node)

SA node: Located in the posterior wall of the right atrium near the entrance of the superior vena cava. Also called the cardiac pacemaker. Pacemaker cells in the SA node automatically generate 60-100 action potentials per minute.
Bradycardia- slower than normal heart rate
Tachycardia- faster than normal heart rate

Atrioventricular node (AV node): Sits within the floor of the right atrium. When the SA node sends an electrical impulse, the AV node delays the signal slightly to allow ventricles time to fill with blood from the atria before contracting.

50
Q

Sequence the steps of the coordination of a heartbeat.

A
  1. The impulse starts in the SA node: electrical signal from SA node causes atrial contraction (P wave in ECG).
  2. Signal reaches AV node: Impulse moves to AV node, where it is briefly delayed to allow ventricles time to fill.
  3. Impulse travels through Bindle of His and Purkinje fibers: After delay, impulse travels down these fibers to ventricles, triggering contraction (QRS complex in ECG)
  4. Ventricles contract: The ventricles pump blood out of the heart; cycle repeats with SA node starting process again.
51
Q

An ECG/EKG is a recording of the heart’s electrical activity. The waves are P-T. What does each wave represent?

A

P wave- atrial depolarization (contraction)
PR segment- period between onset of P wave to beginning of QRS complex
QRS complex- ventricular depolarization (contraction)
ST segment- both ventricles completely depolarized
T wave- ventricular relaxation
QT interval- includes QRS complex, ST segment and T wave

52
Q

What is the problem with an ST-segment elevation?

A

Indicative of a myocardial infarction (heart attack)

53
Q

What is the sympathtic influence on the heartbeat ? (fight or flight)

A

Stimulation of the sympathetic cardioaccelerator nerves releases the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine.

These neurohormones:
- accelerate SA node depolarization, causing the heart to beat faster (positive chronotropic effect)
- increase myocardial contractility (positive inotropic effect) to augment how much blood the heart pumps with each beat

54
Q

What is the parasympathetic influence on the heartbeat?

A

When stimulated, parasympathetic neurons release acetylcholine, which retards the rate of sinus discharge to slow heart rate (negative chronotropic effect) and to decrease myocardial contractility (negative inotropic effect).

55
Q

What is a chronotropic effect?

A

An effect that changes how fast the heart beats.
For a sympathetic influence, a positive chronotropic effect will cause the heart to beat faster.
For a parasympathetic influence, a negative chronotropic effect will cause the heart to beat slower.

56
Q

What is an inotropic effect?

A

An effect that changes how much blood the heart pumps with each beat.
For a sympathetic influence, a positive inotropic effect will increase the amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat.
For a parasympathetic effect, a negative inotropic effect will decrease the amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat.

57
Q

What are the types of arteries?

A
  • Elastic arteries: closer to aorta, more elastic to accomodate for greater/more forceful blood supply
  • Muscular arteries: further from aorta, smooth muscle
  • Arterioles: smallest arteries
  • Capillaries: smallest of the vessels, where gas exchange/nutrient exchange occurs
58
Q

What are the types of veins?

A
  • Capillaries
  • Venules
  • Medium-sized veins
  • Large veins
59
Q

Venous valves in veins

A

These valves compartmentalize the blood in the veins thus acting as one-way valves
Valves prevent backflow of blood

60
Q

Distribution of Blood in the body

A

The total blood volume is distributed unevenly within the vessels of the body
- Heart, arteries and capillaries contain 30-35 percent of the volume
- Veins contain 65-70 percent of the volume
Veins are more distensible than arteries
Based on blood pressure, a vein can expand about 8 times as much as a parallel artery
Veins are called capacitance vessels
Act as blood reservoirs
Venoconstriction shifts blood toward arterial side of the circulation; occurs hemorrhaging

AN (7 decks)

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