Cardiovascular System Flashcards
What the functions of the atria and ventricles of the heart?
Atria - receiving chambers of the heart
Ventricles - discharging chambers of the heart
What coverings does the heart have?
What is the heart’s lining called?
Pericardium is two layers of fibrous tissue with a small space in between.
Endocardium is the lining
What are systole and diastole of the heart?
Systole = CONTRACTION of atria and ventricles
Diastole = RELAXATION of atria and ventricles
What are the two major “circulations” of the body?
Pulmonary & Systemic circulation
What are the auricles of the heart?
The auricles are earlike outpouchings that are formed by the atria.
What structure is the natural “pacemaker” of the heart?
Sinoatrial node
What information is in an ECG?
Graphic record of the heart’s electrical activity
What is heart block?
impulses are blocked from ventricles, resulting in ventricles beating a slower rate than normal
What are the two main factors that affect cardiac output?
Heart rate and stroke volume
If a person’s heart rate increases, what may happen to the cardiac output?
Higher cardiac output
If a person bleeds excessively, what effect would that have on cardiac output?
Decreases cardiac output
( Bleeding may reduce total blood volume, which decreases stroke volume)
What are the two main types of blood vessels in the body?
How are they different?
Arteries (carry blood away from the heart)
Veins (carry blood to the heart)
Describe the three major layers of a large blood vessel?
Tunica externa (outer layer of connective tissue fibers);
Tunica media (smooth muscle tissue in the middle);
Tunica intima (endothelial cells lining the arteries and veins)
What are capillaries?
What is their role in the body?
- Fine branching blood vessels
- Capillaries exchange substances between the blood and the surrounding tissues.
How do systemic and pulmonary circulations differ?
Systemic circulation - blood from left ventricle of the heart through the aorta and other arteries to all parts of the body.
Pulmonary circulation - blood from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery to lung arterioles and capillaries. After the exchange of gases, blood is returned to the left atrium of the heart.