Cardiovascular System Flashcards
What does the Cardiovascular system do and what are the waste products?
It transports blood around the body and helps regulate the internal body temperature. Waste products: CO2+water = carbonic acid
What does the Pulmonary system do?
Transfers blood between heart and lungs. (oxygenated/deoxygenated)
What does the Systemic System do?
Transfers oxygenated blood to the body, and returns deoxygenated blood to heart, before it becomes part of the pulmonary system.
Name 4 parts of blood
Plasma Red Blood Cells White Blood Cells Platelets
What is plasma and what does it do?
Plasma is the salty fluid part of the blood. It carries CO2, hormones and waste products. It helps maintain acidity levels in blood
What do the red blood cells do and where are they created?
They are created in the bone marrow, and they carry and transport haemoglobin.
Average lifespan of haemoglobin
108 days
What do the white blood cells due and what is it a part of?
It is a part of the immune system and it produces antibodies, which fight of infections and micro organisms.
Which is larger: White or Red Blood Cells?
White blood cells
What do platelets do?
They form blood clots to stop bleeding
What do arteries do? high/low pressure?
They carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body and work under high pressures.
What do veins do? High/low pressure? Thick/Thin walls?
They carry deoxygenated blood from body to the heart and work under weaker pressures. They have thinner walls and contain valves to stop backflow.
What do capillaries do and how thick are they? High/Low pressure?
They are one cell thick and exist for a gas diffusion (O2/CO2). They work under weak pressures.
The heart is also known as the…
Aortic pump
Aorta
Takes oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body
Vena Cava
Deoxygenated blood from body enters the heart via the vena cava
Pulmonary arteries
Carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs
Pulmonary veins
Carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart.
Coronary arteries
Wrapped around heart to supply the heart with O2 and fuel (Carbs, glucose)
Coronary Veins
Carry waste products away from heart (CO2+water=carbonic acid)
which is the stronger pump (Atrium/Ventricle)?
The ventricle! It pumps blood away from the heart.
Explain the process of the heart.
Deoxygenated blood enters the heart from the body via the vena cava into the right atrium, then the right ventricle.
Deoxygenated blood is pumped from the right ventricle through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs and pumped back to the heart via the pulmonary veins.
It enters the left atrium, then the left ventricle and is then pumped back to the body via the Aorta.
What is Pulse Rate?
Number of contractions of the ventricles per minute (Beats per minute)
Pulse rate is controlled by which nervous system?
Autonomous Nervous System
Pulse rate is affected by:
- Glucose
- Adrenaline
- CO2
- Excercise
- Temperature
- Eating
- Age
- Gender
- Caffeins
- Emotions (Fear, Excitement, Stress)
Average Pulse Rate for a healthy person at rest?
70-75 bpm
What is stroke volume?
Amount of blood pumped by the left ventricle in one contraction (measured in ml)
Average stroke volume for a healthy person at rest?
70ml
What is Cardiac Output?
Volume of blood pumped by the heart by minute.
= Heart rate * Stroke Volume
Avg Cardiac Output
5.0 - 5.5 litres per minute
What causes Coronary Heart Disease?
Caused when coronary arteries get clogged/blocked arount the heart.
Generally through fatty deposits (high cholestrerol and too much salt).
Angina is associated with this.
What is Myocardial infarction?
Heart attack.
When there’s a severe reduction in blood flow to the heart. A piece of the heart will die.
Symptoms of Myocardial Infarction
- Chest pain
- Pain in left side of body
- Nauseous
- Start to feel weak
- Clammy (pain and sweaty)
Most common cause of death for men over 40:
Myocardial Infarction (Heart attack)
If you get to a hospital in time, there’s an 80% chance of survival.
Who causes someone to be more prone to heart attacks?
- Family History
- Stress
- Smoking
- Diabetes
What causes Anaemia?
Reduction in red blood cells/haemoglobin
Lack of iron.
What can cause anaemia?
Severe bleeding/loss of blood
Bone marrow not producing enough red blood cells.
Symptoms of anaemia
- Weak
- Pale
- Increased breathing rate
Carbon monoxide combines ____ times more easily to haemoglobin than oxygen
210-250 times more easily
Most likely cause of carbon monoxide poisoning in cockpit?
Heating system
(internal combustion engine)
How long does it take to recover from carbon monoxide poisoning?
It can take days.
Susceptibility to carbon monoxide poisoning also increases with altitude due to a lack of oxygen.
Symptoms of Carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Headache
- Cherry colored cheeks
- Diziness
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Weak & Tired
- Impaired judgement/memory
- Pain in joints
- Convulsions (Muscles flex up uncontrollably)
Biproduct of smoking that is addictive?
Nicotine
Biproduct of smoking that leads to lung cancer/clogs up lungs
Tar
Most common source of carbon monoxide?
Smoking
Effects of smoking:
- Tar build up
- Susceptibility to hypoxia, DCS increases
- Lung cancer
- Reduced blood supply
- Night vision reduces
- Reduces tolerance to G-forces
- Body is already at 4.000-5.000 ft
What affects blood pressure?
- Heart rate
- Periferal resistance of arteries (how tight they are)
- Walls of vessels (tight)
- Viscosity of blood
- Drugs (paracetamol thins blood)
Average blood pressure:
Systolic Blood Pressure: 120 mm/Hg
Diastolic Blood Pressure: 80 mm/Hg
What is systolic blood pressure and what is the average?
The pressure in the arteries as the ventricles contract
120 mm/Hg
What is diastolic blood pressure and what is the average?
The pressure in the arteries as the ventricles relax (heart between beets).
Average: 80 mm/Hg
Blood pressure (increases/decreases) with age, because
Increases
The artery walls lose elasticity
What is hypertension and how do we reduce it’s effects?
Too high blood pressure
- Less Salt
- More Exercise
- Stop smoking
Causes of Hypertenstion
- Stress
- Smoking
- Age
- Diet
- Lack of Excercise
Symptoms of Hypertension
- Breathing & Heart rate increases
- Heart attack
- Angina
- Stroke
- Heart Palpatations
- Kidney failure
- Severe nose bleeds
What is hypotension and how is it caused?
Low blood pressure
Caused by severe loss of blood (Haemorrage) or Emotions (Fear, shock, anxiety)
Symptoms of Hypotension
- Light headed
- Dizzy
- Nauseous
- Lack of concentration
- Fainting
- Stagnation of blood (Blood pooling)
- Death
Where are pressoreceptors located?
In the carotid artery.
Int he neck and upstream of the brain.
If hypertensive, what do the pressoreceptors do?
They signal to relax blood vessels and to reduce heart rate.
If hypotensive, our pressoreceptors signal to?
They signal to contract blood vessels and increase heart rate.
How much time needs to pass between giving blood and flight?
24 hours
