Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Layers of heart wall
1) Epicardium
- thin outer layer of connective tissue
2) Myocardium
- thick middle layer of cardiac muscle tissue
3) Endocardium
- thin inner layer of endothelial tissue
Systemic Circulation
- system of blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the majority of the body and return
- the blood loses oxygen in this circuit
Pulmonary Circulation
- system of blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs and return oxygenated blood to the heart
- the blood gains oxygen in this circuit
Path of blood through the heart
1) superior/inferior vena cava
2) right atrium
3) right ventricle
4) pulmonary trunk
5) pulmonary arteries
6) pulmonary circulation
7) pulmonary veins
8) left atrium
9) left ventricle
10) aorta
11) systemic circulation
Layers of blood vessels
1) Tunica Externa
- connective tissue
2) Tunica media
- smooth muscle and elastic connective tissue
3) Tunica interna
- connective tissue
Arteries
- carry blood away from heart
- thick walls
- thick tunica media
Elastic arteries
- larger arteries of the body (ex. aorta, pulmonary trunk)
- tunica media = elastic connective tissue
- helps propel blood away from heart
Muscular arteries
- medium sized arteries
- tunica media = smooth muscle
- control blood flow
Arterioles
- “little arteries”
- connect arteries to capillaries
- tunica media = smooth muscle
- regulate amount of blood entering capillaries
Capillaries
- networks among the individual cells
- don’t contain a tunica externa or tunica media
- allow exchange of substances between blood and surrounding cells
Venules
- “little veins”
- small blood vessels emerging from capillaries that start the route back to the heart
Veins
- carry blood to heart
- thin walls
Blood Pressure (BP)
1) Systolic BP
- pressure on arterial walls during ventricular contraction
2) Diastolic BP
- pressure on arterial walls during ventricular relaxation
