Chapter 13 - Cardiovascular System Flashcards
apex
a blunt point on the lower edge of the heart; it lies on the diaphragm and providers often listen to the heart by placing a stethoscope directly over the apex
apical impulse
also called the apex beat
it is a pulse taken from near the apex of the heart
atria (singular: atrium)
the two upper chambers of the heart
Atria are often called receiving chambers because blood enters the heart through veins that open into these upper cavities.
ventricles
the two lower chambers of the heart
Blood is pumped from the heart into arteries that exit from the ventricles. The ventricles are therefore sometimes referred to as the discharging chambers of the heart.
myocardium
the muscular tissue of the heart
interatrial septum
the wall of tissue that separates the right and left atria of the heart
interventricular septum (IVS)
also called ventricular septum
during fetal development it’s called septum inferius
it is the stout wall separating the ventricles, the lower chambers of the heart, from one another
endocardium
a thin layer of very smooth tissue that lines each chamber of the heart
endocarditis
inflammation of the endocardium
pericardium
two layers of fibrous tissue with a small space in between them that form the covering and lining of the heart
visceral pericardium
also called the epicardium
it is the inner layer of the pericardium
parietal pericardium
the outer layer of pericardium
systole
the phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood from the chambers into the arteries
diastole
the phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle relaxes and allows the chambers to fill with blood
atrioventricular (AV) valves
the two valves that separate the atrial chambers above from the ventricles below
bicuspid valve
also called the mitral valve
it is the left atrioventricular valve
it is located between the left atrium and left ventricle
tricuspid valve
the right atrioventricular valve, located between the right atrium and right ventricle
semilunar (SL) valves
the valves located between each ventricular chamber and its large artery that carries blood away from the heart when contraction occurs
pulmonary valve
a semilunar valve located at the beginning of the pulmonary artery and which allows blood going to the lungs to flow out of the right ventricle during systole but prevents it from flowing back into the ventricle during diastole
aortic valve
the semilunar valve located at the beginning of the aorta that allows blood to flow out of the left ventricle up into the aorta but prevents backflow into this ventricle
aorta
the main artery that carries blood away from your heart to the rest of your body
lub dup
Two distinct sounds that can be heard through a stethoscope placed on the anterior chest wall; they are rhythmical and repetitive sounds.
Lub (the first sound) is caused by the vibration and abrupt closure of the atrioventricular valves as the ventricles contract. Closure of the AV valves prevents blood from rushing back up into the atria during contraction of the ventricles. This first sound is of longer duration and lower pitch than the second.
Dup (the second heart sound) is caused by the closing of both semilunar valves when the ventricles undergo diastole (relax).
There is a pause between the first and second sound and there is also a pause between each lub dup.
atrial systole
contraction of the atria
ventricular systole
contraction of the ventricles
vena cava
A large vein that carries blood to the heart from other areas of the body. The vena cava has two parts: the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava. The superior vena cava carries blood from the head, neck, arms, and chest. The inferior vena cava carries blood from the legs, feet, and organs in the abdomen and pelvis. The vena cava is the largest vein in the body.
pulmonary arteries
arteries that carry blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs
pulmonary
pertaining to the lungs
pulmonary veins
veins that transfer oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart
pulmonary circulation
movement of blood from the right ventricle to the lungs
systemic circulation
movement of blood from the left ventricle to throughout the body as a whole
coronary circulation
The circulation of blood in the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle. Coronary arteries supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. Cardiac veins then drain away the blood after it has been deoxygenated.
vein
Blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated blood to the heart.
artery
A blood vessel that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.).
Most arteries carry oxygenated blood; the two exceptions are the pulmonary and the umbilical arteries, which carry deoxygenated blood to the organs that oxygenate it (lungs and placenta, respectively).
occlude
(1) to close up or block off
(2) to come into contact with cusps of the opposing teeth fitting together
(3) sorb
sorb
to take up and hold by either adsorption or absorption
adsorption
the adhesion in an extremely thin layer of molecules (as of gases, solutes, or liquids) to the surfaces of solid bodies or liquids with which they are in contact
cusp
(1) a point of transition (as from one historical period to the next)
(2) either horn of a crescent moon (the points on the top and bottom)
(3) a high point on the top of a tooth
coronary bypass surgery
A common treatment for those who suffer from severely restricted coronary artery blood flow. In this procedure, veins or arteries are “harvested” or removed from other areas of the body and used to bypass partial blockages in coronary arteries.
angioplasty
a procedure in which a device is inserted into a blood vessel to force open a channel for blood flow through a blocked artery
coronary sinus
a collection of smaller veins that merge together to form the sinus (or large vessel), which is located along the heart’s posterior (rear) surface between the left ventricle and left atrium
cardiac cycle
another name for a complete heartbeat
intercalated discs
Microscopic identifying features of cardiac muscle. Cardiac muscle consists of individual heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) connected by intercalated discs to work as a single functional syncytium.
syncytium (heart)
an arrangement of muscle fibers in which the fibers fuse to form an interconnected mass of fibers
four conducting structures
Four structures embedded in the wall of the heart specialize in generating strong electrical impulses and conduct them rapidly to certain regions of the heart wall. Thus they make sure that the atria contract and then the ventricles contract in an efficient manner. The main structures that make up this conduction system of the heart are as follows:
- Sinoatrial node, which is sometimes called the SA node or the pacemaker
- Atrioventricular node, or AV node
- AV bundle, or bundle of His
- Subendocardial branches, also called Purkinje fibers
heart block
also called AV block
it is when the electrical signal that controls your heartbeat is partially or completely blocked
cardiac output (CO)
The volume of blood pumped by one ventricle per minute; it averages about 5 liters in a normal, resting adult.
The cardiac output is determined by the heart rate (HR) and stroke volume (SV). Heart rate refers to the number of heart beats (cardiac cycles) per minute. The term stroke volume refers to the volume of blood ejected from the ventricles during each beat.
venous return
the volume of blood returned to the heart by the veins
precapillary sphincters
Smooth muscle cells along the wall of arterioles. They encircle the arteriole walls and by contracting or relaxing, they regulate how much blood will flow into a capillary bed.
capillary bed
an interwoven network of capillaries that supplies an organ
peroneal
relating to or situated in the outer side of the calf of the leg
the three layers of arteries and veins
In arteries and veins the inner wall is the tunica intima, the outer wall is the tunica adventitia (aka: tunica externa), and they are separated by the middle wall the tunica media. More generally, the tunica adventitia or simply the “adventitia” is the outermost connective tissue covering round any internal organ.
saphenous
relating to or denoting either of the two large superficial veins in the leg
calf (plural: calves)
the back portion of the lower leg in human anatomy
mesentery
a fold of membrane that attaches the intestine to the abdominal wall and holds it in place
subclavian arteries
a pair of large arteries in the thorax that supply blood to the thorax itself, head, neck, shoulder and arms
thorax
another name for the chest
jugular vein
any of several veins of the neck that drain blood from the brain, face, and neck, returning it to the heart via the superior vena cava
celiac disease
An immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.
celiac
(1) of or relating to the abdominal cavity
(2) relating to or used for celiac disease
capillary
a small blood vessel from 5 to 10 micrometres (μm) in diameter, and having a wall one endothelial cell thick. They are the smallest blood vessels in the body: they convey blood between the arterioles and venules.
hepatic portal circulation
A term that refers to the route of blood flow to and through the liver. The term portal means “doorway” and refers to a systemic circulatory route that is a doorway to a second set of systemic tissues.
hemodynamics
the set of processes that influence the flow of blood
blood pressure
the pressure or “push” of blood as it flows through the cardiovascular system
blood pressure gradient
A reference to the fact that blood pressure is highest in the arteries and lowest in the veins, thus creating a gradient.
More precisely, the blood pressure gradient is the difference between two blood pressures.
gradient
the difference in a part or value going upward or downward
hypertension (HTN)
also called high blood pressure
It is high arterial blood pressure. It is bad for several reasons. For one thing, if blood pressure becomes too high, it may cause the rupture of one or more blood vessels (for example, in the brain, as happens in a stroke). Chronic HTN can also increase the load on the heart, causing abnormal thickening of the myocardium—and perhaps eventually lead to heart failure.
low blood pressure
It is low arterial blood pressure.
If arterial pressure falls low enough, then blood will not flow through, or perfuse, the vital organs of the body. Circulation of blood and thus life will cease. Massive hemorrhage, which dramatically reduces blood pressure, kills in this way.
perfusion
the process in which blood is forced to flow through a network of microscopic vessels within biologic tissue, allowing exchange of oxygen and other molecules across semipermeable microvascular walls
diuretics
drugs that promote water loss by increasing urine output—are often used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure)
peripheral resistance (PR)
the resistance of the arteries to blood flow. As the arteries constrict, the resistance increases and as they dilate, resistance decreases.
polycythemia
a condition where the number of red blood cells increases beyond normal and thus increases blood viscosity
viscosity
(1) the quality or state of being viscous: a sticky or glutinous consistency
(2) technical : the property of resistance to flow in any material with fluid properties
glutinous
having the quality of glue: gummy
vasomotor mechanism
factors that control changes in the diameter of arterioles by changing the tension of smooth muscles in the vessel walls
blood pressure readings
e.g. 120/80 mm Hg
Systolic blood pressure (the first number) – indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when the heart beats.
Diastolic blood pressure (the second number) – indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart is resting between beats.
The abbreviation “mm Hg” means millimeters of mercury, the height of a column of mercury, as in a blood pressure reading.
Hg: Symbol for the metallic element mercury. 120/80 mm Hg and below is normal.
sphygmomanometer
A device often used to measure blood pressures in both clinical and home health care situations. The traditional sphygmomanometer is an inverted tube of mercury (Hg) with a balloon-like air cuff attached via an air hose.
central venous pressure (CVP)
The blood pressure in the vena cava, near the right atrium of the heart. CVP reflects the amount of blood returning to the heart and the ability of the heart to pump the blood back into the arterial system.
What do you feel when you take someone’s pulse?
What you feel when you take a pulse is an artery expanding and then recoiling alternately because of the changing arterial blood pressures that result from the left ventricle contracting and relaxing. To feel a pulse, you must place your fingertips over an artery that lies near the surface of the body and over a bone or other firm base.
pulse points
Points on the body where a pulse can be taken; there are nine major points. The so-called radial pulse is the most frequently monitored and easily accessible in the body (located on the visible veins below the hand).
telemetry
the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring
dysrhythmia vs arrhythmia
Two terms medical professionals use to describe when the heart does not beat in a typical rhythm.
The terms dysrhythmia and arrhythmia differ mainly in a linguistic sense. “Dys” is a Greek prefix that means bad, ill, hard, or difficult. “A” is another Greek prefix that generally means not or without.
Therefore, dysrhythmia essentially means “bad rhythm,” and arrhythmia basically means “without rhythm.”
Since they generally refer to the same issue, doctors and researchers typically use the words interchangeably.
