Chapter 20 - Cardiovascular System: The Heart Flashcards
Where is the heart located?
It rests on the diaphragm, near the midline of the thoracic cavity
What is the mediastinum?
An anatomical region that extend from the sternum to the vertebral column
- from the first rib to the diaphragm and between the lungs
What is the apex of the heart?
The pointed tip of the left ventricle
What is the base of the heart?
Its posterior surface
- formed by the atria (upper chambers)
- mostly the left atrium
Where is the anterior surface of the heart?
Deep to the sternum and ribs
Where is the inferior surface of the heart?
Between the apex and right border
- rests mostly on the diaphragm
What does the right border of the heart face?
Faces the right lung
- extends from the inferior surface to the base
What does the left border of the heart face?
Faces the left lung
- extends from the base to the apex
- *also called the pulmonary border
What is the pericardium?
Membrane that surrounds and protects the heart
What are the two main parts of the pericardium?
- Fibrous pericardium (superficial layer)
2. Serous pericardium (deep layer)
What is the function of the fibrous pericardium?
- prevents overstretching of the heart
- provides protection
- anchors heart to the mediastinum
What is the fibrous pericardium partly fused to?
What does this do?
Central tendon of the diaphragm
- facilitates movement of blood by the diaphragm (when deep breathing occurs)
What are the two layers of the serous pericardium?
- Parietal layer
2. Visceral layer (also called epicardium)
What is the parietal layer of the serous pericardium fused to?
Fibrous pericardium
What is the visceral layer of the serous pericardium tightly adhered to?
Surface of the heart
What is between the parietal and visceral layers of the serous pericardium?
What is it’s function?
Pericardial fluid
- reduces friction between the layers as the heart moves
What is the name of the space that contain pericardial fluid?
Pericardial cavity
What are the three layers of the heart wall?
- Epicardium (outer layer)
- Myocardium (middle layer)
- Endocardium (inner layer)
What give the heart a smooth, slippery texture at the outermost surface of the heart?
The epicardium
What does the epicardium layer contain?
- adipose tissue
- blood vessels
- lymphatics
- vessels that supply myocardium
What is the myocardium layer of the heart responsible for?
The pumping action of the heart
What is the myocardium layer composed of?
Cardiac muscle tissue
- makes up 95% of the heart wall
What is the function of the endocardium?
- provides a smooth lining for the chambers of the heart
- covers the values of the heart
- minimizes surface friction as blood passes through the heart
What are the 4 chambers of the heart?
- Right atria
- Left atria
- Right ventricle
- Left ventricle
What is the function of the atria?
Receive blood from veins
What is the function of the ventricles?
Pump blood into arteries
What are the auricles?
Wrinkled pouch-like structure on the anterior surface of each atrium
What is the function of the auricles?
Slightly increases the capacity of an atrium (more blood)
What is the coronary sulcus?
Deep groove on the surface of the heart
- encircles most of the heart
What does the coronary sulcus mark?
Marks the external boundaries between the superior atria and inferior ventricles
What does a sulcus contain?
Contains coronary blood vessels and a variable amount of fat
What three veins supply the right atrium?
- Superior vena cava
- Inferior vena cava
- Coronary sinus
What is the interatrial septum?
A thin partition between the right and left atria
What is the prominent feature of the interatrial septum?
An oval depression - Fossa Ovalis
- in the right atrium
What is the fossa ovalis?
Remnant of the foramen ovale
- an opening in the interatrial septum of the fetal heart that normally closes soon after birth
How does blood pass through the tricuspid valve?
Right atrioventricular valve
Passes from the RIGHT ATRIUM into the RIGHT VENTRICLE
What forms most of the anterior surface of the heart?
The right ventricle
What are the chordae tendineae connected to?
Tendonlike cords
- tricuspid valve connects to chordae tendineae, which connects to papillary muscles
What are papillary muscles?
Cone-shaped trabeculae carneae (raised bundles of cardiac muscle fibres)
What is the interventricular septum?
How the RIGHT VENTRICLE is separated from the LEFT VENTRICLE
How does blood pass through the pulmonary valve?
Blood passes from RIGHT VENTRICLE through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary trunk (large artery)
What does the pulmonary trunk divide into?
What does it service?
Divides into right and left pulmonary arteries
- carries blood to the lungs
What is the mnemonic to aid in remembering the function of arteries and veins?
Arteries carry blood AWAY from the heart
Artery = Away
What forms most of the base of the heart?
Left atrium
What is the bicuspid valve?
(Mitral valve)
(Left atrioventricular valve)
Blood passes from the LEFT ATRIUM into the LEFT VENTRICLE
Which chamber is the thickest in the heart?
The left VENTRICLE
- forms the apex of the heart
How does blood pass through the aortic valve?
Blood passes from the LEFT VENTRICLE through the aortic valve into the ascending aorta
What happens to some of the blood in the aorta?
Flows into coronary arteries
- carry blood to the heart wall
Which ventricle has a thicker muscular wall?
Why?
LEFT ventricle
- pumps blood a greater distance in the body and under greater resistance
What does the fibrous skeleton of the heart consist of?
Consists of 4 dense connective tissue rings that surround the valves of the heart, fuse with one another, and merge with the interventricular septum
What is the function of the fibrous skeleton of the heart?
- forms structural foundation
- prevents overstretching
- serves as a point of insertion for bundles of cardiac muscle fibres
- acts as an electrical insulator between the atria & ventricles
What are the atrioventricular (AV) valves?
- Tricuspid valve
2. Bicuspid valve
What happens with regards to blood flow when the ventricles are relaxed?
- ventricles relaxes, papillary muscles are relaxed
- blood moves from a higher pressure in the atria to a lower pressure in the ventricles through the open AV valves
What happens with regards to blood flow when the ventricles contract?
- pressure of the blood drives the cusps upwards, closes their openings
- papillary muscles contract which tighten chordae tendineae
What are the semilunar (SL) valves?
- Aortic valve
2. Pulmonary valve
What do the SL valves allow?
What do the SL valves prevent?
Allow - Ejection of blood from the heart into arteries
Prevent - backflow of blood into ventricles
When do the semilunar valves open?
When pressure in the ventricles exceeds the pressure in the arteries
Which heart valve is most commonly replaced?
Aortic valve
What kind of circulation does the left side of the heart pump?
Systemic circulation
What is systemic circulation?
Circulation of bright red OXYGENATED (oxygen-rich) blood from the lungs
Describe the flow of blood in systemic circulation.
LEFT side of heart receives oxygenated blood from the lungs
- ejects blood into aorta
- from aorta, divides into separates streams; smaller systemic arteries
- into arterioles, into systemic capillaries
- unloads oxygen into cells
- enters systemic venule, into systemic veins
- flows into RIGHT atrium
What kind of circulation does the right side of the heart pump?
Pulmonary circulation
What is pulmonary circulation?
Circulation of dark-red DE-OXYGENATED blood returning from systemic circulation
Describe the flow of blood in pulmonary circulation.
- blood ejected from the RIGHT ventricle flows into pulmonary trunk
- branches into pulmonary arteries (carry blood to lungs)
- dump CO2, pick up oxygen
- flows from capillaries, into veins
- returns to LEFT atrium
What is coronary (cardiac) circulation?
The network of blood vessels that supply the heart
What is the function of the coronary arteries?
Where do they branch from?
Supply oxygenated blood to the myocardium
- right and left coronary arteries branch from ascending aorta