Chapter 6 - Cardiorespiratory System

Question 1

What is the cardiorespiratory system? How does this system help the body?

Answer 1

The functional combination of the two closely related systems (the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system).

These two systems work together to provide the body with oxygen, deliver nutrients, remove waste products (such as carbon dioxide), from cells in the body.

Question 2

What is the cardiovascular system?

Answer 2

Composed of the heart, blood, and blood vessels that transport blood to and from the heart and tissues of the body.

Question 3

What is the heart and what does it do?

Answer 3

The heart is a muscular pump that rhythmically contracts to push blood throughout the body.

Question 4

What is the thoracic cavity?

Answer 4

Remember - thoracic nerves are located in the upper to middle back

The heart is located in the middle of this. It lays in front of the spine and slightly to the left of the sternum (breast bone).

Question 5

What is the mediastinum?

Answer 5

The space in the chest between the lungs that contains all the internal organs of the chest (e.g. heart, esophagus, except the lungs).

*It is approximately the size of a typical adult fist and weighs about 300 grams.

Question 6

What is the cardiac muscle?

Answer 6

One of the muscles found in the body (skeletal, cardiac and smooth). This muscle is similar to the skeletal muscle because it contains myofibrils and sarcomeres.

• This muscle is the muscle of the heart*
• Skeletal muscle is voluntary while cardiac is involuntary*

Question 7

How many hollow chambers does the heart consist of? What are the names?

Answer 7

Four hollow chambers, each side of the heart has 2 chambers (two interdependent but separate) pumps on either side

• Left atrium/ Left ventricle
• Right atrium/ Right ventricle

Question 8

What is the right side of the heart known as?

Answer 8

The right side is known as the “pulmonic side” (meaning relating to lungs) because it receives blood from the body that is low in oxygen and high in C02.

Question 9

What is deoxygenated blood referring to?

Answer 9

Blood that is low in oxygen and high in C02.

Question 10

What is the left side of the heart known as?

Answer 10

The left side is known as the “systemic side” because it has received oxygenated blood from the lungs that is high in oxygen and low in CO2, which THEN pumps out to the rest of the body.

Question 11

What is the Atrium (atria)?

Answer 11

Superior chambers of the heart that gathers blood returning to the heart (acting like a reservoir). located at the top of the heart

• The right atria gathers the deoxygenated blood
• The left atria gathers the oxygenated blood (goes to the heart from the lungs after it is oxygenated).

Question 12

What are ventricles?

Answer 12

Inferior (on the bottom) chambers of the heart that pumps blood to the lungs of the body.

• The right ventricle pumps the deoxygenated blood to the lungs
• The left ventricle pumps the oxygenated blood (that it gets from the left atrium) and pumps it through the entire body.

Question 13

What is the main difference between cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle?

Answer 13

Cardiac muscles are shorter and more tightly connected than skeletal muscle.

Question 14

What are intercalated discs?

Answer 14

A unique feature of the cardiac muscle - they are irregularly spaced dark bands between the cardiac cells.

These discs help hold cardiac cells together and assists in the heart contracting as ONE functional unit

Question 15

What is resting heart rate (RHR)?

Answer 15

The number of heart beats per minute while at complete rest.

Also known as a pulse

Question 16

Generally speaking, resting heart rates for most of the population are between __ and __ beats per minute.

Answer 16

60 and 100 beats per minute

Question 17

What is the sinoatrial (SA) node?

Answer 17

This is located in the right atrium, this node initiates an electrical signal that causes the heart to beat.

This causes the heart to contract in a regular rhythm. Known as the pacemaker of the heart. (smaller than the AV node).

Question 18

What is the atrioventricular (AV) node?

Answer 18

This node is located between the atria and ventricles and delays the impulse from the sinoatrial node before allowing it to pass to the ventricles. This delay allows the ventricles to fill with blood from the atria prior to contracting.

Question 19

What is the stroke volume?

Answer 19

The amount of blood pumped out of the heart with each contraction.

Question 20

What is ventricular (end-diagnostic) volume and (end-systolic) volume?

Answer 20

The difference between the ED and ES is the stroke volume.

The end-diagnostic volume is the filled volume of blood in the ventricle before it contracts.

The end-systolic volume is the volume of blood remaining in the ventricle after ejection. (systolic - see ya later)

Question 21

What is heart rate (HR)?

Answer 21

The number of times a heart beats within a specific time period (usually 1 minute).

Question 22

What is Bradycardia?

What is Tachycardia?

Answer 22

RHR is 60 - 100 BPM.

Bradycardia is known as less than 60 beats per minute.

Tachycardia is known as more than 100 beats per minute.

Question 23

What is cardiac output (Q)?

Answer 23

The volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute.

Question 24

What is blood? What are the purposes of the blood?

Answer 24

Fluid that circulates throughout the body (in the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins. Purpose: carries nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body while also transporting waste products from the body to other compartments of organs (liver, kidney).

Question 25

What are the 3 kinds of blood cells and what do they do?

Answer 25

Red blood cells - carry oxygen from the lungs to the body
White blood cells - help fight infections
Platelets - help with clotting

Question 26

What are growth factors?

Answer 26

Platelets contain these growth factors which may be responsible for healing after an injury.

Question 27

What are stem cells?

Answer 27

Cells within the body that divide and develop into specialized cells (brain cells, blood cells, heart cells and bone cells)

Question 28

What are blood vessels?

Answer 28

Network of hollow tubes that circulates blood throughout the body.

Question 29

What are the 3 types of blood vessels and what do they do?

Answer 29

Arteries - carry the blood away from the heart
Capillaries - exchange sites of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues
Veins - carry blood back to the heart

Question 30

What are arterioles?

Answer 30

Small arteries that eventually divide into capillaries. Also carry oxygenated blood from the lungs, to the heart and into the body.

Question 31

What are venules?

Answer 31

Small veins that allows blood to drain from capillaries into the larger veins. Carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart and then to the lungs.

Question 32

What is vasculogenesis?

Answer 32

The formation of new capillaries.

Question 33

What is angiogenesis?

Answer 33

The formation of new capillaries from existing blood vessels.

Question 34

What is venous pooling?

Answer 34

The accumulation of blood into the extremities (limbs such as hands and feet due to slow blood flow through the veins (venous return) or backflow.

Question 35

What is blood pressure (BP)?

Answer 35

The outward pressure exerted by the blood on the vessel walls; reported as systolic/ diastolic.

Question 36

What is peripheral resistance?

Answer 36

The amount of resistance in the arteries that must be overcome for blood to flow.