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MCAT Prep > Circulatory and Respiratory Systems > Flashcards

Circulatory and Respiratory Systems Flashcards

1
Q

epiglottis

A

switch point between respiratory and digestive systems

during digestion, epiglottis covers the larynx

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2
Q

How to remember the order of the respiratory tract?

A

Not Many People Like To Be Alone

1) Nose/Mouth
2) Pharynx
3) Larynx
4) Trachea
5) Bronchi
6) Alveoli

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3
Q

pleural cavity

A

space between the membranes of the lungs. normally has a very thin layer of liquid

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4
Q

pleural effusion

A

too much fluid in the pleural cavity of the lungs

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5
Q

pneumothorax

A

too much air in the pleural cavity of the lungs

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6
Q

What happens when the diaphragm contracts?

A

the lungs/thoracic cavity expands

more volume in lungs = pressure in lungs decreases

decreased pressure causes air to rush into lungs

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7
Q

Relationship between pressure and volume

A

volume and pressure have an inverse relationship

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8
Q

How do fluids flow?

A

from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure

high to low

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9
Q

negative-pressure respiration

A

the decrease in the lungs’ pressure causes air to rush in

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10
Q

What happens when diaphragm expands / relaxes?

A

lungs contract

air is pushed out

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11
Q

passive versus active exhalation

A

passive exhalation is normal. Simple relaxation of diaphragm is enough for air to be pushed out

active exhalation requires use of abodiminal muscles to push air out more quickly

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12
Q

tidal volume

A

the volume of air contained in a normal breath

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13
Q

residual volume

A

the air that remains in the lungs after breathing out as much as possible

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14
Q

vital capacity

A

difference between total lung capacity and residual volume

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15
Q

defensins

A

antibiotic proteins

secreted in the respiratory tract

part of the innate immune system

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16
Q

How does the circulatory system contribute to thermoregulation?

A

can have vasodilation of blood vessels close to surface of body to release heat

can have vasoconstriction of blood vessels close to surface of body to conserve heat

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17
Q

What is CO2 equivalent to in the blood buffer system?

A

H+ ions

more CO2 = more acidic

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18
Q

acidemia

A

blood is too acidic

pH lower than 7.35

same as acidosis

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19
Q

alkalemia

A

blood is too basic

pH higher than 7.45

same as alkalosis

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20
Q

chemoreceptors

A

detect when the blood is too acidic

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21
Q

what happens if there is too much CO2 in blood?

A

pH drops below 7.35

rate of respiration increases

deliver more O2 to the tissues and expel more CO2

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22
Q

Will hemoglobin have lower or higher affinity for oxygen in acidic conditions?

A

lower affinity

want to drop O2 off in the acidic (CO2) regions

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23
Q

serum

A

material that results from removing clotting proteins from plasma

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24
Q

what can serum be equivalent to?

A

the level of a substance in the bloodstream

concentration of various substances within the bloodstream is often given in serum concentrations

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25
What is an exception to the inverse relationship between pressure and volume?
plasma volume and blood pressure
26
What two things does greater plasma volume indicate?
1) greater blood pressure | 2) good hydration
27
What two things does lower plasma volume indicate?
1) lower blood pressure | 2) dehydration
28
aldosterone and ADH (anti-diuretic hormone)
increases fluid retention works in nephron and increases sodium absorption drives water reabsorption through osmosis water follows the salt into the kidneys
29
atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)
opposite of aldosterone decreases plasma volume by decreasing sodium absorption
30
Where do aldosterone and ADH work?
the nephron
31
leukocytes
white blood cells
32
fibrin
fibrous structure that allows skeleton for platelets to lump together and clot
33
general cascade of clotting
prothrombin to thrombin fibrinogen to fibrin
34
erythrocytes
red blood cells
35
what do erythrocytes carry?
oxygen and carbon dioxide
36
do erythrocytes have membrane bound organelles?
no makes their lifespan very short
37
erythropoietin
a hormone that tells bone marrow to make more red blood cells
38
What is the universal acceptor and why?
type AB+ blood is the universal acceptor makes no antibodies since it expresses both A and B antigens also makes no Rh factor antibodies will not attack any blood type it is given
39
What is the universal donor and why?
type O- blood is the universal donor has no antigens that another blood will attack
40
What blood can type A receive?
type A blood can receive type A or type O blood will attack any blood type with B antigens present
41
Rh factor system
a single antigen that is either present (+) or absent (-) another antigen to watch out for in blood typing
42
What do valves do?
ensure that blood flows in only one direction
43
Where does deoxygenated blood enter the heart? And what happens next?
deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium then, moves through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle right ventricle pumps blood through the pulumary valve and pulmonary arteries to the lungs
44
mnemonic for remembering what atrioventricular valves (AV) are in each respective atrium of the heart
LAB RAT Left atrium = bicuspid valve Right atrium = tricuspid valve
45
Which direction do arteries and veins move?
arteries = away veins is back to heart
46
Where does oxygenated blood enter the heart? And what happens next?
oxygenated blood comes from the pulmonary veins to the left atrium then, moves through the bicuspid valve to the left ventricle left ventricle then pushes the blood into circulation through the aortic valve and then the aorta
47
What do semilunar valves do
barrier between the ventricles and circulation
48
What are the two semilunar valves
aortic valve found between left ventricle and aorta pulmonary valve found between right ventricle and pulmonary arteries
49
systole
used to refer to when the heart is contracting, pushing blood into circulation
50
diastole
used to refer to when the heart is relaxed in between contractions
51
capillaries
tiny blood vessels where gas exchange takes place
52
what happens when blood moves from arterioles to capillaries?
blood pressure drops quickly
53
how does the body get blood in the lower veins to return to the heart, overcoming gravity?
use valves that only allow blood to flow in one direction
54
endothelial cells
selective barrier between blood vessels and the rest of the tissue of the body
55
sinoatrial (SA) node
allows the heart to send out it's own rhythm fires an action potential that moves across gap junctions to have the atriums contract
56
atrioventricula (AV) node
has the ventricles contract
57
difference between AV and SA nodes
SA node tells atriums to contract simulatenously AV node tells ventricles to contract. Ventricles are too large to contract at exactly the same time
58
how can we relate blood flow to a circuit?
∆V=IR is equivalent to ∆P=QR Current is analogous to flow (Q) Resistance means the same thing Change in pressure is the same as change in potential
59
What remains constant in blood flow?
flow rate Q
60
How does resistance affect change in pressure?
since Q remains constant, as R increases change in pressure increases ∆P=QR
61
What is the biggest determinant of the blood's resistance?
the radius of the blood vessel often looking at total radius of total cross sectional area
62
When does viscosity affect the resistance of blood?
in high or low altitudes
63
How does high altitude affect the viscosity of blood?
higher pressure leads to more erthyrocytes in the blood since less O2 available this leads to greater viscosity
64
Relationship between viscosity and resistance of blood
greater viscosity means greater resistance
65
hematocrit
proportion of erthyrocytes in the blood measure of viscosity
66
Relationship between radius and resistance of blood
very strong inverse relationship
67
What happens to resistance as you move from the arteries to the capillaries?
the total surface area greatly increases, so the total radius greatly increases since radius increases, resistance decreases
68
What happens to pressure as you move from the arteries to the capillaries?
since resistance decreases, pressure decreases
69
What happens to speed as you move from the arteries to the capillaries?
A1v1 = A2v2 since total area increases, velocity has to drop
70
Why is it beneficial that velocity drops in capillaries?
allows gas exchange to occur
71
When can you use the Bernoulli equation for the blood?
have to look at the entire, large system! not just one artery to one capillary or something
72
How to maintain fluid balance between blood vessels and surrounding interstitial cells
hydrostatic and oncotic pressure hydrostatic pressure pushes water into the interstitial cells and oncotic pressure pulls water back to blood vessels
73
hydrostatic pressure
pushing pressure due to the force of water on blood vesself
74
oncotic pressure
pulling pressure due to the prescence of solutes in solution
75
Where is hydrostatic pressure higher? Arteries or veins?
hydrostatic pressure is higher in the arteries as water is pushed into interstitial cells
76
How many iron molecules does hemoglobin have?
4, one in each heme group
77
What are the two forms of hemoglobin? What do these forms mean?
T - low affinity for oxygen R- high affinity for oxygen
78
What does Co2 do to hemoglobin?
the H+ ions from the bicarbonate equilibrium allosterically bind to hemoglobin shifts to the T state
79
What does 2,3 - BPG do to hemoglobin?
shifts hemoglobin to the T state
80
Bohr Effect
H+ ions shift hemoglobin rightwards towards lower affinity for oxygen
81
What does a rightward shift of hemoglobin curve indicate?
lower affinity for O2
82
What does a leftward shift of hemoglobin curve indicate?
higher affinity for O2
83
Does temperature affect hemoglobin?
Yes. Higher temperature means a lower affinity for O2
84
Carbonic anhydrase
catalyzes the conversion of CO2 to H2CO3 in bicarbonate equilibrium
85
Is BP higher or lower when lying down in the arm?
BP is higher when lying down because blood from the lower body has shifted into the upper body, causing greater pressure
86
supine
means lying down
87
In what vessel is BP the highest?
in arteries, specifically the aorta
88
Why do you get dizzy after standing up from supine position?
orthostatic hypotension effect gravity moves blood to the lower body where it pools, leaving little blood in upper body for heart to pump this leads to lower BP and dizziness
89
What is the maximum amount that we can exhale and inhale?
vital capacity
90
Where are the vocal chords?
larynx
91
What brain structure controls breathing?
medulla oblongata in the brainstem
92
Alveoli and surface tension
alveoli are so thin that surface tension would normally make them collapse surfactants prevent the collapse
93
What can cause lung collapse?
not enough surfactants in alveoli
94
buffy coat
containns white blood cells and platelets
95
thrombosis
blood clot obstruction inside a blood vessel
96
hematocrit
proportion of blood composed of red blood cells
97
Where is erythropoietin secreted?
the kidneys
98
Where are red blood cells destroyed?
the spleen
99
Systemic circulation
circulation through the body/heart but not the lungs
100
Which arteries carry deoxygenated blood away?
pulmonary arteries to lungs umbilical arteries away from fetus's heart
101
In which blood vessel is blood pressure the lowest?
the veins, specifically the vena cava
102
vena cava
returns deoxygenated blood to the right atrium
103
Where is blood flow the slowest?
capillaries since they have the largest total surface area
104
How does blood move through the veins back to the heart?
one-way valves skeletal muscles squeeze veins to help blood return to heart
105
Atherosclerosis
refers to plaque buildup in blood vessels, specifically arteries
106
How do fluids flow?
from higher to lower pressure
107
Order of electrical signals in heart
SA node, AV node, bundle of His, Punkinje fibers
108
How do all heart muscle cells contract at the same time?
gap junctions connect cells through intercalated discs
109
myoglobin
found in muscle cells has only one heme group no cooperative binding / no sigmodial graph
110
myoglobin versus hemoglobin in the tissues
myoglobin has a higher O2 affinity that hemoglobin so it steals O2 to take to the muscle cells
111
What causes sickle cell anemia?
GLU to VAL mutation that causes aggregation and sickle shape of red blood cells

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