exam 4 heart Flashcards
What does the cardiovascular system include?
heart, blood vessels, blood, & lymphatic system (not really)
What is the heart?
approximately 1 pound with the size/shape of a closed fist; located in thoracic cavity slightly left of the midline
What is the heart’s base?
superior part which is flat
What is the heart’s apex?
inferior part which is pointed; rests on the diaphragm & touches the chest wall at the 5th intercostal space
What happens to the heart when using CPR?
the heart muscle is manually contracted/squeezed between bodies of vertebrae & ribs + sternum
What layers protect the heart?
fibrous pericardium & serous pericardium (parietal/visceral)
What is the fibrous pericardium?
tough, dense, fibrous connective tissue; protects heart & holds it in place
What is the serous pericardium?
thin, soft, delicate serous membrane folded into parietal & visceral surfaces
What is the parietal pericardium?
deeper surface; fuses to the inside of the fibrous pericardium
What is the visceral pericardium?
also called epicardium; anchors directly to the heart wall; can also be categorized as a layer in the wall of the heart
What is the pericardial cavity?
space separating the parietal & visceral pericardium; filled with 15 mL of pericardial fluid which serves as a lubricant to reduce friction
What is the myocardium?
muscle layer made of cardiac muscle cells; each cell is branched & contains 1 central nucleus & they are interwoven to provide strength & prevent this layer from tearing
How are adjacent cardiac cells anchored?
by many desmosomes & specialized gap junctions called intercalated disks which act to hold cells together while allowing electrical impulses to pass from 1 cell to another to help coordinate contraction of the myocardium
How are cardiac muscle cells autorhythmic?
they can contract spontaneously without electrical impulses; when these cells touch each other they contract as a unit
What is a syncytium?
the units in which cardiac muscle cells are arranged; this arrangement allows the heart to contract with a slight twist to properly pump blood
When the heart is damaged, what chemicals could leak from the cardiac muscle cells?
troponin & creatine phosphokinase
What is troponin?
it can leak into the blood; elevated levels indicate heart damage (usually a heart attack)
What is creatine phosphokinase?
an enzyme that cardiac muscle cells use during their metabolism; it leaks into blood when cells are damaged
What is the endocardium?
deepest layer lining the inside of the heart; made of endothelium which is a type of epithelium where the cells are flat & scale-like (squamous)
Why is the formation of the cells in the endocardium important?
the cells are close together making this lining slick so that blood zips through
What tissue forms the heart valves?
the endocardium; it is continuous with the linings of blood vessels
What is endocarditis?
occurs when the lining is inflamed which can cause blood clots along the now roughened surface which can lead to pulmonary embolism in the lung or a stroke
What is c-reactive protein?
released into the blood by the liver due to some type of blood vessel inflammation (endocarditis); elevated levels of this protein can indicate any type of blood vessel inflammation
What are the 2 main routes of blood flow through the heart?
pulmonary & systemic circulation
What is pulmonary circulation?
deoxygenated blood is pumped to the lungs; right side of the heart
Through what 3 sources does blood enter the heart during pulmonary circulation?
superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, & coronary sinus opening
What is the superior vena cava?
drains blood from above heart level
What is the inferior vena cava?
drains blood from below heart level
What is the coronary sinus opening?
drains blood from the myocardium
Where does the blood go after it enters the heart?
fills the atria & auricles
How does blood travel to the right ventricle?
by passing through the tricuspid valve; the right ventricle contracts from the apex upwards with a slight twisting motion
Where does blood flow when it exits the right ventricle?
into the pulmonary artery trunk which branches into the left & right pulmonary arteries that continue to the lungs
What is the pulmonary semilunar valve?
it snaps shut to prevent backflow of blood into the right ventricle (from PAT)
Why must some blood always remain in the ventricles?
to prevent the walls from collapsing
What is systemic circulation?
newly oxygenated blood from the lungs is pumped to all body systems; left side of heart
How does blood enter the heart during systemic circulation?
newly oxygenated blood in alveolar capillaries merges into 4 pulmonary veins
How does blood enter the left ventricle?
by going through the bicuspid valve; left ventricle contracts from apex upwards with a slight twisting motion to eject blood into the aorta
What is the aortic semilunar valve?
it snaps shut to prevent backflow from the aorta into the left ventricle