Great Vessels of the Heart

Question 1

What is the function of the great vessels of the heart?

Answer 1

Carry blood to and from the heart as it pumps, located largely within the middle mediastinum.

Question 2

What are the great vessels of the heart?

Answer 2

• Aorta
• Pulmonary arteries
• Pulmonary veins
• Superior Vena Cava
• Inferior Vena Cava

Question 3

What is the largest artery in the body?

Answer 3

Aorta - initially being an inch wide in diameter

Question 4

What nerve innervates the aorta?

Answer 4

The aortic nerve which is a branch of the vagus nerve.

Question 5

Where does the aorta receives cardiac output?

Answer 5

It receives the cardiac output from the left ventricle and supplies the body with oxygenated blood via the systemic circulation.

Question 6

What are the four sections the aorta can be split into?

Answer 6

• Ascending aorta
• Aortic arch
• Thoracic (descending) aorta
• Abdominal aorta

Question 7

What does the ascending aorta arise from?

Answer 7

The left ventricle and ascends to become the aortic arch

Question 8

What does the ascending aorta branch off into?

Answer 8

The left and right aortic sinuses are dilations in the ascending aorta, located at the level of the aortic valve.

They give rise to the left and right coronary arteries that supply the myocardium.

Question 9

Where does the aortic arch end?

Answer 9

The aortic arch ends at the level of the T4 vertebra.

The arch is still connected to the pulmonary trunk by the ligamentum arteriosum (remnant of the foetal ductus arteriosus).

Question 10

What are the three branches of the aortic arch?

Answer 10

• Brachiocephalic trunk
• Left common carotid artery
• Left subclavian artery

In proximal to distal order

Question 11

What does the brachiocephalic trunk do?

Answer 11

The first and largest branch that ascends laterally to split into the right common carotid and right subclavian arteries. These arteries supply the right side of the head and neck, and the right upper limb.

Question 12

What does the left common carotid artery do?

Answer 12

The left common carotid artery is the second main branch and arises directly off the aorta.

The left and right carotid arteries carry blood and oxygen to the brain and head and face.

Question 13

What complications can arise due to a blocked carotid artery?

Answer 13

Increase risk of stroke

Question 14

What does the left subclavian artery do?

Answer 14

Supply blood to upper limbs

Question 15

What do pulmonary arteries do?

Answer 15

The pulmonary arteries receive deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle and deliver it to the lungs for gas exchange to take place.

Question 16

At what level does the pulmonary trunk split into L and R pulmonary arteries?

Answer 16

T5-T6

Question 17

What pulmonary artery is thicker and longer?

Answer 17

The right pulmonary artery is the thicker and longer artery

Question 18

What do pulmonary veins do?

Answer 18

The pulmonary veins receive oxygenated blood from the lungs, delivering it to the left side of the heart to be pumped back around the body.

Question 19

How many pulmonary veins are there?

Answer 19

4, with one superior and one inferior for each of the lungs

Question 20

Where do pulmonary veins enter the heart and what do they do?

Answer 20

They enter the pericardium to drain into the superior left atrium, on the posterior surface.

Question 21

Where can the oblique pericardial sinus be found?

Answer 21

The oblique pericardial sinus can be found within the pericardium, between the left and right veins.

Question 22

What do the superior and inferior pulmonary veins do?

Answer 22

The superior pulmonary veins return blood from the upper lobes of the lung, with the inferior veins returning blood from the lower lobes.

Question 23

Where is the inferior left pulmonary vein found?

Answer 23

Hilum of lung

Question 24

Where is the inferior right pulmonary vein found?

Answer 24

It runs posteriorly to the superior vena cava and the right atrium.

Question 25

What does the superior vena cava do?

Answer 25

The superior vena cava receives deoxygenated blood from the upper body (superior to the diaphragm, excluding the lungs and heart), delivering it to the right atrium.

Question 26

How is the superior vena cava formed?

Answer 26

It is formed by merging of the brachiocephalic veins, travelling inferiorly through the thoracic region until draining into the superior portion of the right atrium at the level of the 3rd rib.

Question 27

What does the inferior vena cava do?

Answer 27

The inferior vena cava receives deoxygenated blood from the lower body (all structures inferior to the diaphragm), delivering it back to the heart.

Question 28

How is the inferior vena cava formed?

Answer 28

It is initially formed in the pelvis by the common iliac veins joining together.

Question 29

What level does the inferior vena cava enter the pericardium?

Answer 29

T8

Question 30

What happens to the aorta after the arch?

Answer 30

After the arch of the aorta, the aorta then becomes the descending aorta which continues down through the diaphragm into the abdomen.