Heart Flashcards
Label the heart diagram
Valves
Prevent the backflow of blood. They open and close in response to blood pressure changes
Why does the heart have a thick muscular wall?
To pump blood outside of the heart
What does myogenic mean?
The contraction of cardiac muscle- it is generated in the muscle itself without being stimulated by a nerve. When a muscle cell contracts it stimulates adjacent cells to contract
Cardiac cycle
The sequence of events that repeats with every heartbeat
Systole
Phases of contraction
Diastole
Phases of relaxation
Heart rate
Frequency of the cardiac cycle
Describe the events of the cardiac cycle
-The sinoatrial node initiates the cycle by firing an electrical signal, which is propagates and stimulates contraction
- The signal first spreads throughout the walls of both atria causing them to contract
- Blood is pumped from atria to ventricles through the open atrioventricular valves. The semilunar valves are closed, so the ventricles fill with blood
- After a time delay the signal passes to the ventricles, which contract and the pressure inside them rises rapidly
- The increase in pressure first causes the AV valves to close
- It then causes the semilunar valves to open
- Blood is pumped out into the arteries
- Atria start to refill by receiving blood from veins
- Ventricles stop contracting, the pressure inside them drops rapidly and the semilunar valves close
- When ventricular pressure is below atrial pressure, AV valves open and blood starts filling the ventricles
- When atria are filled and ventricles are 70% filled the cycle has ended
- The SA node fires again, the atria contract and the new cycle begins
What is the sinoatrial node?
The SA node initiates the heartbeat. It is called the pacemaker because it sets the pace for the beating of the heart. It is in the wall of the right atrium. It initiates the heartbeat by contracting spontaneously and producing an electrical signal, which stimulates contraction. The signal first spreads to the walls of atria.
Describe the control of heart rate
-The contraction of the heart is myogenic
-The SA node initiates the heartbeat. It contracts and the signal spreads stimulating contraction
- The AV node delays the passing of the signal to the ventricles
- While the basal heart rate is determined within the heart by the SA node, it can regulated by external signals
- The rate can be increased or decreased
- Two nerves bring impulses to the SA node to alter heart rate (vagus nerve) The two nerves originate in the brain medulla
- The SA node also responds to the hormone epinephrine by increasing the heart rate
What does low pressure, low O2 concentration and low pH indicate?
That heart rate should increase
Coronary arteries
The arteries that supply the cardiac muscle with oxygen and nutrients
Coronary heart disease
The damage to the heart as a consequence of blockages in coronary arteries and reduced blood supply to the heart tissues
Atherosclerosis
The hardening of the arteries caused by the formation of fatty plagues on the inner lining of arteries
How do plagues form?
Due to high levels of trans unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol in the blood. Minerals and other material also deposit in the plaque and harden the artery wall