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Body Systems > Heart > Flashcards

Heart Flashcards

1
Q

What is the location, size and position of the heart.

A
  • triangular organ in the mediastinum
  • two-thirds of the mass to the left of the body midline and one-third to the right
  • Apex sits on diaphragm
  • shape and size of a closed fist
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2
Q

What are the two upper chambers of the heart?

A

Atria (receiving chambers)

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3
Q

What are the two lower chambers of the heart?

A

Ventricles (discharging chambers)

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4
Q

What is the myocardium?

A

Cardiac muscle tissue.

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5
Q

What is the endocardium?

A

Smooth lining of heart chambers.

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6
Q

What is endocarditis?

A
  • Inflammation of the endocardium
  • inflamed endocardium can become rough and thereby cause a thrombus
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7
Q

What is the pericardium?

A
  • Two-layered fibrous sac with a lubricated space between the two layers
  • Inner layer called visceral pericardium or epicardium
  • Outer layer called parietal pericardium
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8
Q

What is pericarditis?

A

Inflammation of the pericardium.

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9
Q

What are the two heart actions?

A

Systole - contraction of the heart
Diastole - relaxation of the heart

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10
Q

Where is the tricuspid valve?

A

At the opening of the right atrium into the ventricle; has three leaflets (flaps)

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11
Q

Where is the bicuspid (mitral) valve?

A

At the opening of the left atrium into the ventricle; has two leaflets

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12
Q

Where is the pulmonary semilunar valve?

A

At the beginning of the pulmonary artery.

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13
Q

Where is the aortic semilunar valve?

A

At the beginning of the aorta.

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14
Q

What is chordae tendineae?

A

Stringlike structures that attach the AV valves to the wall of the ventricles.

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15
Q

What are the two distinct heart sounds, and what causes them?

A
  • First sound (lub) is caused by the vibration and closure of the AV valves during contraction of the ventricles
  • Second sound (dup) is caused by the closure of the semilunar valves during relaxation of the ventricles
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16
Q

Describe the sequence of blood flow through the heart.

A

1) Systemic venous blood enters the right atrium through the superior and inferior vena cavae - passes through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle
2) From the right ventricles it passes through the pulmonary semilunar valve to the pulmonary artery to the lungs
3) Blood moves from the lungs through the pulmonary veins into the left atrium, passing through the bicuspid (mitral) valve to the left ventricle
4) Blood in the left ventricle is pumped through the aortic semilunar valve into the aorta and is distributed to the body as a whole by the systemic arteries

17
Q

What is coronary circulation?

A

Blood, which supplies oxygen and nutrients to the myocardium of the heart, flows through right and left coronary arteries.

18
Q

What is myocardial infarction?

A

(MI) or heart attack occurs when there is a blockage of blood flow through the coronary arteries.

19
Q

What is angina pectoris?

A

Chest pain caused by inadequate oxygen to the heart.

20
Q

What is coronary bypass surgery?

A

Veins from other parts of the body are used to bypass blockages in coronary arteries.

21
Q

What is the coronary sinus?

A

The largest vein in the heart that drains deoxygenated blood from the heart muscle into the right atrium.

22
Q

What is a cardiac cycle?

A

A complete heart beat (average is about 72 beats per minute)

23
Q

How long is each cardiac cycle?

A

Each cycle (or heartbeat) is about 0.8 seconds long; subdivided into systole (contraction) and diastole (relaxation)

24
Q

What are intercalated disks?

A

These electrically connect all the cardiac muscle fibers in a region together so that they receive impulses (action potential) and thus contract at about the same time.

25
Q

What is the SA (sinoatrial) node?

A
  • the pacemaker
  • located in the wall of the right atrium near the opening of the superior vena cava
  • signals atria to contract
26
Q

What is the AV (atrioventricular) node?

A
  • located in the right atrium along the lower part of the interatrial septum
  • “gatekeeper” between the atria and the ventricles
  • conducts action potential from the atria to the ventricles
27
Q

What is the AV bundle (bundle of His)?

A
  • located in the septum of the ventricle
  • transmits impulses from the AV node to the ventricles
28
Q

What are the subendocardial branches (Purkinje fibers)

A
  • located in the walls of the ventricles
  • signals ventricles to contract
29
Q

In a normal ECG, what is the P wave?

A

Associated with depolarization of the atria.

30
Q

In a normal ECG, what is the QRS complex?

A

Associated with depolarization of the ventricles.

31
Q

In a normal ECG, what is the T wave?

A

Associated with repolarization of the ventricles.

32
Q

What is a heart block?

A

A disturbance in the conduction system in which the ventricles beat slower than normal.

33
Q

What is cardiac output (CO)?

A
  • Amount of blood that one ventricle can pump each minute (average is about 5L/min at rest)
  • CO is determined by heart rate and stroke volume
  • relationship can be expressed mathematically as CO = HR x SV
34
Q

What is heart rate?

A

The number of beats (cardiac cycles) per minute.

35
Q

What is stroke volume?

A

The volume of blood ejected from one ventricle with each beat (cycle).

36
Q

What factors affect heart rate?

A
  • HR determined mainly by the heart’s pacemaker (SA node)
  • ANS can influence the pacemaker; sympathetic cardiac nerve releases norepinephrine (NE) to increase HR; parasympathetic vagus nerve (cranial nerve 10) releases acetylcholine (ACh) to decrease HR
  • Exercise, change in blood pressure, stress, and dysrhythmias can cause changes in HR
37
Q

What factors affect stroke volume?

A
  • Venous return (volume of blood returned to the heart by the veins); a high venous return results in a high SV
  • Total blood volume, which in turn can be affected by dehydration, hemorrhage, various hormones, or activity of skeletal muscles
  • Strength of myocardial contraction; impaired contractions reduce SV; influenced by ion imbalances, valve disorders, coronary artery blockage or MI.

Body Systems (14 decks)

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