Introduction to cardiovascular system Flashcards
What is the role of the blood vessels?
Transporting blood around the body
Describe the function of the pulmonary system
Blood travels to lung to become oxygenated before travelling back to the heart
Gas exchange in lungs
Low hydrostatic pressure due to only transporting blood to the lungs
Describe the function of systemic circulation
Transport oxygenated blood to all areas of body
Serves rest of body, transporting oxygen + nutrients
High hydrostatic pressure, due to transporting to all of body
Describe the change in the features of arteries from proximal (heart) to distal (extremities)
- Arteries increase in number
- Arteries decrease in diameter
- Walls of arteries decrease in thickness
Describe the classes of blood vessels
- Arteries - Carry blood away from heart
- Arterioles - Smallest branch of arteries, divide to form capillaries
- Capillaries - Smallest blood vessels, exchange between blood and interstitial fluid
- Venules - Formed when capillary venues unite, collect blood from capillaries
- Veins - Venules unite to form bigger veins, return blood to heart, normally contain valves to prevent back flow of blood
Describe the superior vena cava
- Main blood vessel that brings blood back from the head and neck region + upper limb back to the RA
Describe the inferior vena cava
- Main blood vessel that brings blood back from trunk and lower back to RA
What happens to the blood transported back to the RA?
- Blood passes through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle, and then into the pulmonary trunk
Describe the pulmonary trunk
- Split into left and right pulmonary artery, left to left lung, right to right lung
What do the pulmonary arteries branch into? Describe this
Pulmonary arterioles, which form a capillary network around the alveolar synapse, where oxygen diffuses into the blood from the lungs
What does the capillary network around the alveolar synapse then form?
Pulmonary venules, which then unite to form pulmonary veins which bring oxygenated blood back to the LA
What happens to the oxygenated blood after it’s returned to the LA?
Travels through mitral valve into left ventricle, then into aorta
What are the 3 parts of the aorta?
- Ascending aorta
- Aortic arch
- Descending aorta - supplies oxygenate blood to the lower limbs
Describe the 3 vessels branching off of the aortic arch
- Brachiocephalic trunk - first from left, supplies oxygenated blood to the upper limb via the subclavian artery, head and neck via right common carotid artery
- Left common carotid artery - Supplies the head and neck of the left hand side, this is the middle branch
- Left subclavian artery - this is the rightmost branch, this supplies the left upper limb
What are the functions of the 2 blood vessels branching off of the brachiocephalic trunk?
- Right subclavian artery - supplies oxygenated blood to right upper limb
- Right common carotid artery, supplies oxygenated blood to head and neck on right side
Describe the first change the right subclavian artery undergoes as it gets further away (distal) from the heart
- At lateral first border of the first rib, the subclavian artery becomes the axillary artery, supplying the axilla (armpit)
What causes the axillary artery divided into 3 parts?
- Due to the pectoralis minor muscle, as blood flows before-behind- after the muscle for parts 1, 2 and 3 respectively
What do the arteries behind the pectoralis muscle supply?
- The shoulder and scapular regions of the upper limb