Lab 12 Flashcards
Mastering the concepts and anatomy of lab twelve.
Describe the pericardial cavity and what it contains.
The pericardial cavity is the cavity found between the visceral and parietal layers of the heart. It contains pericardial fluid which helps reduce friction between the heart and the pericardium.
Describe the mediastinum.
The mediastinum is found between the left and right pleural cavities. Essentially, it is the medial cavity of the thorax.
Where can you find the base and apex of the heart?
The base of the heart is the top, wide portion, whereas the apex of the heart is found near the bottom at the tip.
Describe the four borders of the heart.
1. Right border - mainly formed by the right atrium
2. Left border - mainly formed by the left ventricle
3. Superior border - formed by the two atria
4. Inferior border - formed mainly by the right ventricle
What portion of the body do the superior and inferior vena cava drain and where do they drain to in the heart?
The superior vena cava drains all blood from above the diaphragm, whereas the inferior vena cava drains all blood from below the diaphragm. Both venae cavae empty into the right atrium.
What are the three main branches of the aortic arch?
The three main branches, from left to right, include the brachiocephalic trunk, the left common carotid artery, and the left subclavian artery.
What small fibrous remnant connects the proximal left pulmonary artery to the undersurface of the aortic arch?
The ligamentum arteriosum.
What does the right coronary artery branch off into?
- Right coronary artery
- Atrial branches
- Ventricular branches include the marginal and posterior interventricular branches
What does the left coronary artery branch off into?
- Circumflex branch
- Anterior interventricular branch
Where does the coronary venous drainage lead to, in order of the branches?
- Great cardiac vein
- Middle cardiac vein
- Small cardiac vein
- Coronary sinus
What are the six main features of the right atrium and where are they located?
- Inferior and superior vena cava
- Coronary sinus
- Pectinate muscles (only right atrium)
- Interatrial septum
- Fossa ovalis which originated from the foramen ovale in the fetal heart
- Right auricle
What are the nine features of the right ventricle and where are they located?
- Tricuspid valve
- Chordae tendinae
- Papillary muscles
- Trabeculae carneae
- Conus arteriosus, also known as the infundibulum, is a conical pouch formed from the upper and left angle of the right ventricle, from which the pulmonary trunk arises
- Pulmonary semilunar valve
- Pulmonary trunk
- Right and left pulmonary arteries
- Interventricular septum
What are the three main features of the left atrium and where are they located?
- Left and right pulmonary veins
- Auricle
- Atrioventricular valve
What are the ten main features of the left ventricle and where are they located?
- Trabeculae careae
- Papillary muscles
- Chordae tendinae
- Interventricular septum
- Aortic semilunar valve
- Ascending aorta
- Aortic arch
- Coronary arteries
- Ligamentum arteriosum
Describe the layers of the heart, from superficial to deep.
- Fibrous pericardium
- Parietal pericardium
- Pericardial space
- Visceral pericardium/Epicardium made of mesothelium and connective tissue
- Myocardium
- Endocardium
Describe the nucleus, size, and defining characteristics of a cardiac muscle cell.
Cardiomyocytes:
- Have one to two centrally located nuclei
- Approximately 100 micrometres long and 10-25 micrometres in diameter
- Have branching and intercalated discs
What are intercalated discs made of?
Intercalated discs follow the Z-lines of adjacent cardiomyocytes and are the meshing fingers of plasma membranes. They also contain desmosomes (the physical linkages) and gap junctions (cellular communication).
