Lecture 28 - Cardiovascular system: coronary circulation and great vessels

Question 1

Differentiate pulmonary and system circulation circuits

Answer 1

Pulmonary system
- Responsible for oxygenating blood and removing carbon dioxide from it. Facilitates the exchange of gases between blood and lungs
Systemic circulation
- Delivers oxygenated blood to the body’s organs, tissues and cells while removing metabolic waste products such as carbon dioxide

Question 2

Name and describe the location of the major coronary arteries and veins

Answer 2

o Right coronary artery
 Projects to right side of heart and has two branches
* Right marginal artery
* Posterior interventricular
o Left coronary artery
 Projects to the left side of the heart and have two branches
* Anterior interventricular
* Circumflex
o Great cardiac vein main tributary of coronary sinus, drains areas supplied by left coronary artery
o Middle cardiac vein drains areas supplied by posterior interventricular branch of right coronary artery
o Small cardiac vein drains right atrium and ventricle
o Anterior cardiac veins drain right ventricle and open directly into right atrium

Question 3

Understand the degree of anatomical variation in coronary arteries

Answer 3

o 67% have right dominate pattern
o 15%b the left coronary artery is dominate
o 18% branches of both left and right coronary arteries give rise to branches in vicinity of posterior IV

Question 4

Name and describe the orientation of the great vessels

Answer 4

o Large arteries and veins that attach directly to the heart
o Venae cavae
 Superior and inferior
 Empty directly into the right atrium
o Aorta
 Major vessel carrying blood between the heart and system circulation
 Connected to the left ventricle
o Pulmonary trunk
 Short artery leaving the right ventricle
 Carries blood to the left and right pulmonary arteries entering the lungs
o Pulmonary veins
 Four veins (two left, two right)
 Entering the left atrium from the lungs

Question 5

Understand the relationship of the great vessels to other structures in the thorax

Answer 5

o Right and left brachiocephalic veins drain blood from head (via internal jugular veins), neck and upper limbs into SVC
o Trachea is posterior to great vessels
o Longitudinal vessels on each side of the vertebral bodies that drain blood from the thorax to the SVC

Question 6

Relate structures in the mediastinum to surface anatomy

Answer 6

o Brachiocephalic trunk is first and largest branch
 Divides into right common carotid and right subclavian
o Left common carotid artery is second branch
o Left subclavian artery is third