Lecture 7- Anatomy of the heart

Question 1

What is the structure of the Cardiac Skeleton?

Answer 1

It’s 4 bands of dense connective tissue encircling heart valves and the bases of the aorta and pulmonary trunk.

Question 2

What are the 4 functions of the cardiac skeleton?

Answer 2

1. Foundation to which valves attach
2. To stabilise valves and prevent overstretch
3. A point of insertions of cardiac muscle bundles
4. To electrically separate the atria from the ventricles

Question 3

What are the two semilunar valves?

Answer 3

1. The pulmonary valve
2. The aortic valve

Question 4

What are the two atrio-ventricular valves?

Answer 4

1. Bicuspid valve and tricuspid valve

tricuspid= right. bicuspid=left

Question 5

How is the heart held in place?

Answer 5

Pericardium.

Thre’s a fibrous pericardium on the outside which is hard and anchors it.
Then pericardial cavity which contains fluid

and a visceral (epicardium) stuck tightly to the heart

Question 6

What’s the location of the heart?

Where’s the apex?

Answer 6

It lies behind the sternum between ribs 2-5. left of the midline.

The apex is in the 5th intercostal space at the midsubclavian line

Question 7

What are the 3 layers of the heart’s wall?

Answer 7

1. Endocardium
2. Myocardium
3. Epicardium