physiology Flashcards
define the ‘mean arterial pressure’
average arterial blood pressure over the entire cardiac cycle
normal PH range
7.35-7.45
factors that locally increase TPR
vasoconstrictors: angiotensin 2, adrenaline, sympathetic stimulation, endothelin-1, ADH
factors that locally decrease TPR
vasodilators: hypoxia, atrial natriuretic peptide, H+, NO
how to calculate stroke volume
end diastolic col - end systolic col
how to calculate cardiac output (L/min)
stroke volume x heart rate
What is the frank starling law
the stroke volume of the heart increases in response to an increase in the volume of blood filling the heart (the end diastolic volume) when all other factors remain constant.
what is epinephrine
adrenaline: a hormone that stimulates the fight/flight response
what does viscosity mean
thickness and stickiness of blood
summarise the depolarisation of the heart
depolarisation initiated the SAN. spreads across atria causing atrial systole. depolarisation delayed at the AV node in order for full atrial contraction to occur. depolarisation spreads down bundle of his and its branches. purkinje fibres distribute the impulse to the work cells in the endocardium. impulse spreads to epicardium to depolarise whole ventricles.
what causes the first heart sound
closure of the AV valves
what causes the second heart sound
closure of semilunar valves
what is stenosis?
stiff heart valves, values fail to open enough so limited blood flow
what is incompetence?
valves do not close properly so blood leaks back. called regurgitant flow
what does the P wave represent and how long does it take
atrial depolarisation - 0.08-0.1 s (P)
what does the QRS complex represent?
ventricular depolarisation - 0.06-0.1 s
what does the T wave represent?
repolarisation of the ventricles
how long does the P-R interval take?
0.12-0.2 s
sympathetic innervation of the heart and its neurotransmitters
spinal cord - ACh and noradrenaline
parasympathetic innervation of the and its neurotransmitters
vagus - ACh and ACh
what are inotropes and chronotropes
inotrope - and agent that affects the force of contraction. chronotrope - affects heart rate
examples of inotropes
adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine
examples of chronotropes
acetylcholine, veramapril, metoprolol
what is preload?
the stretch of the sarcomeres just prior to the initiation of contraction. greater the stretch, the greater the contract due to higher availability for actin/myosin cross bridges
what is afterload?
tension/stress developed in the wall of the left ventricle during ejection. or the ‘load’ the heart is having to eject against.
What are arterial baroreceptors and where are the found?
They detect blood pressure and relay this info to the brain. they are either in the carotid sinus or the aortic arch.
how do baroreceptors work?
Baroreceptors are located in the aortic arch and carotid sinuses. They detect stretch in the arterial walls and send impulses to the CV centre in the medulla oblongata which regulates bp.
how do chemorecptors work and where are they located\?
They are in the carotid and aortic bodies. They detect changes in O2/CO2 and send signals so that sympathetic/parasympathetic innervation of the heart takes place accordingly.
short/long term control of bp.
short term = baroreceptors. long term = kidneys and RAAS system.
describe the sympathetic innervation of the heart
innervation is via the spinal nerves. They act on beta-adrinergic receptors in the cardiac muscle
describe the parasympathetic innervation of the heart
parasympathetic fibres terminate in the cells of the atria. they release ACh which acts on muscarinic receptors
what is the function of capillaries?
exchange of substances required for metabolism. uptake of 02 and nutrients and expulsion of CO2 and waste products
name some plasma proteins and their functions?
albumin - retains oncotic pressure so that water stays in blood vessels and blood pressure is retained. immunoglobins (antibodies) and produced by white blood cells and recognise specific antigens on bacteria/viruses. critical part of immune response.
phases of electrical conduction in the heart.
0 - rapid depolarisation (Na in), 1 - initial repolarisation (CL- and K+ in) 2 - plateau stage prevents depolarisation happening too quickly (Ca2+ in, K+ out), 3 - main stage of repolarisation (K+ out), 4 - quiet phase
what does troponin-I do
holds the troponin-tropomyosin complex in place
what does troponin-C do
binds to ca2+ which deforms the configuration of troponin-I which consequently breaks off of actin
what does troponin-T do
binds to tropomyosin to create a tropomyosin-troponin complex
where is ca2+ released from during contraction
sarcolemma and t-tubules
describe what is happening during muscle contraction
a wave of depolarisation arrives at the cell. ca2+ diffuses into the t-tubules to go into the cell. sarcoplasmic reticulum released ca2+. ca2+ released into the sarcolemma by t-tubules (unique to heart) and sarcoplasmic reticulum. ca2+ diffuses into myofibrils and binds to troponin C, making the myosin binding site open. actin heads bind to myosin sites to create cross bridges, and contraction begins. ATP used to ‘re-cock’ heads.
what is Ohm’s law?
flow(Q) = pressure gradient(triangleP)/resistance(R)
what is Poiseuille’s law?
Q=r squared. volume flowrate is given by the pressure difference divided by the viscous resistance.