Ques med physilogy Flashcards
What is the state of the atrioventricular (AV) valves and semi-lunar valves during the inflow phase of the cardiac cycle?
AV valves open, semi-lunar valves closed
Binding of adrenaline/noradrenaline to α1-adrenoceptors leads to [Blank] of blood vessels and [Blank] force of myocardial contraction.
Vasoconstriction
Increased
What is the cause of a dicrotic notch at the end of systole in aortic pressure tracings?
The closure of the aortic valve
What is the “funny current” ?
The “funny” current is so called because at the time of its discovery, its properties as a current were unusual compared to those of other known ion channels – it is a mixed sodium/potassium inward current that is activated upon hyperpolarisation. Activation of the “funny” current increases the gradient of the pre-potential slope
Vagus nerve fibres primarily secrete which hormone to decrease the activity of the sinoatrial node?
Acetylcholine
What is the equation for Poiseuille’s law of flow?
F = ΔPπr^4/8η
Where:
F = Flow rate
ΔP = Pressure gradient (difference in pressure from start of blood vessel to end)
R = Resistance to blood flow
η = Viscosity of blood
r = Radius
What can the mean arterial pressure (MAP) be used to indicate?
Indicates how well the vital organs of the body are being perfused.
What type of muscle controls pupil diameter?
Smooth muscle
What are the two types of action potential in the heart?
The ventricular (non-pacemaker) action potential and the sino-atrial (pacemaker) potential
What happens during the depolarisation phase of the cardiac action potential (phase 0)?
Rapid influx of Na+ ions into the cell, causing a sharp rise in membrane potential.
What are the 4 main phases of the cardiac cycle?
Inflow
Isovolumetric contraction
Outflow (ejection)
Isovolumetric relaxation
What type of ion transfer occurs at Stage 4 of ventricular myocyte action potentials?
Potassium channels remain open but there is no net flow of ions
The PR interval reflects the functioning of which node?
Atrioventricular node
During myocardial relaxation, calcium ions are removed from the cardiomyocyte cytoplasm via which 2 main mechanisms?
Sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX)
Sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase pump (SERCA)
What is the definition for the PR interval?
Time between the onset of atrial depolarisation to the start of ventricular depolarisation
What is the tunica externa/adventitia primarily formed of?
(Mainly) connective tissue
What are the 5 phases of the cardiac action potential?
Phase 0 - Depolarisation
Phase 1 - Early repolarisation
Phase 2 - Plateau
Phase 3 - Rapid repolarisation
Phase 4 - Resting potential
What is meant by the vicious cycle of heart failure?
Decreased cardiac output leads to excessive sympathetic stimulation. This works to increase cardiac output, but at the expense of overworking the heart and increasing cardiac ischaemia (leading to progressively decreased output).
The “funny” current has very [blank] kinetics compared with other types of currents.
Slow
Which blood vessel is not typically characterized by a thick tunica media composed of elastic fibers?”
Capillaries are not typically characterized by a thick tunica media composed of elastic fibers.
Which receptors does noradrenaline primarily bind to on blood vessels to trigger smooth muscle contraction?
Alpha-1 adrenoceptors
Muscle contraction [Blank] venous return while muscle relaxation [Blank] venous return.
Increases
Decreases
For sympathetic control of blood vessels, what is the main neurotransmitter?
Noradrenaline
Which types of muscle cells have many mitochondria and possess a sarcoplasmic reticulum and T-tubule?
Cardiac and skeletal muscle cells.
What effect does increased heart rate have on coronary blood flow?
I
t decreases blood flow as it reduces time in diastole. Most coronary perfusion takes place during diastole.
Where in arteries is specialized elastic tissue found?
Internal and external elastic lamina
What is the normal heart rate in bpm?
60-100bpm
What are the key differences between sympathetic and parasympathetic neural pathways?
Length of axon: Parasympathetic = long pre-ganglionic and short post-ganglionic axons; sympathetic = short pre-ganglionic and long post-ganglionic axonsActions: Parasympathetic = rest and digest; sympathetic = fight or flightNeurostransmitter: Parasympathetic = Acetylcholine only; sympathetic = acetylcholine or noradrenalineDiscretion: Parasympathetic = more discrete (1 pre-ganglionic axon to 1 post-ganglionic axon; sympathetic = less discrete (1 pre-ganglionic to 20 post-ganglionic)
How can the left ventricular ejection fraction be calculated?
Dividing the stroke volume (SV) by the end-diastolic volume (EDV) (LVEF = SV/EDV * 100%)
The “funny” current is activated by [blank] rather than depolarisation.
Hyperpolarisation
What is the name of the circuit that is formed between the embryo and the placenta?
Umbilical circuit
Why is heart failure associated with increased Ca2+ efflux from the cardiomyocyte?
The sarcolemmal Na+/Ca2+ exchanger is upregulated
What is meant by the term stroke work?
The work done by the ventricles to eject the stroke volume into the aorta.
What happens during the ejection phase of the cardiac cycle?
Deoxygenated blood is ejected from the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery (to supply the lungs) and oxygenated blood is ejected from the left ventricle into the aorta (to supply the rest of the body).
What effect does acetylcholine have on the heart ventricles?
None - the ventricles have no parasympathetic supply, and therefore acetylcholine has no effect on the ventricles.
Binding of adrenaline/noradrenaline to β1-adrenoceptors in the cardiovascular system leads to which 4 effects?
Positive inotropy
Positive chronotropy
Positive lusitropy
Positive dromotropy
What is the afterload?
The pressure which the heart must work against to eject blood during ventricular systole
What happens during isovolumetric relaxation?
The ventricles relax and the pressure in the aorta/pulmonary artery once again exceeds the ventricular pressure, triggering the semi-lunar valves to close.
How can the stroke volume be measured?
Doppler ultrasound/echocardiography
What happens during isovolumetric contraction?
Both ventricles contract simultaneously but the atrioventricular (AV) valves and semi-lunar valves remain closed, causing the ventricular pressure to increase.
If the arterial blood pressure increases too quickly, the stretch on the arterial walls [Blank] and the baroreceptors fire action potentials [Blank] frequently.
Increases
More
Oxygenated blood enters the left atrium via which blood vessel?
Pulmonary vein
Give examples of clinical scenarios in which reactive hyperaemia may occur
Reactive hyperaemia occurs in response to tissue ischaemia. Therefore, examples include: tourniquet removal, coronary artery reperfusion (e.g. CABG, angioplasty, thrombolysis), unclamping an artery following surgery, Raynaud’s phenomenon (vasospasm of peripheral arteries)
What is the definition for the QT interval?
Time between the start of the QRS complex and the end of the T wave
What is Poiseuille’s law of resistance?
The resistance to blood flow is directly proportional to the length of the blood vessel and the viscosity of the blood, and inversely proportional to the blood vessel radius to the 4th power.
Where does calcium bind, within the troponin complex, to exert an effect on actin and myosin?
Troponin C
At which point of the cardiac conduction pathway is there a short delay (120ms) before the action potential continues?
Atrioventricular node (AVN)
Where are discontinuous capillaries found in the body?
Bone marrow, lymph nodes, adrenal glands, liver and spleen.
What happens during diastole?
Both atria and ventricles are relaxed. Blood flows passively from the atria to the ventricles.
Excessive activation of which system is associated with Raynauds syndrome?
Sympathetic system
What effect does reduced transient concentration of Ca2+ have on heart muscle action in heart fialure?
Results in a reduced contractile force
During a wave of depolarisation, calcium ions enter cardiomyocytes via which types of channels found in the membrane?
L-type calcium channels
What does positive inotropy refer to?
Increased force of myocardial contraction
What is blood vessel autoregulation?
The intrinsic ability of blood vessels to maintain a constant flow of blood up to a specific point, regardless of changes to perfusion pressure
What are Purkinje fibres?
Network of specialised conductance cells which carry the cardiac action potential back up through both ventricles
The concentration of which type of ion is primarily responsible for the force of myocardial contraction?
Calcium ions
What happens during atrial systole?
Both atria contract simultaneously to force any remaining blood into the ventricles.
What two types of adrenoceptor are found in blood vessels?
Alpha-1 adrenoceptors and Beta-2 adrenoceptors.
What effect does an increase in carbon dioxide partial pressure of blood in the cerebral circulation have on pH?
It decreases the pH. This causes direct vasodilatation and also enhances the release of nitric oxide, a vasodilator
What are the roles of the different troponin complex components?
)
Troponin C (calcium ion binding site), Troponin I (inhibition of ATP hydrolysis), Troponin T (structural connection to tropomyosin)
What does the T wave indicate on an ECG?
Ventricular repolarisation
What happens to venous return when changing from a lying to a standing position?
Temporarily decreases due to gravity
Most vascular beds are innervated by which branch of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic
Which types of muscle cells have many mitochondria and possess a sarcoplasmic reticulum and T-tubule?
both cardiac and skeletal muscle
Which blood vessel controls perfusion through capillary beds?
Arterio-venous anastomoses
What is the “funny” current?
A mixture of sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) current which is activated by hyperpolarisation at low voltages (usually around -60/-70mV).
What happens to venous return during sympathetic activation of the venous system?
Increases
What happens to venous return during sympathetic activation of the venous system?
Increases
What is the definition for mean arterial pressure?
The average pressure of the arteries during one cardiac cycle
Why does blood entering via the IVC pass from the right to the left atrium through the foramen ovale, whereas blood entering via the SVC passes from the right atrium to ventricle?
This is due to the orientation of the tricuspid valve facing the SVC, which force blood through the tricuspid valve from the right atrium to ventricle
On the Frank-Starling curve, which variables are usually placed on the X-axis and Y-axis?
X-axis: end-diastolic volume
Y-axis: stroke volume
Where are nuclei located in the skeletal muscle cells?
They are located peripherally
Most vascular beds are innervated by which type of nerve?
Sympathetic nerves
In which blood vessels is there the largest fall in blood pressure and velocity?
Arterioles
What is the normal heart rate bpm?
60-100bpm
What type of ion transfer occurs at Stage 4 of ventricular myocyte action potentials?
Potassium channels remain open but there is no net flow of ions
During the Valsalva manoeuvre, what happens to the venous return?
Decreases due to compression of thoracic veins
What causes reactive hyperaemia?
Reactive hyperaemia describes the vasodilatation and transient increase in blood flow that occurs in response to tissue ischaemia. During the period of ischaemia there is tissue hypoxia and a build-up of metabolic waste products. The hypoxia and waste products (e.g. adenosine) directly act upon vascular smooth muscle to cause vasodilation.