Set 5 (Part II) Flashcards
Differentiate arteries and veins.
- Arteries: carry blood away from the heart
- Veins: return blood to the heart
What ensures that blood flows in a single direction?
A system of valves in the heart and veins
What is the septum?
Central wall that divides the heart into left and right halves
Differentiate the overall function of the atrium and the ventricle.
- Atrium: receives blood returning to the heart into the blood vessels
- Ventricle: pumps blood out into the blood vessels
Differentiate the overall function of the left and right sides of the heart.
- Right: receives blood from the tissues and sends it to the lungs for oxygenation
- Left: receives newly oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to tissues throughout the body
Describe pulmonary circulation.
1) Right atrium (tricuspid valve)
2) Right ventricle (pulmonary semi-lunar valve)
3) Pulmonary arteries
4) Lungs
5) Pulmonary veins
6) Left atrium
Describe systemic circulation.
1) Left atrium (mitral valve)
2) Left ventricle (aortic semilunar valve)
3) Aorta
4) Capillaries deliver oxygen
5) Superior and inferior vena cava veins
6) Right atrium
What is the function of coronary arteries?
Nourish the heart muscle itself
What is the function of the hepatic portal vein?
Blood leaving the digestive tract goes directly to the liver
A cardiovascular system has what three major components?
- Tubes (vessels)
- Fluid (blood)
- Pump (heart)
Differentiate pulmonary and systemic circulations.
- Pulmonary circulation takes blood to and from the lungs
- Systemic circulation takes blood to and from the rest of the body
Differentiate an atrium and a ventricle.
- Atrium: upper heart chamber that receives blood entering the heart
- Ventricle: lower heart chamber that pumps blood out of the heart
How do pulmonary and systemic circulation differ in terms of resistance and pressure?
- Pulmonary: low pressure, low resistance
- Systemic: high pressure, high resistance
What is pressure?
The force exerted on the vessel walls
What is resistance?
The opposition to blood flow
Why does blood flow (mechanistic)?
Liquids and gases flow down pressure gradients from regions of HIGHER pressure to regions of LOWER pressure
Where is the highest pressure in vessels of the cardiovascular system?
In the aorta and systemic arteries (as they receive blood from the left ventricle)
Where is the lowest pressure in vessels of the cardiovascular system?
Venae cavae, just before they empty into the right atrium
What is peripheral resistance?
Resistance to blood flow imposed by the force of friction between blood and the walls of its vessels
What are factors that influence peripheral resistance?
- Blood viscosity (thickness as a fluid)
- Diameter of arterioles
- Vasomotor mechanism
What is the effect of plasma protein concentration on blood viscosity?
High plasma protein concentration increases blood viscosity
What is the effect of hematocrit on blood viscosity?
High hematocrit (%RBCs) can increase blood viscosity
What conditions may alter blood viscosity?
- Anemia
- Hemorrhage
- Other abnormal conditions
What is a vasomotor mechanism?
- Muscles in walls of arterioles may constrict (vasoconstriction) or dilate (vasodilation)
- Changes the diameter of the arteriole
What mechanism is ideal for regulate blood pressure and flow? Why?
- Vasomotor mechanism
- Because small changes in blood vessel diameter cause large changes in resistance
What characteristic of arterioles allows them to constrict or dilate to change the amount of resistance to blood flow?
Their muscular coat
How does peripheral resistance help determine arterial pressure?
By controlling the amount of blood that runs from the arteries to the arterioles
What are the effects of increase peripheral resistance?
- Decreased arteriole runoff
- Leads to higher arterial pressure
Where can an increase in peripheral resistance occur?
- Locally (i.e. in one organ)
- Or the total peripheral resistance may increase (raising systemic arterial pressure)
Which side of the blood performs more work? Why?
- The left side
- Because it pumps into a longer high resistance system
What controls blood flow? How many are there?
- Pressure operated heart valves
- There are four one-way heart valves
What is the heart encased in? What is inside?
- Tough membranous sac
- Pericardium
- Pericardial fluid is inside
What is the function of pericardial fluid?
Lubricates the external surface of the heart as it beats within the sac
What is the heart itself mostly composed of? What is it covered with?
- Myocardium (cardiac muscle)
- Thin outer and inner layers of epithelium and connective tissue
What does the right atrium receive blood from and send blood to?
- Venae cavae
- Right ventricle
What does the right ventricle receive blood from and send blood to?
- Right atrium
- Lungs
What does the left atrium receive blood from and send blood to?
- Pulmonary veins
- Left ventricle
What does the left ventricle receive blood from and send blood to?
- Left atrium
- Body except for lungs
What does the venae cavae receive blood from and send blood to?
- Systemic veins
- Right atrium
What does the pulmonary trunk (artery) receive blood from and send blood to?
- Right ventricle
- Lungs
What does the pulmonary veins receive blood from and send blood to?
- Veins of the lungs
- Left atrium
What does the aorta receive blood from and send blood to?
- Left ventricle
- Systemic arteries
What are the two sets of valves called?
- Atrioventricular valves
- Semilunar valves
What happens to the AV valve when a ventricle contracts?
Blood pushes against the bottom side of its AV valve, and forces it upwards in a closed position
What is the valve that separates the right atrium and ventricle called?
Tricuspid valve
What is the valve that separates the left atrium and ventricle called?
Bicuspid valve (mitral valve)
What does the aortic valve separate?
The left ventricle and the aorta
What does the pulmonary valve separate?
The right ventricle and the pulmonary trunk
Where are the semilunar valves located?
At the junction where the major arteries leave the ventricles
What are the chordae tendinae?
Collagenous cords that prevent the AV valves from being pushed back into the atria during ventricular contraction