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The cardiovascular system Flashcards

1
Q

What is the rough weight of a heart?

A

200-250g

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2
Q

Where does the apex of the heart rest?

A

Superior side of the diaphragm

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3
Q

Where is the mediastinum?

A

Space between the lungs

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4
Q

Where is the heart positioned?

A

In the mediastinum, between the second rib and the 5th intercostal space

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5
Q

On which side is most of the hearts mass ?

A

The left, about 2/3rds

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6
Q

What are the three surfaces of the heart?

A

Inferior, anterior, lateral

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7
Q

What is the pericardium?

A

The double layered sac surrounding the heart

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8
Q

What is the outer layer of the pericardium?

A

The fibrous pericardium, dense connective tissue.

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9
Q

What is the purpose of the pericardium?

A

Prevent overstretching of the heart, provide protection and anchor it in place

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10
Q

What is the inner part of the pericardium?

A

The serous pericardium, consisting of two layers: parietal and visceral

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11
Q

How do the two layers of the serous pericardium differ?

A

The parietal layer lines the fibrous pericardium, and the visceral layer which is attached tightly to the heart

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12
Q

What are the layers of the heart wall?

A

The epicardium, the myocardium and the endocardium

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13
Q

What kind of muscle is cardiac?

A

Involuntary striated muscle

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14
Q

What is the structure of the endocardium?

A

Thin layer of squamous epithelial cells overlying a thin layer of connective tissue

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15
Q

How much pericardial fluid is in the pericardium?

A

A few ml

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16
Q

What is the structure of the epicardium?

A

A single layer of flattened cells and delicate connective tissues

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17
Q

What are auricles?

A

Winkled pouch like structures on the anterior sides of each atria that can expand and allow for a slight increase in atrial volume

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18
Q

What are sulci?

A

Grooves on the outside of the heart containing blood vessels and some fat, mark the boundaries of chambers

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19
Q

What are pectinate muscles?

A

Parallel muscular ridges in the anterior wall of the right atrium. May be useful for increasing contraction power

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20
Q

What veins open into the right atrium?

A

Superior vena cava
Inferior vena cava
Coronary sinus
Anterior cardiac veins
Venae cordis minimi

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21
Q

Where is the fossa ovalis located and what is it?

A

Interatrial septum, a depression marking the remnant of the foramen ovale (the foetal opening in the interatrial septum, should close soon after birth)

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22
Q

What structures allow the function of atrioventricular heart valves?

A

Trabeculae carneae called papillary muscles connect to chordae tendineae that connect to the valve cusps

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23
Q

Which ventricle has thicker walls and why?

A

The left ventricle because it has to pump blood all round the body whereas the right ventricle only needs to send blood to the lungs

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24
Q

How do the coronary arteries divide?

A

LEFT CORONARY ARTERY:
- Left anterior descending (LAD) coronary branch, or anterior intraventricular branch
- Left circumflex branch

RIGHT CORONARY ARTERY
- Posterior interventricular branch
- Right marginal branch

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25
How do the coronary veins divide?
-Great cardiac vein -Middle cardiac vein -Small cardiac vein -Anterior cardiac veins
26
What is the coronary sinus vein?
A large sinus where the great, middle and small coronary veins meet, opens directly into the right atrium
27
What are positive inotropic agents and some examples?
Factors that increase the myocardial contractility e.g. sympathetic stimulation, epinephrine and norepinephrine, high levels of calcium ions in the interstitial fluid, certain drugs (digitalis)
28
What are the three main elements of stroke volume?
Preload (End Diastolic Volume and stretch of the myocardium before contraction) Contractility (Force of contraction) Afterload (
29
What is atherosclerosis?
Narrowing of the arteries
30
What is aortic pressure?
80mmHg
31
What is the normal value of pulmonary pressure?
20mmHg
32
What brain nerves regulate the heart rate and ventricular activity?
The cardiovascular centre, a collection of neurons located in the medulla oblongata (the most inferior part of the brain stem)
33
What are negative inotropic agents and some examples?
Factors that decrease or impair contractility e.g. sympathetic inhibition, anoxia, acidosis, high potassium levels in the extracellular fluid, calcium channel blockers
34
What is cardiac output?
mL of blood pumped by the heart per minute
35
What is the definition or an artery?
A blood vessel taking blood from the heart to the body's tissues, can be oxygenated or deoxygenated
36
What are the 3 types of arteries?
Elastic (Conducting) Muscular (Distributing) Arterioles
37
What are the three layers of blood vessels?
Tunica interna (intima) Tunica media Tunica externa (adventitia)
38
What does the tunica interna consist of?
Single cell layer endothelium Basement membrane Internal elastic lamina
39
What does the tunica media consist of?
Circular smooth muscle External elastic lamina
40
What does tunica externa consist of?
Collagen fibres, nerve fibres, lymphatic vessels. In large arteries, this layer is also served by very small blood vessels called vasa-vasorum
41
What is component B?
Fibrous pericardium - Tough dense connective tissue
42
What is component A?
The pericardium - Thin fluid filled sack, for protection and lubricantion
43
What is component C?
Parietal layer of serous pericardium
44
What is component D?
Parietal cavity
45
What is component E?
Visceral layer of the serous pericardium (or epicardium)
46
What is component F?
Myocardium
47
What is component G?
Coronary blood vessels
48
What is component H?
Trabeculae carneae
49
What is component I?
The endocardium
50
What arteries come off the aortic arch?
Brachiocephalic artery Left subclavian artery Left common carotid artery
51
What does the right subclavian artery branch off of?
The brachycephalic artery
52
What does the right common carotid artery branch off of?
The brachycephalic artery
53
What arteries mainly supply the lungs?
Bronchial arteries
54
What is component B?
Pulmonary trunk
55
What is component C?
The right coronary artery
56
What is component E?
The marginal branch
57
What is component H?
Posterior Inter-ventricular branch (PIV)
58
What is component I?
Left Anterior Descending (LAD) or left anterior inter-ventricular branch
59
What is component J?
The circumflex branch
60
What is component A?
Endothelium
61
What is component B?
Basement membrane
62
What is component C?
Internal elastic lamina
63
What is component D?
Smooth muscle
64
What is component E?
External elastic lamina
65
How does the great cardiac vein divide?
Into the left marginal vein and the anterior interventricular vein
66
How much relative resistance do elastic arteries give?
Low resistance due to their large diameter lumen
67
What is notable about the tunica media of elastic arteries?
High proportion of elastic fibres and a fair amount of smooth muscle, however this smooth muscle is inactive in vasoconstriction
68
What's the average lumen diameter of muscular arteries?
6mm
69
What's the average lumen diameter of elastic arteries?
15mm
70
What are metarterioles?
Short micro vessels that connect arterioles to capillaries
71
Is venous or arterial pressure lower?
Venous
72
What percentage of the blood on average is in the venous system at any given time?
70%
73
What is the purpose of venous valves?
To stop backflow of blood
74
What mainly generates venous return?
Contractions of the left ventricle
75
Apart from heart contractions what mechanisms aid venous return?
Skeletal muscle pump Respiratory pump
76
What do you call narrowing of the arteries?
Atherosclerosis
77
How does cyclooxygenase (COX) cause miocardial infarction?
After injuries to the endothelium COX converts arachidobic acid into prostaglandins, COX1 synthesises thromboxane A2 (TXA2) promoting platelet aggregation
78
What is the ductus arteriosus?
A blood vessel that connects the pulmonary artery to the aorta. This connection is present in all babies in the womb but should close shortly after birth.
79
What is acute coronary syndrome?
ACS refers to a group of conditions including, STEMI, NSTEMI and Unstable Angina
80
What is the difference between an embolus and an embolism?
An embolus is any foreign material that moves with blood flow. An embolism happens when an embolus severely blocks the flow of blood
81
What nerves input from the cardiovascular centre into the heart?
Cardiac accelerator nerves Vagus nerves
82
What protein is released when the heart is damage?
Troponin
83
What is aortic coarctation?
A birth defect in which the aorta is narrower in some places
84
What is the formula for stroke volume?
EDV-ESV End Diastolic Volume - End Systolic Volume
85
What is pre-load?
Volume of blood recieved by the heart (End Diastolic Volume)
86
What is after-load?
Resistance the left ventricle must overcome to eject blood (MAP)
87
What are metaterioles?
A metarteriole is a short microvessel in the microcirculation that links arterioles and capillaries. Instead of a continuous tunica media, they have individual smooth muscle cells placed a short distance apart, each forming a precapillary sphincter that encircles the entrance to that capillary bed.
88
What are the three types of capillaries?
Continuous Fenestrated Sinusoidal
89
What are the characteristics of continuous capillaries?
A continuous layer of epithelial cells with clefts Continuous basement membrane
90
What are the characteristics of fenestrated capillaries, why do they have these characteristics?
Continuous layer of epithelial cells with clefts AND fenestrations Continuous basement membrane Usefull for exchanging large quantities of solutes in tissues with high demand such as the kidney, small intestine etc.
91
What are the characteristics of sinusoidal capillaries, why do they have these characteristics?
Non continous layer of epithelial cells with large fenestrations and large clefts Incomplete basement membrane These characteristics make sinusoidal capilarries very leaky and can allow whole blood cells out into the extravascular space, usueful in tissues such as the bone marrow and liver

Science for Paramedics (18 decks)

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