The Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Where is the pulmonary circuit?
Between the heart and lungs.
Where is the systemic circuit?
Between the heart and other organs.
What type of circulatory system is the heart and what does this mean?
It is a double circulatory system. It has two separate circuits and blood passes through the heart twice.
List the order of components oxygenated blood passes through to get to the body organs from the lungs.
Pulmonary vein, left atrium, left ventricle, aorta, body organs. (PVA)
List the order of components deoxygenated blood passes through to get to the lungs from the body organs.
Vena cava, right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery, lungs. (VPA)
How many chambers does the heart have?
4
How many atria does the heart have and what do they do?
2 atria that collect blood as it comes into the heart.
What pumps the blood out of the heart after being in the atria?
Ventricles (2)
What do the valves do between the atria and ventricles?
They make sure the blood cannot flow backwards.
Which ventricle is thicker and why?
The left ventricle, as it has to go right around the body.
Why is the right ventricle thinner?
It only has to reach the lungs, so it is thinner.
What does the vena cava do?
It brings venous (deoxygenated) blood from the body into the right atrium, where it collects.
What is the septum?
It divides the heart into two halves.
What does the right side of the heart do?
It pumps deoxygenated blood to the heart to the lungs to pick up oxygen.
What does the left side of the heart do?
Pumps oxygenated blood from the lungs around the rest of the body.
Where does venous blood go after the atrium?
It passes through the right atrium to the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve.
Where does the blood go after the right ventricle?
It passes through the oulmonary (semilunar) valve into the pulmonary artery and onto the lungs, where it picks up oxygen.
What happens to the blood after it picks up oxygen?
It returns from the lungs to the heart from the pulmonary vein and collects in the left atrium.
Where does the blood go from the left atrium?
It passes through the left ventricle through the bicuspid valve.
What is the final stage of the journey of blood around the body?
Oxygenated blood passes througb the aortic (semilunar) valve and is sent round the body through an artery called the aorta.
What are the three main functions of the cardiovascular system?
Transport, blood clotting, body temperature regulation
What is vasodialation and when does it get used?
If the body gets too hot, the blood vessels near to the skin get bigger or dialate so that bloood is diverted towards the surface of the skin to allow heat to radiate out.
What is vasoconstriction and when is it used?
If the body gets too cold, the blood vessels get smaller and constrict. Blood is diverted away from the surface of the skin, less heat is lost.
What is hyperthermia and why does it happen?
Hyperthermia is when your core body temperature becomes dangerously high - above 37 degrees. It occurs when yout body absorbs or generates more heat than it can release, causing this dangeroud increase in temperature.
What are the causes and symptoms of hyperthermia?
Causes: Dehydration, drinking alcohol, taking several drugs, high blood pressure…
Symptoms: Blurred vision, dizziness, fast breathing/ heart rate, fatigue, headache / light headedness…
What is hypothermia and why does it happen?
Hypothermia is when your core body temperature becomes dangerously low - below 35 degrees. Hypothermia occurs when your body is losing heat faster than it can produce heat, causing this deangerous drop in temperature.
What are the causes and symptoms of hypothermia?
Causes: Not wearing warm clothes in cold weather, falling into cold water, living in a cold house…
Symptoms: Shivering, pale, cold and dry skin, slurred speech, slow breathing, tiredness, confusion…
What is dehydration and why does it happen?
When your body does not have as much water as it needs. It occurs when your body loses more fluid than it takes in - the Eatwell Guide says we shoud have 6-8 cups of water a day.
What are the causes and symptoms of dehydration?
Causes: Not drinking enough - busy/sick.
Symptoms: Headache, tiredness, dizziness, dry mouth, passing small amounts of urine.