The Cardiovascular System Flashcards
What are the two components of the CV system?
Pulmonary & systemic
What are the major functions of the CV system?
1) Transport oxygen & remove carbon dioxide
2) Transport nutrients & remove wastes
3) Fight disease
4) Transport hormones
5) Regulate body temperature
Where do the right and left pumps of the heart pump blood?
Right: Lungs
Left: Through peripheral organs
Where do the atria and ventricles pump blood?
Atria: Into the ventricles
Ventricles: Into circulation
What is the pulmonary pathway of blood through the heart?
Systemic veins - right atrium - right ventricle - pulmonary artery - lungs
What is the systemic pathway of blood through the heart?
Lungs - pulmonary vein - left atrium - left ventricle - systemic arteries
What are the three types of cardiac muscle?
Atrial, ventricular and excitatory/conductive
What do cardiac muscle cells form and what does it allow?
A syncytium, allowing synchronised contraction
How many syncytia is the heart composed of and what are they separated by?
Two; fibrous tissue
What do the syncytia of the heart allow?
The atria to contract before the ventricles
What are the two types of heart valves?
Atrioventricular and semilunar
What are the two types of atrioventricular valves?
Tricuspid & mitral
What do the atrioventricular valves prevent?
Backflow from the ventricles into the atria during systole
How do the atrioventricular valves attach?
To papillary muscles by the chordae tendineae
What are the two types of semilunar valves?
Aortic & pulmonary
What do the semilunar valves prevent?
Backflow into the ventricles during diastole
What are the semilunar valves constructed of?
Stong, flexible fibrous tisse
How does left ventricle contraction affect aortic pressure?
Causes pressure increases until the aortic valve opens, which then causes pressure increases in the aorta (80mmHg - 120mmHg)
What happens when the aortic valve closes?
Blood flows from arteries into periphery as the arteries return to their previous size, pressure returns to 80mmHg
What is the cardiac cycle?
Beginning of one heart beat to the beginning of the next
What is the cardiac cycle initiated by?
Action potential of the sinus node
Which occurs first, atrial or ventricle systole?
Atrial
What volume of blood is pumped at rest?
4-6 litres
By how much does the volume of blood pumped increase during strenuous exercise?
4-7x
What are the two major mechanisms of regulation for heart pumping?
Intrinsic regulation & control by the autonomic nervous system
What are two other mechanisms of regulation for heart pumping?
Potassium/calcium ions & temperature
What is intrinsic regulation also known as?
The Frank-Starling mechanism
What is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart normally determined by?
The rate of blood flow into the heart (venous return)
What happens when more cardiac muscle is stretched during filling?
Greater contraction strength & volume of blood expelled
What system of nerves is the main controller of the heart?
The specialised excitatory and conductive system
What is the specialised excitatory and conductive system made up of?
- Sinus node
- Internodal pathways
- Atrioventricular node
- AV bundle
- Left & right branches of Purkinje fibres