Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Advanced Physiology > The Cardiovascular System > Flashcards

The Cardiovascular System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two components of the CV system?

A

Pulmonary & systemic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the major functions of the CV system?

A

1) Transport oxygen & remove carbon dioxide
2) Transport nutrients & remove wastes
3) Fight disease
4) Transport hormones
5) Regulate body temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Where do the right and left pumps of the heart pump blood?

A

Right: Lungs
Left: Through peripheral organs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Where do the atria and ventricles pump blood?

A

Atria: Into the ventricles
Ventricles: Into circulation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the pulmonary pathway of blood through the heart?

A

Systemic veins - right atrium - right ventricle - pulmonary artery - lungs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the systemic pathway of blood through the heart?

A

Lungs - pulmonary vein - left atrium - left ventricle - systemic arteries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are the three types of cardiac muscle?

A

Atrial, ventricular and excitatory/conductive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What do cardiac muscle cells form and what does it allow?

A

A syncytium, allowing synchronised contraction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How many syncytia is the heart composed of and what are they separated by?

A

Two; fibrous tissue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What do the syncytia of the heart allow?

A

The atria to contract before the ventricles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are the two types of heart valves?

A

Atrioventricular and semilunar

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the two types of atrioventricular valves?

A

Tricuspid & mitral

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What do the atrioventricular valves prevent?

A

Backflow from the ventricles into the atria during systole

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How do the atrioventricular valves attach?

A

To papillary muscles by the chordae tendineae

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the two types of semilunar valves?

A

Aortic & pulmonary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What do the semilunar valves prevent?

A

Backflow into the ventricles during diastole

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the semilunar valves constructed of?

A

Stong, flexible fibrous tisse

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

How does left ventricle contraction affect aortic pressure?

A

Causes pressure increases until the aortic valve opens, which then causes pressure increases in the aorta (80mmHg - 120mmHg)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What happens when the aortic valve closes?

A

Blood flows from arteries into periphery as the arteries return to their previous size, pressure returns to 80mmHg

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the cardiac cycle?

A

Beginning of one heart beat to the beginning of the next

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the cardiac cycle initiated by?

A

Action potential of the sinus node

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Which occurs first, atrial or ventricle systole?

A

Atrial

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What volume of blood is pumped at rest?

A

4-6 litres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

By how much does the volume of blood pumped increase during strenuous exercise?

A

4-7x

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What are the two major mechanisms of regulation for heart pumping?

A

Intrinsic regulation & control by the autonomic nervous system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What are two other mechanisms of regulation for heart pumping?

A

Potassium/calcium ions & temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What is intrinsic regulation also known as?

A

The Frank-Starling mechanism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart normally determined by?

A

The rate of blood flow into the heart (venous return)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What happens when more cardiac muscle is stretched during filling?

A

Greater contraction strength & volume of blood expelled

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What system of nerves is the main controller of the heart?

A

The specialised excitatory and conductive system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What is the specialised excitatory and conductive system made up of?

A
  • Sinus node
  • Internodal pathways
  • Atrioventricular node
  • AV bundle
  • Left & right branches of Purkinje fibres
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What occurs during normal conditions for control of the heart by nerves?

A

Continuous low-level sympathetic stimulation

33
Q

What does increasing sympathetic stimulation do?

A

Increase both rate and force of contractions

34
Q

What nerve is associated with parasympathetic stimulation of the heart and what does it achieve?

A

Vagus nerve; slowing of heart rate

35
Q

True or false: Increased arterial pressure has little effect on cardiac output in normal ranges

36
Q

What is cardiac output tied to?

A

Blood flow through the body and hence venous return

37
Q

What is an electrocardiogram?

A

A recording of the electrical potentials generated by the heart

38
Q

What does the P wave, QRS complex and T wave represent?

A

P wave: Atrial depolarisation
QRS complex: Ventricle depolarisation
T wave: Repolarisation

39
Q

What is a cardiac arrhythmia?

A

An abnormal rhythm of the heart

40
Q

What are the causes of cardiac arrhythmias?

A

Pacemaker abnormality, shift of the pacemaker, blockage of nervous impulse, abnormal pathways, spontaneous generation of false impulses

41
Q

What percentage of circulation is systemic?

42
Q

What percentage of circulation is pulmonary?

43
Q

What is systemic circulation also known as?

A

Peripheral circulation of greater circulation

44
Q

What vessels have the largest total cross-sectional area of the circulation?

A

Capillaries

45
Q

What is the formula for velocity of blood flow?

A

Velocity of blood flow = blood flow/cross sectional area

46
Q

Where is velocity of blood flow greatest?

47
Q

What vessels hold the majority of blood volume?

A

Veins (64%)

48
Q

In what areas of the circulatory system are there high pressures, low pressures and a large pressure drop?

A

High pressures: Arterial tree (aorta, arteries, arterioles)
Low pressures: Venous system
Large pressure drop: Arteriolar-capillary junction

49
Q

What is blood flow to tissues controlled in relation to?

A

Tissue needs, by dilation/constriction, CNS and hormones

50
Q

What is cardiac output controlled by?

A

Local tissue flow, with help from nerve signals

51
Q

Arterial pressure is controlled independent of __?

A

Local blood flow control or cardiac output control

52
Q

What is arterial pressure controlled by?

A

Nervous reflexes

53
Q

What is blood flow?

A

The quantity of blood that passes a given point in the circulation in a given period of time

54
Q

How is a unit of blood flow usually expressed?

A

Volume/time (usually mL/min or L/min)

55
Q

What is the overall flow in the circulation (cardiac output) of an adult?

56
Q

What is laminar flow?

A

Blood flows in streamlines with each layer of blood remaining the same distance from the wall

57
Q

What happens when laminar flow occurs and what does it create?

A

Velocity of blood in the centre of the vessel is greater than that toward the outer-edge; creates a parabolic profile

58
Q

What are the causes of turbulent flow?

A

High velocities, sharp turns in circulation, rough surfaces and rapid narrowing of the blood vessels

59
Q

Laminar flow is silent, whereas turbulent flow tends to cause __?

60
Q

What are murmurs, or bruits, important in diagnosing?

A

Vessel stenosis, vessel shunts and cardiac valvular lesions

61
Q

What does turbulent flow increase?

A

Wall stress

62
Q

What is blood pressure?

A

The force exerted by the blood against any unit area of vessel wall

63
Q

What is blood pressure measured in?

64
Q

Which vessel walls are stronger, arteries or veins?

65
Q

What is vascular distensibility?

A

The fractional increase in volume for each mmHg rise in pressure

66
Q

What is vascular capacitance?

A

The total quantity of blood that can be stored in a given portion of the circulation for each mmHg

67
Q

What is the formula for capacitance?

A

Capacitance = volume x distensibility

68
Q

What happens when veins are constricted?

A

Large quantities of blood are transferred to the heart, increasing cardiac output

69
Q

What is central venous pressure and what is it determined by?

A

Pressure in the right atrium; determined by the balance of the heart pumping blood out of the right atrium and the flow of blood from the large veins into the right atrium

70
Q

What factors increase right atrial pressure?

A
  • Increased blood volume
  • Increased venous tone/pressure
  • Dilation of arterioles
  • Decreased cardiac function
71
Q

What doe increases in right atrial pressure cause?

A

Blood to back up into the venous system, increasing venous pressure

72
Q

What factors cause resistance to flow in large peripheral veins?

A

Compressional factors, e.g. blood vessel turning near a bone

73
Q

Where can venous pressure become negative and why?

A

In the dural sinuses, because the skull cavity prevents vein collapse

74
Q

What is the function of venous valves?

A

Ensure blood only flows towards the heart & reduce venous pressure in the lower limbs

75
Q

How can venous valves become damaged and what does it result in?

A

Due to over stretching from excess venous pressure, as valves cannot expand. Results in further increases in venous pressure

76
Q

What organs/vessels serve as blood reservoirs?

A

Spleen, liver, large abdominal veins and venous plexus

77
Q

What two changes lead to increases in blood flow?

A

Increases in tissue metabolism & decreases in oxygen availability

78
Q

What are the two major theories of local blood flow?

A

The vasodilator theory & the oxygen demand theory

79
Q

What is the function of the lymphatic system?

A

Provide an accessory route for interstitial fluid & destroy bacteria

Advanced Physiology (10 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions