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MCAT Biology > The Cardiovascular System > Flashcards

The Cardiovascular System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 2 types of circulation? What kind of blood does each receive?

A
  1. Pulmonary - deoxygenated blood

2. Systemic - oxygenated blood

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2
Q

What valve separates the right atria and the right ventricle?

A

Tricuspid

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3
Q

What valve separates the left atria and the left ventricle?

A

Bicuspid

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4
Q

What valve separates the right ventricle and the vasculature?

A

Pulmonary

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5
Q

What valve separates the left ventricle and the vasculature?

A

Aortic

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6
Q

What is the FULL blood pathway?

A
  1. Right atrium
  2. Right ventricle
  3. Pulmonary artery
  4. Lungs
  5. Pulmonary vein
  6. Left atrium
  7. Left ventricle
  8. Aorta
  9. Arteries
  10. Arterioles
  11. Capillaries
  12. Venules
  13. Veins
  14. Vanea cavae
  15. Right atrium
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7
Q

Which side of the heart is more muscular? Why?

A

The left side because the systemic circulation has a much higher resistance and pressure

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8
Q

What is the pathway of electrical conduction in the heart?

A
  1. SA node
  2. 2 atria contract
  3. Atrial systole –> atrial kick
  4. AV node
  5. Bundle of His
  6. Purkinje fibers
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9
Q

Where is the SA node?

A

At the top of the atria

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10
Q

Where is the AV node?

A

In the middle of the heart above the 2 ventricles

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11
Q

What are cardiac muscle cells connected by? What do these contain?

A

Intercalated discs

Gap junctions

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12
Q

Through which nerve does the heart receive neural input to slow down?

A

Vagus nerve

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13
Q

What happens during systole?

A

Ventricules contract

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14
Q

What happens during diastole?

A

Atria contract

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15
Q

What is the cardiac output equation?

A

CO = heart rate . volume of blood per beat

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16
Q

What is the P wave of the EKG?

A

Just before the atria contract

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17
Q

What is the QRS complex on the EKG?

A

Just before the ventricles contract

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18
Q

What is the T wave of the EKG?

A

Ventricular repolarization

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19
Q

What happens during a heart attack or myocardial infarction?

A

Lack of O2 to heart –> muscle tissue begins to die

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20
Q

How to treat a heart attack or myocardial infarction?

A

Beta blockers: they block the sympathetic stimulation –> decrease heart rate

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21
Q

What is the S1 sound due to?

A

AV valves closing

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22
Q

What is the S2 sound due to?

A

Semilunar valves closing

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23
Q

What are the S3 and S4 sounds due to?

A

Stiffness of heart or high blood pressure

24
Q

What is ventricular tachycardia?

A

Elevated heart rate –> ventricles cannot properly fill up –> drop in systemic blood pressure –> death

25
Q

What are the 2 types of arteries that contain deoxygenated blood?

A

Pulmonary and umbilical

26
Q

What are the 2 types of veins that contain oxygenated blood?

A

Pulmonary and umbilical

27
Q

What are varicose veins due to?

A

Failure of venous valves

28
Q

What is another name for platelets?

A

Thrombocytes

29
Q

What is hemolysis?

A

destruction of red blood cells

30
Q

What antigens does the blood type A produce?

31
Q

What antibodies does the blood type A produce?

32
Q

What antibodies does the blood type O produce?

A

Anti-A and Anti-B

33
Q

What antibodies does the blood type AB produce?

34
Q

What antigens does the blood type O produce?

35
Q

What antigens does the blood type B produce?

36
Q

What antigens does the blood type AB produce?

37
Q

What antibodies does the blood type B produce?

38
Q

What blood type can A types donate to?

39
Q

What blood type can B types donate to?

40
Q

What blood type can O types donate to?

41
Q

What blood type can AB types donate to?

42
Q

Is the Rh factor dominant or recessive?

43
Q

What is blood pressure measured by?

A

Sphygmomanometer

44
Q

What is the role of the atrial natriuretic peptide hormone?

A

Lower blood pressure

45
Q

What type of reaction binds and releases O2 on hemoglobin?

46
Q

What does the hydrostatic pressure do? What does it depend on?

A

It pushes fluids out of vessels into the tissues

Depends on blood pressure –> heart beat

47
Q

What does the oncotic/osmotic pressure do? What does it depend on?

A

It pulls fluids back into the vessels

Depends on number of particles in the blood

48
Q

What is the balancing of the osmotic and hydrostatic pressures called?

A

Starling forces

49
Q

Describe the coagulation cascade (6 steps)

A
  1. Endothelial lining of vessel is damaged
  2. Collagen and tissue factor are exposed
  3. Platelets bind to collagen
  4. Thrombin activates fibrin
  5. Fibrin stabilizes the platelets binding
  6. Plasmin breaks down the clot
50
Q

Which cells are the only blood cells to contain a nucleus?

A

Leukocytes

51
Q

What is the enzyme catalyzing the bicarbonate buffer system?

A

carbonic anhydrase

52
Q

What is the vascular structure creating the most resistance to blood flow?

A

Arterioles

53
Q

What is albumin?

A

The main protein in plasma

54
Q

Why is there more blood in the pulmonary circulatory system?

A

Because the veins lack smooth muscles and can stretch

55
Q

During pregnancy, can the two bloods touch each other?

A

Yes, a very small amount

56
Q

Is hemoglobin a homotetradimer or a heterotetradimer? Why?

A

Hetero, because each hemoglobin has 2 subunits

MCAT Biology (18 decks)

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