The Cardiovascular System Flashcards
What are the functions of the cardiovascular system?
Delivers gases nutrients and hormones to the cells and tissues. Removes waste products.
What makes up the cardiovascular system?
Blood, the circulatory system and the heart.
What is the role of blood in the cardiovascular system?
Suspends substances to be carried around the body
What is the role of the circulatory system in the cardiovascular system?
Carries the blood to and from the cells and tissues.
What is the role of the heart in the cardiovascular system?
Acts as a pump to circulate the blood.
Which vessels carry blood away from the heart?
Arteries
Which vessels return blood to the heart?
Veins
How are arteries and veins connected?
Capillaries
What is the role of capillaries
Site of gas/nutrient exchange
How do you count the arterial pulse?
Pressing a superficial artery against a bone. Pulse sites: Carotid, radial, ulna, facial, temporal, dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial.
Where does the pulmonary artery carry blood from and to?
From the heart to the lungs
Where does the pulmonary vein carry blood from and to?
From the lungs to the heart
What are the 3 layers that make up blood vessels?
Tunica intima (endothelium), tunica media (muscle layer) and tunica externa (adventia – connective tissue).
In comparison to veins, do arteries have thinner or thicker walls?
Thicker
In comparison to veins, do arteries have a smaller or larger lumen?
Smaller – because arteries have thicker walls.
Of arteries and veins, which have valves?
Veins
What are the 3 types of arteries?
Elastic (conducting), muscular (distributing) and arterioles (resistance vessels)
There are 3 types of capillaries, what are they?
Continuous, fenestrated and sinusoids
What connects arterioles with venules?
Metarterioles
What do precapillary sphincters do and where are they located?
They control the flow to individual capillary beds. They are located at the opening of each capillary.
What is the role of venules?
Collecting blood from capillary beds and delivering it to small veins
What makes up the lymphatic system?
Network of lymph vessels, lymph and lymphatic tissues and organs
What are the functions of the lymphatic system?
Involved in the bodys defence mechanism and provides a mechanism for the drainage of interstitial fluid.
At what end of the capillary does fluid move into the interstitial space?
The arterial end
At what end of the capillary does fluid move back into the capillary?
The venous end
Approximately what percentage of fluid is left in the interstitial space?
15%
How is the excess fluid in the interstitial space returned to the blood?
Via the lymph vessels in the lymphatic system
What happens when the excess fluid in the interstitial space is not drained?
Oedema
29- The right lymphatic duct drains the right side of the head, thorax and right upper limb via:
The right lymphatic duct to the right subclavian vein.
30- The thoracic duct drains the left side of the body and the bottom right side of the body via:
The thoracic duct to the left subclavian vein.
Where is the heart located?
The thorax between the lungs.
Between the 2nd and 5th ribs with the apex of the heart slightly to the left.
How is the heart protected?
By the ribs and the body of the sternum
The pericardium consists of:
Fibrous pericardium and serous pericardium
What does fibrous pericardium do?
Prevents the heart overfilling
What does serous pericardium do?
Has serous fluid to prevents friction of the heart.
What are the 3 layers of the heart wall?
Endocardium (inner), myocardium (muscle) and epicardium (outer)
Where are the pectinate muscles found in the heart?
In the right atrium
When are the atrioventricular valves open?
When the blood is flowing from the atria to the ventricles
The atrioventricular valves are anchored to papillary muscles to prevent eversion of the valves during ventricular contraction by what?
Chordae tendinae
What is the role of valves in the heart?
Prevent backflow of blood
When are the semilunar valves open?
When the blood is being pumped out of the ventricles to prevent backflow into the ventricles.
What do coronary angiograms do?
Determine whether there is a blockage in the coronary arteries
The conducting system of the heart consists of:
The sinoatrial node, the atrioventricular node, the bundle of his, right and left bundle branches and the purkinjie fibres.
What does an electrocardiogram do?
Records the spread of electrical activity through the heart muscle.
On an electrocardiogram what does the P wave represent?
Depolarisation of the atria
On an electrocardiogram what does the QRS complex represent?
Depolarisation of the ventricles
On an electrocardiogram what does the T wave represent?
Repolarisation of the ventricles
How does foetal circulation differ to adult circulation?
Oxygen and nutrients are received from placenta via umbilical cord. Blood bypasses non-functional lungs and liver.
After birth what happens to the pressure in the left side of the heart?
It rises
After birth what happens to the pressure in the right side of the heart and pulmonary circulation?
It falls
