The Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Primary Function of the Heart
receives blood from the veins and pumps blood into the arteries
primary functions of the blood vessels
transport blood to and from all areas of the body
primary functions of the arteries
transport blood away from the heart to all parts of the body
primary function of the capillaries
permit the exchange of nutrients and waste products between the blood and the cells
veins
return blood from all body parts to the heart
blood
brings oxygen and nutrients to the cells and carries away waste
the cardiovascular systems consists of _________, _________ and __________________.
heart, blood vessels and blood
heart
a hollow, muscular organ located in the thoracic cavity, between the lungs.
apex
lower tip of the heart
pericardium
aka pericardial sav, the double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart
walls of the heart are made of these three layers:
epicardium, myocardium and endocardium
epicardium
the external layer of the heart and the inner layer of the pericardium
myocardium
the middle and thickest of the heart’s three layers.
-consists of specialized cardiac muscle, capable of the constant contraction and relaxation that created the pumping movement necessary to maintain the flow of blood throughout the body.
endocardium
consists of epithelial tissue, is the inner lining of the heart.
this is the surface that comes into direct contact with the blood as it is being pumped through the heart
coronary arteries
supply oxygen-rich blood to the myocardium
the heart is divided into 4 chambers:
two chambers of the atria, and the two lower chambers of the heart
atria
the receiving chambers
tricuspid valve
controls the opening between the right atrium and the right ventricle
pulmonary semilunar valve
located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery- this valve is shaped like a half moon
mitral valve
located between the left ventricle and the left atrium
valves of the heart(4)
pulmonary semilunar valve, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, aortic semilunar valve
pulmonary circulation
the flow of blood only between the heart and lungs
pulmonary arteries
carry deoxygenated blood out of the right ventricle and into the lings; only place in the body where deoxygenated blood is carried by arteries instead of veins
pulmonary veins
carry the oxygenated blood from the lungs into the left atrium of the heart
-only place in the body where veins carry oxygenated blood
systemic circulation
the flow of blood to all parts of the body except the lungs
heartbeat
the ability to pump blood effectively throughout the body; the contraction and relaxation of the heart must occur in exactly the correct sequence
sinoatrial node
located in the posterior wall of the right atrium near the entrance of the superior vena cava
-establishes the basic rhythm and rate of the heartbeat
atrioventricular node
located on the floor of the right atrium near the interatrial septum
bundle of His
a group of fibers located within the interventricular septum, these fibers carry an electrical impulse to ensure the sequence of the heart contractions
purkinje fivers
specialized conductive fibers located within the walls of the ventricles; relay the electrical impulses to the cells of the ventricles which causes the ventricles to contract and force blood out of the heart in to the aorta and pulmonary arteries
three types of blood vessels
arteries, capillaries and veins
arteries
large blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to all regions of the body
aorta
the largest blood vessel in the body; begins from the left ventricle of the heart and forms the main trunk of the arterial system
carotid arteries
the major arteries that carry blood upward to the head
arterioles
the smaller thinner branches of arteries that deliver blood to the capillaries
capillaries
microscopic blood vessel structures, that are only one cell in thickness
-delivers oxygen and nutrients to cells of the tissue
veins
form a low pressure collecting system to return oxygen poor blood to the heart
venules
are the smallest veins that join to form the larger veins
venae cavae
two largest veins in the body; return blood into the heart
pulse
the rhythmic pressure against the walls of an artery caused by the contraction of the heart
blood pressure
the measurement of the amount of systolic and diastolic pressure exerted against the walls of the arteries
systolic pressure
the highest pressure against the walls of an artery
diastolic pressure
the lowest pressure against the walls of an artery
plasma
a straw-colored fluid that contains nutrients, hormones and waste products
serum
plasma fluid after the blood cells and the clotting proteins have been removed
fibrinogen and prothrombin
are the clotting proteins found in plasma; important role of clot formation to control bleeding
erythocytes
mature red blood cells produced by the red bone marrow
hemoglobin
substance that transports nutrients and oxygen to all body tissues
leukocytes
the blood cells involved in defending the body against infective organisms and foreign substances
major groups of leukocytes(5)
neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes
neutrophils
formed in red bone marrow; play a major roles in the immune system’s defense against pathogens
phagocytosis
the process of destroying pathogens by surrounding and swallowing them
basophils
formed in the red bone marrow; responsible for causing symptoms of allergies
eosinophils
formed in red bone marrow then migrate to tissues throughout the body. these cells destroy parasitic organisms and play a major role in allergic reactions
lymphocytes
formed in red bone marrow, lymph nodes and the spleen.
-identifies foreign substances and germs in the body and produces antibodies that specifically target them
monocytes
formed in red bone marrow, lymph nodes, and the spleen.-provides immunological defenses against many infectious organisms
thrombocytes
aka platelets; the smallest formed elements of the blood
blood types
are classified according to the presence or absence of certain antigens
Rh factor
defines the presence or absence of the Rh antigen on red blood cells
blood gases
gases that are normally dissolved in the liquid portion of blood; major blood gases are oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen
cardiologist
a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating abnormalities, diseases and disorders of the heart
hematologist
is a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating abnormalities, diseases and disorders of the blood and blood forming tissues
vascular surgeon
physician who specializes in the diagnosis, medical management and surgical treatment of disorders of the blood vessels
congenital heart defects
structural abnormalities caused by the failure of the heart to develop normally before birth
coronary artery disease
atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries
atherosclerosis
hardening and narrowing of the arteries caused by a buildup of cholesterol plaque on the interior walls of the arteries
plaque
a fatty deposit
ischemia
a condition in which there is an insufficient supply of oxygen in the tissues due to restricted blood flow to a part of the body
angina
aka angina pectoris; a condition in which severe episodes of chest pain occur due to an inadequate blood flow to the myocardium
myocardial infarction
commonly known as a heart attack, is the blockage of one or more coronary arteries caused by plaque buildup
heart failure
aka congestive heart failure; the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs of oxygen and nutrients
cardiomegaly
the abnormal enlargement of the heart that is frequently associated with heart failure as the heart enlarges in an effort to compensate for its decreased pumping ability
carditis
an inflammation of the heart
endocarditis
an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart
bacterial endocarditis
an inflammation of the lining or valves of the heart caused by the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream
pericarditis
an inflammation of the pericardium; causes an accumulation of fluid within the pericardial sac, which restricts movement of the heart
myocarditis
an inflammation of the myocardium that develops as a rarely seen complication of a viral infection
cardiomyopathy
describes al diseases of the heart muscle
heart murmur
an abnormal blowing or clicking sound heard when listening to the heart or a neighboring large blood vessel
valvulitis
an inflammation of a heart valve
valvular prolapse
the abnormal protrusion of a heart valve that results in the inability of the valve to close completely
valvular stenosis
a condition in which there is narrowing, stiffening, thickening or blockage of one or more valves of the heart
asystole
known as a flat line is the complete lack of electrical activity in the heart
cardiac arrest
an event in which the heart abruptly stops beating or develops an arrhythmia that prevents it from pumping blood effectively
sudden cardiac death
when treatment of cardiac arrest is not provided within minutes
heart block
a congenital or acquired arrhythmia caused by the electrical signal moving through the heart being partially or completely blocked from reaching the ventricles
bradycardia
abnormally slow heartbeat
tachycardia
an abnormally rapid resting heart rate
superventricular tachycardia
an episode that begins and ends abruptly during which there are very rapid and regular heartbeats
ventricular tachycardia
very rapid heartbeat that begins within the ventricles
fibrillation
fast and irregular heartbeat
atrial fibrillation
the most common type of tachycardia; occurs when contractions of the atria are replaced by rapid twitching of the muscular heart wall
ventricular fibrillation
rapid, random ineffective contractions of the ventricles
palpitation
a pounding or racing heartbeat with or without irregularity in rhythm.
vasculitis
the inflammation of a blood vessel
polyarteritis
a form of vasculitis involving several medium and small arteries at the same time
temporal arteritis
a form of vasculitis that can cause headaches, visual impairment, jaw pain and other symptoms
angiostenosis
the abnormal narrowing of a blood vessel
hemangioma
a benign tumor made up of newly formed blood vessels
hypoperfusion
a deficiency of blood passing through an organ or body part
aneurysm
a localized weak spot or balloon-like enlargement of the wall of an artery
arteriosclerosis
any group of diseases characterized by thickening and the loss of elasticity of arterial walls
artereriostenosis
abnormal narrowing of an artery
chronic venous insufficiency
a condition in which venous circulation is inadequate due to partial vein blockage or to the leakage of venous valves
phlebitis
the inflammation of a vein
varicose veins
abnormally swollen veins that usually occur in the superficial veins of the legs
thrombosis
the abnormal condition of having a thrombus
thrombus
a blood clot attaches to the interior wall of an artery or vein
thrombotic occlusion
the blocking of an artery by a thrombus
coronary thrombosis
damage to the heart muscle caused by a thrombus blocking a coronary artery
deep vein thrombosis
the condition of having a thrombus attached to the interior wall of a deep vein
embolism
is the sudden blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus
embolus
a foreign object, such as a blood clot, a quantity of air or gas, or a bit of tissue or tumor that is circulating in the blood
peripheral vascular diseases
are disorders of blood vessels that are located outside of the heart and brain; usually involve narrowing of the vessels that carry blood to the legs, arms, stomach or kidneys.
peripheral arterial disease
an example of peripheral vascular disease that is caused by atherosclerosis
raynaud’s disease
a peripheral arterial occlusive disease in which intermittent attacks are triggered by cold or stress.
blood dycrasia
any pathologic condition of the cellular elements of the blood
hemochromatosis
a genetic disorder in which the intestines absorb too much iron
leukopenia
a decrease in the number of disease-fighting white blood cells circulating in the blood
polycythemia
an abnormal increase in the number of red blood cells in the blood due to excess production of these cells by the bone marrow
sepsis
a potentially life-threatening infection that results from bacteria or other infectious organisms entering the bloodstream
thrombocytopenia
a condition with an abnormally small number of platelets circulating in the blood
thrombocytosis
an abnormal increase in the number of platelets in the circulating blood
hemorrhage
the loss of a large amount of blood in a short time
transfusion reaction
a serious and potentially fatal complication of a blood transfusion in which severe immune response occurs because the patient’s blood and the donated blood do not match
cholesterol
a fatty substance that travels through the blood and is found in all parts of the body ; aids in production of cell membranes, some hormones and vitamin D.
hyperlipidemia
describes elevated levels of cholesterol and other fatty substances in the blood
total cholesterol
measured in mg per deciliter of blood
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
referred to as bad cholesterol because excess quantities of LDL contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
referred to as good cholesterol because it carries unneeded cholesterol back to the liver for processing and does not contribute to plaque buildup
triglycerides
combinations of fatty acids attached to glycerol that are also found normally in the blood in limited quantities
myelodysplastic syndrome
a type of cancer in which there is insufficient production of one or more types of blood cells due to dysfunction of the bone marrow
leukemia
a type of cancer characterizes by a progressive increase in the number of abnormal leukocytes
anemia
a lower-than-normal number of erythrocytes in the blood
aplastic anemia
characterized by an absence of all formed blood elements caused by the failure of blood cell production in the bone marrow
megaloblastic anemia
a blood disorder characterized by anemia in which the red blood cells are larger than normal
pernicious anemia
caused by a lack of the protein that helps the body absorb vitamin b12 from the gastrointestinal tract
hemolytic anemia
characterized by an inadequate number of circulating red blood cells due to the premature destruction of red blood cells
sickle cell anemia
a serious genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, resulting some red blood cells assuming an abnormal sickle shape
thalassemia
an inherited blood disorder that causes mild or severe anemia due to reduced hemoglobin and fewer red blood cells than normal
hypertension
is the elevation of arterial blood pressure to a level that is likely to cause damage to the cardiovascular system
hypotension
lower than normal arterial blood pressure
orthostatic hypotension
low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up
angiography
is a radiographic study of the blood vessels after the injection of a contrast medium
cardiac catheterization
a diagnostic and treatment procedure in which a catheter is passed into a vein or artery then guided into the heart
digital subtraction angiography
uses angiography with computer assistance to clarify the view of the area of interest in the cardiovascular system by subtracting the soft tissue and bones from the images
duplex ultrasound
a diagnostic procedure to image the structures of the blood vessels and the flow of blood through these vessels
venography
a radiographic test that provides an image of specific veins after a contrast dye is injected
electrocardiography
the noninvasive process of recording the electrical activity of the myocardium
holter monitor
a portable electrocardiograph that is worn by an ambulatory patient to continuously monitor the heart rates and rhythms
stress test
performed yo assess cardiovascular health and function during and after stress
thallium stress test
performed to evaluate how well blood flows through the coronary arteries of the heart muscle during exercise by injecting a small amount of thallium into the bloodstream
antihypertensive
a medication administered to lower blood pressure
ACE inhibitor
blocks the action of the enzyme that causes the blood vessels to contract, resulting in hypertension
beta-blocker
reduces the workload of the heart by slowing the rate of the heartbeat
calcium channel blocker agents
cause the heart and blood vessels to relax by decreasing the movement of calcium into the cells of these structures
diuretic
administered to stimulate the kidneys to increase the secretion of urine to rid the body of excess sodium and water
antiarrhythmic
a medication administered to control irregularities of the heart beat
anticoagulant
slows coagulation and prevents new clots from forming
coumadin
an anticoagulant administered to prevent blood clots from forming or growing larger
thrombolytic
aka clot-busting drug; dissolves or causes a thrombus to breakup
vasoconstrictor
causes blood vessels to narrow
vasodilator
causes blood vessels to expand
nitroglycerin
a vasodilator that is prescribed to prevent or relieve the pain of angina by dilating the blood vessels to the heart
angioplasty
the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel
percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
aka balloon angioplasty; a procedure in which a small balloon on the end of a catheter is used to open a partially blocked coronary artery by flattening the plaque deposit and stretching the lumen
laser angioplasty
involves a laser on the end of a catheter; uses beams of light to remove plaque deposit
stent
a wire-mesh tube that is commonly placed after the artery has been opened
restenosis
describes the condition when an artery that has been opened by angioplasty closes again
atherectomy
the surgical removal of plaque buildup from the interior of an artery
carotid endarterectomy
the surgical removal of the lining of a portion of a clogged carotid artery leading to the brain
coronary artery bypass graft
the procedure which requires opening the chest, a piece of vein from the leg or chest is implanted on the heart to replace a blocked coronary artery
minimally invasive coronary artery bypass
an alternative technique; performed with the aid of a fiber-optic camera through small openings between the ribs
defibrillation
the use of electrical shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm
artificial pacemaker
used primarily as treatment for bradycardia or atrial fibrillation; electronic device can be attached externally or implanted under the skin with connections leading into the heart to regulate heartbeat
cardiac ablation
a procedure that uses radio-frequency energy or cryoablation to scar or destroy the heart tissue triggering an abnormal heart rhythm.
valvuloplasty
is the surgical repair of a heart valve
heart valve replacement
surgery to replace one of the heart’s four valves, usually the aortic or mitral valve
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
an emergency procedure for life support consisting of artificial respiration and manual external cardiac compression
aneurysmectomy
the surgical removal of an aneurysm
aneurysmorrhaphy
the surgical suturing of an aneurysm
aneurysm clipping
surgical method to isolate an aneurysm from the rest of the circulatory system by placing a small clip across its neck
arteriectomy
the surgical removal of part of an artery
hemostasis
means to stop or control bleeding
plasmapheresis
the removal of whole blood from the body and separation of the blood’s cellular elements
