The Heart: Structure, Physiology, Cardiac Cycle, Arterial Blood Pressure. Flashcards
The heart is the organ responsible for the _____________ of the blood.
circulation
Found in the thorax in a cavity of its own called the…
pericardium
The pericardium is lined by a layer of simple squamous epithelium called ______________ - forming part of the pericardial membrane.
mesothelium
The outer covering of the heart, the _________________, is covered by a mesothelium.
epicardium
Cardiac muscle is __________ but arranged into individual cells separated by areas of _______________.
striated, intercalated discs
What are intercalated discs?
These are special membranes with numerous gap junctions allowing a free diffusion of ions from cell to cell.
Heart rate is regulated by the…
cardiovascular/cardiac centre in the medulla oblongata which responds to pressure receptors in the walls of blood vessels and other stimuli.
The adult human heart normally contract at about…
72 beats/min
Contraction begins spontaneously in an area called the…
sino-atrial (SA) node, in the right atrial wall near the entry of the superior vena cava.
The SA node or pacemaker consists of…
a modified cardiac muscle mixed with nerve fibres of the autonomic nervous system (i.e. Sympathetic and Parasympathetic [Vagus nerve, cranial nerve X] nervous systems).
The heart-beat originates spontaneously at the _________ because of the _________ of cardiac muscle (-the SA node generates ‘100 beats per min’ )
SA node, myogenic nature
How is the heart beat made to slow down or speed up?
By the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
Sympathetic fibres…
normally discharge at a slow rate but can increase heart rate by up to 100%.
Parasympathetic fibres can…
reduce the heart rate by 30%.
The atria are separated from the ventricles by the connective tissue of the _______________ (cannot carry the action potential) so the contraction wave stops.
annulus fibrosus
Because of the annulus fibrosus there is…
a delay of 0.11 sec between atrial and ventricular contraction.
Impulses travelling to the base of the right atrial wall near the centre of the heart, stimulate another special region which is called the…
Atrio-Ventricular (AV) node.
The AV node transmits an impulse to the muscles of the ventricles, via the _____________________ which cause the muscles to _______.
‘His-Purkinje system’ of specialized fibres, contract simultaneously.
The His-Purkinje system consists of the following parts:
Bundle of His/atrioventricular bundle (the start of the system)
Right bundle branch
Left bundle branch
Purkinje fibres (the end of the system
What is the contraction of heart chambers know as?
Systole
What is the relaxation of heart chambers known as?
Diastole
The period from the end of one contraction to the end of the next is called the…
cardiac cycle