Week 4 - Cardiac Physiology Flashcards
Heart Location
-superior surface of the diaphragm
-left of the midline
-anterior to the vertebral column
-posterior to the sternum
Pericardium
double walled sac composed of:
-superfician fibrous pericardium
-deep, 2 layer serous pericardium separated by fluid filled pericardial cavity
Parietal Layer of Pericardium
lines the internal surface of the fibrous pericardium
Visceral Layer of the Pericardium
aka epicardium
-lines the surface of the heart
Function of the Pericardium
-protects and anchors the heart
-prevents overfilling of the heart with blood
-allows for the heart to work in a relatively friction free environment
Epicardium
Heart Wall
visceral layer of the serous pericardium
Myocaridum
Heart Wall
cardiac muscle layer forming the bulk of the heart
Fibrous Skeleton
Heart Wall
criss corssing interlacing layer of connective tissue
Endocardium
Heart Wall
endothelial layer of the inner myocardial surface
Secretory Lining
Pericardial Sac
secretes pericardial fluid
-provides lubrication to prevent friction between pericardial layers
Pericarditis
inflammation of the pericardial sac
-can cause compression of the heart
Complications of Pericarditis
Cardiac Tamponade
-extra fluid can cause compression around the heart
-Cardiac Tamponade is an emergency in which the heart cannot fill with blood due to compression
-C.O. is reduced
-can also result from pleural effusion (chemo or lung cancer)
Vessels Returning Blood to the Heart
SVC, IVC, R + L Pulmonary veins
Vessels Conveying Blood Away from the Heart
-pulmonary trunk (splits onto R & L PA)
-ascending aorta (brachiocephalic, left common carotid, subclavian arteries)
Why is the L Ventricle most inferior?
most important part of the heart is protected
Pulmonary Artery
only artery w/ deoxygenated blood
Pulmonary Vein
only veing with oxygenated blood
Vessels that Supply/Drain the Heart
(Anterior View)
arteries:
-R & L coronary arteries (AV groove)
-marginal
-circumflex
-anterior interventricular arteries
veins:
-small cardiac
-anterior cardiac
-great cardiac
Vessels that Supply/Drain the Heart
(Posterior View)
arteries:
-R coronary artery (AV groove)
-posterior interventricular artery
veins:
-great cardiac vein
-posterior veing to LV
-coronary sinus
-middle cardiac vein
Atrioventricular Valves
(AV Valves)
prevent backflow into atria when ventricles contract
-tricuspid valve (RA + RV)
-mitral valve (LA + LV)
Chordae Tendonae
anchor AV valves to papillary muscles and prevent valves from being inverted
-large M.I. -> ruptured chordae tendonae -> prolapse, murmur
Semilunar Valves
prevent backflow of blood into ventricles
-aortic semilunar (LV + aorta)
-pulmonary semilunar (RV + pulmonary trunk)
AV Valve Open
AV Valve Function
-blood returning to heart fills atria, putting pressure on AV valves
-AV valves forced open
-ventricles fill and AV valves hang limp into ventricles
-atria contract and force additional blood into ventricles
AV Valve Closed
AV Valve Function
-vnetricles contract forcing blood against AV valve cusps
-AV valves close
-papillary muscles contract and chordae tendonae tighten, preventing valve flaps from everting into atria
Semilunar Valve Open
Semilunar Valve Function
-as ventricles contract, intraventricular pressure rises
-blood is pushed up against semilunar valves and forces them open
Semilunar Valve Closed
Semilunar Valve Function
-as ventricles relax, intraventricular pressure falls
-blood flows back from arteries filling cusps of semilunar valves and forcing them to close
Heart Muscle
Cardiac Muscle Contraction
-stimulated by nerves and self-excitable (automaticity)
-contracts as a unit
-long (250 ms) absolute refractory period
Autorhythmic Cells
Cardiac Muscle Contraction
initiate action potentials
-unstable resting potentials (pacemaker cells)
-Ca2+ influx for rising phase of A.P. (depolarization) coming from ECF + ICF
What prevents the SA node from firing?
heart block
What happens if the heart does not contract as one unit?
arrythmia if not in sync
Contraction goes from…
bottom -> up
Electrical Activity goes from…
top -> bottom
Electrical Acitivty of the Heart
-impulse starts at SA node + action potential spreads throughout R + L atria
-simultaneously, impulse goes to excite AV node via internodal pathway
-impulse passes from atria to ventricles through AV node (separated by fibrous ring)
-A.P. briefly delayed at AV node (0.1 sec) to ensure atrial contraction precedes centricular contraction to allow complete ventricular filling
-impulse travels rapidly down interventricular septum by Bundle of HIS
-impulse rapidly disperses throughout myocardium by Purkinje Fibers
-rest of ventricular cells activated by gap junctions
The rising phase of action potential is due to…
slow Ca2+ channels (L type)
Na+ channels are inactivated due to depolarization state
Purpose of AV Nodal Delay
ensure atrial contraction precedes ventricular contraction to allow for complete ventricular filling
0.1 sec delay
Purpose of Prolonged Positive Phase (Plateau) + Prolonged Contraction
A.P. of Cardiac Contractile Cells
ensures adequate ejection time (ensures ventricular filling)
-plateau due to activation of slow-L type Ca2+ channels
Steps of Ventricular Muscle Action
(Contraction)
Phase 0: fast Na+ channels
Phase 1: Na+ channels inactivated, Cl- in, K+ out
Phase 2: slow Ca2+ channels in, K+ out (so repolarization is not as fast)
Phase 3: Ca2+ channels close, big K+ efflux (out)
Phase 4: Na+/K+ pump (resting state)
Ca2+ Entry
Electrical Activity of the Heart
20% from ECF triggers larger release of Ca2+ from ICF (80%)
-leads to cross bridge cycling / contraction
Excitation-Contraction Coupling
Cardiac Contractile Cells
- A.P. in cardiac contractile cell
- travels down T-tubules
- entry of small amount of Ca2+ from ECF and release of large amount of Ca2+ from ICF
- increase in cytosolic Ca2+
- troponin-tropomyosin complex in thin filaments pulled aside
- cross-bridge cycling between thick and thin filaments
- thin filaments slide inward between thick filaments
- contraction
Purpose of Longer Refractory Period
ensures alternate periods of contraction and relaxation which are essential for pumping blood
-do not want another A.P. to happen quickly/prevent adequate time to fill/contract
-delay filling w/ blood before contraction begins
summation of A.P. and tetanus is impossible
Sequence of Excitation
SA node -> AV node (atria to atria)
AV node -> bundle branches (atria to ventricular septum)
Bundle Branches to Purkinje Fibers (ventricular septum to apex + ventricular walls)
Start of the P Wave
Heart Excitation Related to EKGs
SA node generates impulse and atrial excitation begins
Entire P Wave
Heart Excitation Related to EKGs
impulse delayed at AV node
P Wave -> Q Wave
Heart Excitation Related to EKGs
impulse passes to heart apex and ventricular excitation begins
Q Wave -> RS Wave
Heart Excitation Related to EKGs
ventricular excitation complete
Why are bundles of cardiac muscle spirally wrapped around the ventricle?
when they contract, they “wring” the blood from the apex to the base where the major arteries exit
Sympathetic Nervous System
stimulates the heart
-epinephrine and norepinephrine
Parasympathetic Nervous System
inhibits the heart’s activity
-by Vagus nerve stimulation
EKG: P Wave
atrial depolarization
-electrical signal first then muscle contracts
-SA node (RA) -> AV node (LA)
EKG: PR Segment
AV nodal delay
-ensures ventricular filling
EKG: QRS Complex
ventricular depolarization
-atria repolarizing simultaneously
-gets electrical signal before contraction
EKG: ST Segment
time during which the ventricles are contracting and emptying
EKG: T Wave
ventricular repolarization
EKG: TP Interval
time during which ventricles are relaxing and filling
Sequence of A.P. Conduction
- SA node (atrial pacemaker cells)
- AV node
- Common Bundle (Bundle of HIS)
- R + L Bundle branches
- Purkinje Fibers
- Ventricular muscle
1st 1/3 Filling of Ventricles
Cardiac Cycle
period of rapid filling
-blood from atria rushes into ventricles
ventricular diastole
2/3 FIlling of Ventricles
Cardiac Cycle
diastasis
-only blood coming back to the heart goes from atria to ventricles
-finished one cardiac cycle
-AV valves open and filling with blood
ventricular diastole
3/3 Filling of Ventricles
Cardiac Cycle
atria contract
-dump 20-30% of final ventricular volume into ventricles
-not requried for operation
-used in cases where heart needs more capacity rquired to pump than at rest (ex. exercise)
atrial systole
Period of Isovolumetric Contraction
Cardiac Cycle
all 4 valves are closed; volume in the ventricles is constant; cannot open because there is not enough pressure
-blood isn’t going anywhere
-leads to emptying of ventricles during systole
-ventricular contraction begins -> increased vent. pressure -> close AV valves
-before ventricular pressure is great enough to push semilunar valves open, both entrance and exit valves are closed/contracting
-eventually pressure will increase enough to open AV valves and fill again
-occurs during S1
no change in volume, no overall change in length
Period of Ejection
Cardiac Cycle
ventricular pressure is sufficient enough to push semilunar valves open
-blood leaving ventricles, volume decreases
-heart muscle contracts and increases pressure
-blood ejects from pulmonary artery and aorta
-AV valves closed
ventricular ejection
Period of Rapid Ejection
Cardiac Cycle
1/3 filling of ventricles (70% emptying)
Period of Slow Ejection
Cardiac Cycle
2/3 filling of ventricles (30% emptying)