The Cardiovascular System: The Heart

These flashcards cover main terms and concepts related to the cardiovascular system with a focus on the heart, including anatomy, blood flow, and cardiac cycle.

The heart is located in the __ and rests on the superior surface of the diaphragm.

mediastinum

The primary function of the __ is to transport oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to all cells of the body.

cardiovascular system

The __ fibers conduct electrical impulses to coordinate the contraction of cardiac muscle cells.

Purkinje

The volume of blood pumped by each ventricle in one minute is known as __.

cardiac output

The __ valve prevents backflow into the left atrium when the left ventricle contracts.

mitral (or bicuspid) valve

During ventricular __, blood is ejected into the pulmonary trunk and aorta.

systole

The __ is the pacemaker of the heart, generating electrical impulses approximately 75 times per minute.

sinoatrial (SA) node

The __ phase of the cardiac cycle includes the contraction of the ventricles.

systole

Heart rate can be influenced by the __ system, which has cardioacceleratory and cardioinhibitory centers.

autonomic nervous

The difference in volume between end diastolic volume (EDV) and end systolic volume (ESV) determines __.

stroke volume

The __ regulates the flow of blood through the heart and prevents backflow.

heart valves

Cardiac contractile cells produces a __ response during excitation-contraction coupling.

tension

The __ is structurally different from skeletal muscle, featuring intercalated discs and a branched network.

cardiac muscle

__ is the term used when the heart beats at a rate slower than 60 beats per minute.

bradycardia

The __ effect refers to the increase in heart rate due to sympathetic activation.

positive chronotropic

The __ phase of the cardiac cycle occurs when the heart muscles relax and fill with blood.

diastole

Electrical impulses spread throughout the heart via the __ system, which includes the SA node and AV node.

conduction

Contractility of the heart can be influenced by positive and negative __ agents.

inotropic

The __ is responsible for the delay of electrical impulse transmission from the atria to the ventricles.

atrioventricular (AV) node

During __, action potentials are generated when the pacemaker cells of the heart depolarize.

excitation