The Cardiovascular System

Name the 4 chambers of the heart

Left Atrium, Right Atrium, Left Ventricle, Right Ventricle

What are the three main coronary arteries

Left Anterior Descending (LAD), Circumflex, and Right Coronary Artery, (RCA)

What are the four heart valves

Mitral Valve, Tricuspid Valve, Aortic Valve, Pulmonary Valve

What are the features of semilunar and atrioventricular valves

They are open during Diastole, and closed during Systole.

What is the biggest valve in the heart

The tricuspid valve

What is the order in which blood travels through the heart and vasculature?

Right Side of the Heart

Blood enters the heart through two large veins, the inferior and superior vena cava, emptying oxygen-poor blood from the body into the right atrium of the heart.
As the atrium contracts, blood flows from your right atrium into your right ventricle through the open tricuspid valve.
When the ventricle is full, the tricuspid valve shuts. This prevents blood from flowing backward into the atria while the ventricle contracts.
As the ventricle contracts, blood leaves the heart through the pulmonic valve, into the pulmonary artery and to the lungs where it is oxygenated.

Left Side of the Heart

The pulmonary vein empties oxygen-rich blood from the lungs into the left atrium of the heart.
As the atrium contracts, blood flows from your left atrium into your left ventricle through the open mitral valve.
When the ventricle is full, the mitral valve shuts. This prevents blood from flowing backward into the atrium while the ventricle contracts.
As the ventricle contracts, blood leaves the heart through the aortic valve, into the aorta and to the body.

Systole

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood from the chambers into the arteries. For example, with a blood pressure of 120/80 ("120 over 80"), the systolic pressure is 120. By "120" is meant 120 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury)

Diastole

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle relaxes and allows the chambers to fill with blood.

What is the Myocardium

The middle layer of the heart wall and is responsible for the cardiac contraction

The Epicardium is what?

The outer layer of the heart. Provides protection for the inner layers of the heart

What is cardiac output

The amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute. Necessarily, the cardiac output is the product of the heart rate, which is the number of beats per minute, and the stroke volume, which is amount pumped per beat. CO = HR X SV. The cardiac output is usually expressed in liters/minute.

Pericardium

*Double walled fibroserous sac that encloses the heart and roots of great vessels
Serves as a lubricated container which allows heart to move and contract
*Restricts excessive movement of heart
*Helps quarantine the heart to protect from infection

What is Stroke Volume

The volume of blood pumped from the left ventricle per beat

What is Preload

The amount of blood coming into the heart every time it fills

What is Afterload

Resistance to ventricle ejection

What is the Endocardium?

The thin inner lining of the heart chambers; also forms the surface of the valves

Great Vessels of the Heart

Pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, left coronary artery, right coronary artery

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis, or heart disease, is the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the artery walls. This buildup is called plaque. The plaque can cause arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow. Symptoms include chest pain, a numbness is the limbs or shortness of breath. Risk factors include excessive smoking/drinking or being overweight.

Hypertension

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condition where the force of blood against artery walls is too high, which can lead to serious health problems like heart attacks, stroke, and kidney failure. Hypertension is often called a "silent killer" because there are usually no symptoms. Risk factors include stress and being overweight.

Septum

Thick partition separating the two sides of the heart

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart at high pressure. Has a very narrow lumen to allow this. Contains smooth muscle and elastic fibres.

Capillaries

Very small (once cell thick), blood vessels that allow nutrients/gases to diffuse into tissues and to remove waste products in the same manner. The lumen is just wide enough to fit 1 blood cell inside.

Veins

blood vessels that carry unoxygenated blood back to the heart at low pressure. Veins have a much larger lumen than arteries to reduce resistance in blood flow. The vessel wall is also much thinner, but still contains smooth muscle and elastic fibres

Venules

smallest veins

Arterioles

smallest arteries

Pulmonary circulation

Circulation of blood between the heart and the lungs

Systemic circulation

irculation that supplies blood to all the body except to the lungs

sphygmomanometer

blood pressure cuff

Spirometer

Peak flow device

How does pulmonary circulation differ from systemic circulation?

In systemic circulation, the arteries contain oxygenated blood and the veins have deoxygenated. In pulmonary circulation, the arteries have deoxygenated blood and the veins have oxygenated