Cardiovascular System - Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering heart anatomy, cardiac cycle, conduction system, ECG, blood pressure regulation, and capillary exchange based on the lecture notes.

What are the Atria?

The two upper chambers of the heart that receive blood. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the body, and the left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs.

What is Junctional rhythm?

Pace is set by av node or av junction, causes as node to not be functional, consequences: av node takes over, slower heart rate, impulse originate at av node

Heart blockage

Clogged blood vessels can cause heart attack

Heart block

Electricity blocked from traveling normally, abnormal heart rate

Av nodal block

What is the endocardium?

Innermost layer of heart, similar to inner lining of blood vessels, interact with RBC

What is the myocardium?

Layer that includes contractile muscles, uses most energy and nutrients.

What is the pericardium?

2 continuous layers, balloon envelops heart during development

What is the conduction system?

Collection of auto rhythmic cells generate acation potential

What is aortic valve stenosis?

Fails to open completely, calcification of valve

What is aortic valve prolapse?

Fails to close completely, leads to blood returning to left ventricle

What does the Anastomosis do?

Joins the left and right coronary arteries

What do the Coronary veins do?

Collect deoxygenated blood from the heart muscle, primarily draining into the coronary sinus which then empties into the right atrium.

Where does the small cardiac vein receive blood from?

Right side of heart

Where does the anterior cardiac vein drain?

Directly into the Right Atrium

Where does the Middle Cardiac Vein receive blood from?

Right ventricle

Where does the great cardiac vein receive blood from?

Left atrium and both ventricles

Where does the coronary sinus drain?

It is a large vein that collects venous blood from the heart muscle and drains into the right atrium.

Which veins does the right atrium receive deoxygenated blood from?

Superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, coronary sinus, and anterior cardiac vein

What veins does the left atrium receive blood from?

2 right pulmonary veins and 2 left pulmonary veins

What are the functions of the heart?

1. Generate the Bp needed to propel blood through blood vessels

2. Separate pulmonary circulation from systematic circulation

3. Can alter its rate and force of contraction to match metabolic needs of tissues

What is Coronary ischemia?

It is a condition where the heart muscle does not receive enough blood (oxygen or nutrients).

What does the right coronary artery supply blood to?

Right atrium, right ventricle, and conduction system(sino atrial and atino ventricle node)

What does the left coronary artery supply blood to?

Left atrium and left ventricle

What does the circumflex artery supply blood to?

Left atrium and left ventricle

What does the anterior interventricular artery (left anterior descending artery) supply blood to?

Intravenous septum and both ventricles

What are the Ventricles?

The two lower chambers of the heart that pump blood out

What is the function of the Right Atrium?

It receives deoxygenated blood from the body via the superior/inferior vena cava and coronary sinus.

What is the function of the Left Atrium?

It receives oxygenated blood from the lungs via the pulmonary veins.

What is the function of the Right Ventricle?

It pumps blood to the lungs via the pulmonary artery.

What is the function of the Left Ventricle?

It pumps blood to the body via the aorta and generates the highest pressure.

What is an Atrioventricular (AV) valve?

It is a valve between an atrium and its ventricle, which prevents backflow; it includes the tricuspid (right) and mitral/bicuspid (left) valves.

What is the Tricuspid valve?

It is the right AV valve with three cusps, and it closes during ventricular contraction.

What is the Mitral (bicuspid) valve?

It is the left AV valve with two cusps, and it closes during ventricular contaction.

What is the Aortic semilunar valve?

It is the valve between the left ventricle and the aorta, and it closes at the start of isovolumetric relaxation.

What is the Pulmonary semilunar valve?

It is the valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, and it opens during contraction and closes after ejection.

What do Pulmonary arteries do?

They carry deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.

What do Pulmonary veins do?

They carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium.

What is the Aorta?

It is the largest artery, carrying oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the systemic circulation.

What is the lub heart sound?

It is the sound of AV valve closure

What is the dub heart sound?

It is the sound of semilunar valve closure

What is Atrial systole?

It is the contraction of the atria completing ventricular filling.

What is Isovolumetric contraction?

It is when ventricles contract with all valves closed, so volume remains constant while pressure rises.

What is Tachycardia?

High heart rate

What is Bradycardia?

Low heart rate, caused by aging, as node dysfunction, consequences: decreased cardiac output, hypotension, dizziness

What is Ventricular ejection?

It is when blood is ejected from the ventricles into the arteries, with the semilunar valves open.

What is Isovolumetric relaxation?

It is when ventricles relax with all valves closed, and the volume remains constant.

What is End-diastolic volume (EDV)?

It is the volume of blood in the ventricle at the end of diastole.

What is End-systolic volume (ESV)?

It is the volume of blood remaining in the ventricle after contraction.

What is Stroke volume (SV)?

It is the End-diastolic volume (EDV) minus the End-systolic volume (ESV), representing the amount of blood ejected per beat.

What is Cardiac output (CO)?

It is the volume of blood pumped per minute, calculated as heart rate × stroke volume.

What is Preload?

It is the degree of stretch of cardiac muscle cells at the end of diastole (related to End-diastolic volume).

What is Afterload?

It is the pressure the ventricles must overcome to eject blood (e.g., aortic pressure).

What is the SA node?

It is the Sinoatrial node, the natural pacemaker of the heart that initiates electrical impulses. Depolarization wave travels through gap junctions.

What is the AV node?

It is the Atrioventricular node, which delays conduction to allow atrial contraction

What is the Bundle of His?

It is the conduction pathway from the AV node into the ventricles. Divides into left and right branches.

What are Purkinje fibers?

They are a conduction network that distributes electrical impulses through the ventricles walls for coordinated contraction.

What are Autorhythmic cells?

Self excitable cells that can generate their own action potential

What are Contractile cells?

Muscle fibers responsible for actual pumping of the blood, make up 99% of cardiac cells

What is Depolarization?

It is when the membrane potential becomes more positive, due to Na+ influx in cardiac cells during an action potential.

What is Repolarization?

It is the return to resting membrane potential, due to K+ efflux during an action potential.

What is the Plateau phase?

It is a prolonged depolarization in cardiac muscle due to Ca^{2+} influx, characteristic of ventricular action potentials (APs).

What is the Absolute refractory period?

It is the period during which no second action potential can be triggered in a cell.

What are Gap junctions?

They are intercellular channels that electrically couple cardiac cells for synchronized contraction.

What is an ECG (electrocardiogram)?

It is a record of the heart's electrical activity, showing the P wave, QRS complex, and T wave.

What does the P wave represent on an ECG?

It represents atrial depolarization.

What does the QRS complex represent on an ECG?

It represents ventricular depolarization.

What does the T wave represent on an ECG?

It represents ventricular repolarization.

What is the PR interval?

It is the time from the start of a P wave to the start of the QRS complex, reflecting the AV node delay.

What is Coronary circulation?

It is the blood supply to the heart muscle via coronary arteries and veins, drained by the coronary sinus.

What are Coronary arteries?

They are arteries that supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle (e.g., right coronary, left coronary).

What is the Great cardiac vein?

It is a vein draining most of the heart muscle, and it drains into the coronary sinus.

What is Oxygenated blood?

It is blood rich in oxygen, typically arterial blood returning to the left heart.

What is Deoxygenated blood?

It is blood with low oxygen content, typically venous blood returning to the right heart.

What is Systemic circulation?

It is the circulation of blood from the left ventricle to the body and back to the right atrium.

What is Pulmonary circulation?

It is the circulation of blood from the right ventricle to the lungs and back to the left atrium.

What is Capillary exchange?

It is the movement of fluids and solutes between capillaries and tissues.

What is Filtration in the context of capillaries?

It is fluid movement out of capillaries at the arterial end due to hydrostatic pressure.

What is Absorption in the context of capillaries?

It is fluid movement into capillaries at the venous end due to colloid osmotic pressure.

What is Net filtration pressure (NFP)?

It is the net force driving filtration versus absorption, calculated as NFP = HP − OP.

What is Hydrostatic pressure (HP)?

It is the pressure exerted by fluid that pushes fluid out of capillaries.

What is Colloid osmotic pressure (OP)?

It is the osmotic pull by plasma proteins, drawing fluid into capillaries.

What is a Precapillary sphincter?

They are smooth muscle rings regulating the entry of blood into capillary beds.

What are Elastic arteries?

They are large conducting arteries near the heart that stretch to accommodate the pulse.

What are Muscular arteries?

They are distributing arteries with more smooth muscle, regulating blood flow to organs.

What are Capillaries?

They are exchange vessels where most gas and nutrient exchange occurs.

What are Veins?

They are blood vessels that return blood to the heart and are considered capacitance vessels.

What is Venous return?

It is the volume of blood returning to the right atrium per minute.

What is Blood pressure regulation?

It refers to the systems that maintain Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) and redistribute blood via neural and hormonal mechanisms.

What is Autonomic (neural) regulation?

It involves sympathetic and parasympathetic inputs that adjust heart rate and vessel tone.

What is the Renin-Angiotensin system (hormonal)?

It is a hormonal pathway affecting blood pressure (BP) via angiotensin II and aldosterone.

What is ADH (antidiuretic hormone)?

It is a hormone promoting water retention to increase blood volume and blood pressure (BP).

What is ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide)?

It is a hormone promoting sodium excretion and reducing blood pressure (BP).

What is Mean arterial pressure (MAP)?

It is the average arterial pressure during a single cardiac cycle, regulated by cardiac output (CO) and systemic resistance.