Cardiovascular System Lecture Review

38 question-and-answer flashcards covering heart anatomy, electrical conduction, blood flow, cardiovascular functions, body systems, blood components, and major cardiovascular disorders.

What are the three primary functions of the cardiovascular system?

Oxygenate cells, deliver nutrients/glucose, and remove waste products such as carbon dioxide.

Approximately how big and heavy is the human heart?

About the size of a fist and weighing 7–15 ounces.

Where is the heart located in the chest?

In the middle of the chest behind the sternum, leaning slightly to the left.

What is the name of the double-layered membrane that encloses the heart?

The pericardium.

What are the outer and inner layers of the pericardium called?

Outer fibrous parietal pericardium and inner visceral pericardium.

What separates the two pericardial layers?

A fluid-filled space.

Name the four chambers of the heart.

Right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle, and left ventricle.

What muscular wall separates the right and left sides of the heart?

The septum.

Which node is known as the heart’s natural pacemaker?

The sinoatrial (SA) node.

In which chamber wall is the SA node located?

The wall of the right atrium.

Which node receives electrical impulses from the SA node?

The atrioventricular (AV) node.

Where is the AV node situated?

Between the atria and ventricles at the AV junction.

After passing the AV node, through what structures do impulses travel toward the ventricles?

The right and left bundle branches and then the Purkinje fibers.

What is the intrinsic firing rate of the SA node?

60–100 beats per minute.

What is the intrinsic firing rate of the AV node?

40–60 beats per minute.

What property enables every heart cell to create an electrical impulse?

Automaticity.

What term describes an abnormal heart rhythm resulting from conduction problems?

Arrhythmia.

Which valve directs blood from the right atrium to the right ventricle?

The tricuspid valve.

Which valve regulates blood flow from the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery?

The pulmonary semilunar valve.

Which valve controls blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle?

The mitral (bicuspid) valve.

Which valve allows blood to move from the left ventricle into the aorta?

The aortic semilunar valve.

Through which two large vessels does deoxygenated blood return to the right atrium?

The superior vena cava and inferior vena cava.

Which vessels transport oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the heart?

The pulmonary veins.

List the three main components of the cardiovascular system.

Heart, blood vessels, and blood.

Name the three basic vessel types in the arterial system.

Arteries, arterioles, and arterial capillaries.

Identify the four major coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle.

Right coronary, left main, left anterior descending, and left circumflex arteries.

What are the three primary formed elements of blood?

Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Name the five major types of white blood cells (leukocytes).

Monocytes, lymphocytes, basophils, neutrophils, and eosinophils.

Which body system transforms food into energy and eliminates solid waste?

The digestive system.

Which body system releases hormones to regulate metabolism, growth, and reproduction?

The endocrine system.

Which body system defends the body against foreign substances?

The immune system.

Which body system regulates gas exchange by bringing in oxygen and removing carbon dioxide?

The respiratory system.

Which cardiovascular disorder is marked by fatty deposits inside arteries?

Atherosclerosis.

What is edema and one cardiovascular cause of it?

Edema is swelling from fluid retention; it often results from heart failure.

What is thrombophlebitis?

Inflammation of a vein caused by a blood clot forming inside it.

Give two common underlying causes of chronic heart failure.

Coronary artery disease and hypertension (others include cardiomyopathy and valvular disorders).

What does STEMI stand for?

ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Why is a STEMI considered especially dangerous?

It involves complete blockage of one or more coronary arteries, causing myocardial damage that requires immediate reperfusion to prevent death.