Heart Physiology, Blood Flow, Coronary Circulation, and Cardiac Muscle Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering heart anatomy, valve progression, blood flow pathways, coronary circulation, cardiac ischemic pathologies, and structural characteristics of cardiac muscle.

Coronary circulation

The heart's own vascular system of arteries and veins that keeps the myocardium supplied with oxygenated blood and collects deoxygenated blood.

Superior and inferior venae cavae

Large veins that deliver deoxygenated blood returning from the body directly into the right atrium.

Tricuspid valve

The heart valve located between the right atrium and right ventricle that closes to prevent blood from flowing backward into the atrium during ventricular contraction.

Chordae tendineae

Strands of fibrous connective tissue extending from papillary muscles to valve cusps that anchor the cusps and prevent the tricuspid valve from inverting during ventricular contraction.

Papillary muscles

Conical muscles on the floor of the ventricle that contract alongside the ventricles to pull on chordae tendineae and keep valve cusps anchored.

Pulmonary valve

The valve forced open when the right ventricle contracts, allowing blood to flow into the pulmonary arteries and closing to prevent backflow into the right ventricle.

Mitral valve

Also known as the bicuspid valve, the structure that opens to allow blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle and closes when the left ventricle is full to prevent backflow.

Aortic valve

The valve forced open when the left ventricle contracts, allowing oxygenated blood to pass into the aorta for systemic distribution.

TRY PULling MY Aorta

A memory mnemonic representing the sequential progression of heart valves: Tricuspid, Pulmonic, Mitral, Aortic.

Right coronary artery

A main coronary artery arising from the ascending aorta that supplies oxygenated blood to the right atrium, part of the left atrium, most of the right ventricle, and the inferior part of the left ventricle.

Left coronary artery

A main coronary artery arising from the ascending aorta that branches into the anterior descending and circumflex arteries to supply the left atrium, most of the left ventricle, and most of the interventricular septum.

Left anterior descending (LAD) artery

A branch of the left coronary artery supplying blood to the front and main wall of the left ventricle, occlusion of which is sometimes called the 'widow maker.'

Cardiac veins

Vessels that collect deoxygenated blood from the capillaries of the myocardium after oxygen has been delivered.

Coronary sinus

A large transverse vein on the heart's posterior surface that collects deoxygenated blood from most cardiac veins and returns it to the right atrium.

Anterior cardiac veins

Specific cardiac veins that empty deoxygenated blood directly into the right atrium rather than through the coronary sinus.

Atherosclerosis

A condition characterized by the buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits that narrows or blocks coronary arteries.

Ischemia

A deprivation of oxygen in tissue caused by an interruption or reduction of blood supply to the myocardium.

Necrosis

Cell death within tissue that occurs within minutes of sustained oxygen deprivation.

Angina pectoris

A condition causing temporary chest pain when a partially blocked coronary artery spasms or myocardial oxygen demand exceeds supply during exertion, resolving with rest.

Myocardial infarction (MI)

Also known as a heart attack, a condition where complete blockage of blood flow by a blood clot or fatty deposit results in the death of myocardial cells and creates an area of necrosis.

Collateral circulation

The development of new blood vessels that reroute blood flow around a narrowed or blocked coronary artery.

Intercalated discs

Thick end-to-end connections joining cardiac muscle cells that contain finger-like projections to prevent separation under pumping strain and gap junctions for impulse conduction.

Gap junctions

Small channels within intercalated discs that allow electrical impulses to pass rapidly from one cardiac muscle cell to the next.

Fibrosis

The scarring process through which damaged cardiac muscle repairs itself because cardiac muscle lacks specialized cells capable of dividing to replace dead fibers.