Lecture 21: Cardiovascular System

These flashcards encompass key terminology and concepts related to the cardiovascular system, focusing on the anatomy of the heart, its chambers, valves, circuits, and related physiological processes.

Heart

A pump that develops pressure to eject blood into major vessels.

Aorta

The largest artery in the body, through which oxygenated blood is pumped.

Pulmonary trunk

The vessel that carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.

Pericardium

The tough membrane that separates the heart from other mediastinal structures.

Endocardium

The inner lining of the heart wall.

Myocardium

The muscle layer of the heart.

Pericardial cavity

The fluid-filled cavity surrounding the heart.

Fibrous pericardium

The outermost layer that surrounds the heart.

Great veins

The superior and inferior vena cava.

Great arteries

The aorta and the pulmonary trunk.

Atria

The chambers of the heart that receive blood.

Ventricles

The pumping chambers of the heart that propel blood to the lungs or rest of the body.

Tricuspid valve

The right AV valve located between the right atrium and right ventricle, featuring three cusps (flaps). It is connected to papillary muscles via chordae tendineae and prevents the backflow of blood into the right atrium during ventricular contraction.

Pulmonary valve

A semilunar valve situated between the right ventricle and the pulmonary trunk. It opens to allow deoxygenated blood to flow into the pulmonary circulation and closes to prevent backflow into the right ventricle during ventricular relaxation.

Bicuspid valve

Also known as the mitral valve, it is the left AV valve located between the left atrium and left ventricle, featuring two cusps. It is connected to papillary muscles via chordae tendineae and prevents the backflow of oxygenated blood into the left atrium during ventricular contraction.

Aortic valve

A semilunar valve positioned between the left ventricle and the aorta. It opens to allow oxygenated blood to flow into the systemic circulation and closes to prevent backflow into the left ventricle during ventricular relaxation.

Chordae tendineae

Fibrous cords that connect heart valves to papillary muscles.

Papillary muscles

Muscles that control the opening and closing of heart valves.

Cardiac muscle

Muscle that is short, branched, uninucleated, striated, and involuntary.

Pulmonary Circuit

The pathway that carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.

Deoxygenated blood

Blood that has given up oxygen and is rich in carbon dioxide.

Oxygenated blood

Blood that has absorbed oxygen in the lungs.

Systemic Circuit

The pathway that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the body.

Nutrients

Substances that provide nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life.

Capillary beds

Networks of capillaries where the exchange of gases and nutrients occurs.

Venules

Small blood vessels that collect deoxygenated blood from capillaries.

Systemic veins

Veins that return deoxygenated blood to the heart.

Venae cava

The largest veins in the body, which return deoxygenated blood to the right atrium.

Mediastinum

The region in the thorax between the lungs where the heart is located.

Superior vena cava

The vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the upper body to the right atrium.

Inferior vena cava

The vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the lower body to the right atrium.

Volume of blood pumped

The heart pumps nearly 1.5 gallons (5.7 liters) of blood per minute.

Average heart weight

The average male heart weighs 57 grams more than the average female heart.

Blue whale heart

The heart of the blue whale weighs more than 1,000 pounds.

Heart position

Located medially between the lungs in the mediastinum.

Base of heart

Located at the level of the third costal cartilage.

Apex of heart

The inferior part of the heart, lying just to the left of the sternum.

Heart rate

The heart beats about 100,000 times per day.

Lung anatomy

The left lung is smaller than the right lung to accommodate the heart.

Blood vessels

The system through which blood circulates, totalling about 96,000 km.

Fluid-filled cavity

The pericardial cavity that surrounds the heart.

Great arteries attachment

superiorly at the base of the heart.

Left atrium

Receives oxygenated blood from the pulmonary veins.

Right atrium

Receives deoxygenated blood from the venae cava.

Oxygen absorption

Occurs in the lungs as carbon dioxide is released.

Blood ejection

The heart's contraction develops pressure to eject blood.

Frank-Starling law

The stroke volume increases in response to an increase in the volume of blood filling the heart.

Stroke volume

The amount of blood pumped by the ventricles in one contraction.

Cardiovascular system

Comprises the heart, blood vessels, and blood.

Systemic Circuit

The systemic circuit carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle, through the aorta and systemic arteries, to capillary beds throughout the body where oxygen and nutrients are exchanged for carbon dioxide and waste. Deoxygenated blood then returns via systemic venules and veins to the superior and inferior vena cava, which empty into the right atrium.

Pulmonary Circuit

The pulmonary circuit carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle, through the pulmonary trunk and pulmonary arteries to the lungs' capillary beds for gas exchange (releasing carbon dioxide and absorbing oxygen). Oxygenated blood then returns via pulmonary venules and veins to the left atrium.

AV means what

atrioventricular