Lecture 6: Introduction to the Cardiovascular System

What are the layers of the blood vessels from inner to outermost?

Tunica intima

Tunica media

Tunica adventitia

What are the key differences between arteries and veins?

Arteries have thick walls (tunica media) and high pressures

Veins have thin walls (tunica media), low pressures, and have valves

What are conducting arteries?

Large arteries close to the heart that have elastic walls

What are distributing arteries?

Arteries that control the distribution of blood

What are capillary systems?

Single-layer endothelial vessels that allow for exchange

What is found in the superior mediastinum?

Trachea

Great vessels of heart

Vagus nerve

Phrenic nerve

What is found in the anterior mediastinum?

Fat

Connective tissue

What is found in the middle mediastinum?

Heart

Phrenic nerve

Roots of great vessels

What is found in the posterior mediastinum?

Bronchi

Esophagus

Vagus nerve

Thoracic Duct

What are the protective layers of the heart?

Fibrous pericardium

Serous pericardium

What nerve is embedded within the fibrous pericardium?

Phrenic

What layer is continuous with the tunica adventitia of the heart’s great vessels?

Fibrous pericardium

What are the layers of the serous pericardium?

Parietal

Visceral

What are the components of the pericardial sac?

Fibrous pericardium

Parietal layer of serous pericardium

What is the visceral layer of the serous pericardium equivalent to?

Epicardium

What are the layers of the heart?

Epicardium

Myocardium

Endocardium

What are the characteristics of the right atrium?

Fossa ovalis

Pectinate

More muscular than the left atrium

What are the characteristics of the right ventricle?

Trabeculae carnae

3 groups of papillary muscles with chordae tendinae

What are the characteristics of the left atrium?

Semilunar depression

pectinate

What are the characteristics of the left ventricle?

Thicker myocardium

Trabeculae carnae

2 groups of papillary muscles with chordae tendinae

What is the bicuspid valve also called?

Mitral valve

How many cusps do each of the semilunar valves have?

3

What are the arteries of the coronary circuit?

RCA

LCA

LAD (Widowmaker)

LCX (Circumflex)

PDA

Coronary Sinus

What does the coronary sinus do?

Return venous blood to the right atrium

What is a coronary occlusion?

Partial/complete blockage of blood flow

What is angina pectoris?

Chest pain

What is an MI?

Heart attack

Death of myocardium due to coronary occlusion

How do you treat coronary occlusion?

Angioplasty and catheterization

Coronary bypass

How does the autonomic nervous system influence the blood vessels of the cardiovascular system?

Symp - Controls blood vessels everywhere.

Parasymp - Only controls blood vessels in GI and genitals

Cardiac muscle cells are myogenic. What does this mean?

The heart has an intrinsic conducting system

What is the pacemaker of the heart?

SA node

What controls blood ejection from the heart?

AV node

How does the autonomic nervous system regulate heart function?

Para - CN X Vagus decreases heart function

Symp - T1-T6 increase heart function (upper part of thoracolumbar)

How do the symptoms of males and females differ when having a MI?

Males experience more pain and are triggered by physical exertion

Women experience more sickness and are triggered by emotional stress