NOTES FLASHCARDS

Cardiovascular System

The system in the body that consists of the heart, blood vessels, and blood.

Pulmonary Circulation

The circulation of blood between the heart and the lungs.

Systemic Circulation

The circulation of blood between the heart and the rest of the body.

Generates blood pressure

The contractions of the heart that create the force that pushes blood through the blood vessels.

Routes Blood

The heart separates the pulmonary and systemic circulations to ensure the flow of oxygen-rich blood to tissues.

Ensures one-way blood flow

The valves of the heart ensure that blood flows in one direction through the heart and blood vessels.

Regulates blood supply

The heart adjusts its rate and force of contraction to match the changing metabolic needs of the tissues.

Pericardium

The double-layered sac that surrounds and protects the heart.

Fibrous pericardium

The outer layer of the pericardium, made of tough fibrous connective tissue.

Serous pericardium

The inner layer of the pericardium, made of connective tissue and composed of parietal pericardium and visceral pericardium.

Parietal Pericardium

The membrane around the heart's cavity.

Visceral Pericardium or Epicardium

The membrane on the surface of the heart.

Pericardial fluid

The fluid produced by the serous pericardium that fills the pericardial cavity and helps reduce friction as the heart moves.

Coronary Sulcus

The groove that extends around the heart, separating the atria from the ventricles.

Anterior Interventricular Sulcus

The groove that extends inferiorly from the coronary sulcus on the anterior surface of the heart.

Posterior Interventricular Sulcus

The groove that extends inferiorly from the coronary sulcus on the posterior surface of the heart.

Superior Vena Cava

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

Inferior Vena Cava

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

Pulmonary Veins

The four veins that carry blood from the lungs to the left atrium.

Pulmonary Trunk

The artery that arises from the right ventricle and splits into the right and left pulmonary arteries.

Right and Left Pulmonary Arteries

The arteries that carry blood to the lungs.

Aorta

The artery that arises from the left ventricle and carries blood to the rest of the body.

Left and Right Atria

The superior chambers of the heart that receive blood from the body or lungs.

Left and Right Ventricles

The inferior chambers of the heart that pump blood out of the heart.

Atrioventricular (AV) Valve

The valve located between each atrium and ventricle.

Tricuspid Valve

The AV valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle with three cusps.

Bicuspid Valve or Mitral Valve

The AV valve between the left atrium and the left ventricle with two cusps.

Semilunar Valve

The valve located between each ventricle and its associated great artery.

Pulmonary Semilunar Valve

The semilunar valve located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary trunk.

Aortic Semilunar Valve

The semilunar valve located between the left ventricle and the aorta.

Cardiac Skeleton or Fibrous Skeleton

The plate of connective tissue that surrounds the atrioventricular and semilunar valves, provides support, and serves as electrical insulation between the atria and ventricles.

Blood Flow Through Heart

The sequence of chambers and valves that blood passes through in the heart.

Cardiac Circulation

The pathway of blood flow through the heart and lungs.

Superior vena cava

A large vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the upper body to the right atrium of the heart.

Inferior vena cava

A large vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the lower body to the right atrium of the heart.

Right atrium

The chamber of the heart that receives deoxygenated blood from the body.

Right ventricle

The chamber of the heart that pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs.

Tricuspid valve

A valve between the right atrium and right ventricle that prevents backflow of blood.

Pulmonary semilunar valve

A valve between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery that prevents backflow of blood.

Pulmonary trunk

The main artery that carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.

Pulmonary artery

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

Pulmonary veins

The veins that carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart.

Left atrium

The chamber of the heart that receives oxygenated blood from the lungs.

Bicuspid valve or mitral valve

A valve between the left atrium and left ventricle that prevents backflow of blood.

Left ventricle

The chamber of the heart that pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.

Aortic semilunar valve

A valve between the left ventricle and aorta that prevents backflow of blood.

Aorta

The main artery that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

Coronary arteries

Arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle.

Coronary sinus

A large vein that collects deoxygenated blood from the heart muscle and returns it to the right atrium.

Coronary artery

Arteries that supply blood to the heart wall.

Left coronary artery

An artery that originates on the left side of the aorta and supplies blood to the anterior wall of the heart and left ventricle.

Right coronary artery

An artery that originates on the right side of the aorta and supplies blood to the right ventricle.

Cardiac veins

Veins that drain blood from the cardiac muscle.

Epicardium

The outer surface of the heart.

Myocardium

The middle layer of the heart composed of cardiac muscle cells.

Endocardium

The smooth inner surface of the heart chambers.

Pacemaker potential

Changes in the permeability of the cell membrane that produce action potentials in cardiac muscle cells.

Depolarization Phase

The phase of the cardiac muscle action potential where sodium and calcium channels open, allowing for the influx of sodium ions.

Plateau Phase

The phase of the cardiac muscle action potential where calcium channels remain open, prolonging the action potential.

Repolarization Phase

The phase of the cardiac muscle action potential where potassium channels open, allowing for the efflux of potassium ions.

Conduction system of the heart

The specialized cardiac muscle cells that coordinate the contraction of the atria and ventricles.

Sinoatrial node (SA node)

The pacemaker of the heart located in the right atrium that initiates the contraction of the heart.

Atrioventricular node (AV node)

A node located in the lower portion of the right atrium that receives action potentials from the SA node and slows their conduction.

Atrioventricular bundle

A bundle of specialized cardiac muscle fibers that conducts action potentials from the AV node to the ventricles.

Bundle branches

Branches of the AV bundle that conduct action potentials to the right and left ventricles.

Purkinje fibers

Specialized cardiac muscle fibers that rapidly conduct action potentials to all the cardiac muscles of the ventricles.

Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)

A recording of the electrical events in the heart used to diagnose cardiac abnormalities.

P wave

Represents the depolarization of the atrial myocardium.

QRS complex

Represents the depolarization of the ventricles.

T wave

Represents the repolarization of the ventricles.

Cardiac cycle

The sequence of events that occur during one heartbeat.

Diastole

The relaxation phase of the cardiac cycle when the chambers of the heart fill with blood.

Systole

The contraction phase of the cardiac cycle when the chambers of the heart expel blood.

Atrial systole

The contraction of the atria.

Ventricular systole

The contraction of the ventricles.

Atrial diastole

The relaxation of the atria.

Ventricular diastole

The relaxation of the ventricles.

Heart valve location

The location of the heart valves that produce the sounds heard with a stethoscope.

First heart sound

The "lubb" sound produced by the closure of the atrioventricular valve.

Second heart sound

The "dupp" sound produced by the closure of the semilunar valve.

Stroke Volume

The volume of blood pumped per ventricle per contraction.

Heart Rate

The number of heart beats in 1 minute.

Cardiac Output

The volume of blood pumped by a ventricle in 1 minute.

Intrinsic Regulation of the Heart

Mechanisms within the heart itself that control cardiac output.

Venous Return

The amount of blood that returns to the heart.

Preload

The degree to which the ventricular walls are stretched at the end of diastole.

Starling's Law of the Heart

The relationship between preload and stroke volume.

Afterload

The pressure against which the ventricles must pump blood.

Extrinsic Regulation of the Heart

Mechanisms external to the heart that regulate heart function.

Nervous Control

Occurs through the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system.

Baroreceptor Reflex

A mechanism of the nervous system that regulates heart function by monitoring blood pressure.

Chemoreceptor Reflex

Involves chemical regulation of the heart, including the effects of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and changes in pH and CO2 levels.

Coronary Artery Disease

Decrease in blood supply to the heart due to narrowed coronary arteries.

Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)

Closure of one or more coronary arteries, leading to the death of cardiac muscle tissue.

Angioplasty

A procedure to open blocked blood vessels.

Stent

A structure inserted to keep blood vessels open.

Bypass

A procedure that reroutes blood away from blocked arteries.

Pulmonary Vessels

Blood vessels that transport blood from the right ventricle of the heart through the lungs and back to the left atrium.

Systemic Vessels

Blood vessels that transport blood from the left ventricle of the heart through all parts of the body and back to the right atrium.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.