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MCAT - Biology > Chapter 7 - The Cardiovascular System > Flashcards

Chapter 7 - The Cardiovascular System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the three components of the Cardiovascular System?

A
  1. Muscular 4-Chambered Heart
  2. Blood Vessels
  3. Blood
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2
Q

What two circulation types does the heart muscle support?

A

Pulmonary and Systemic Circulation

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3
Q

What structure separates the Atria from the Ventricles?

A

Atrioventricular Valves; Tricuspid on the right and Bicuspid (mitral) on the left.

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4
Q

What structure separates the Ventricles from the Vasculature?

A

Semilunar Valves; Pulmonary on the right and Aortic on the left.

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5
Q

What is the 19-step pathway of Blood?

A
  1. Right Atrium
  2. Tricuspid Valve
  3. Right Ventricle
  4. Pulmonary Valve
  5. Pulmonary Artery
  6. Lungs
  7. Pulmonary Veins
  8. Left Atrium
  9. Mitral Valve
  10. Left Ventricle
  11. Aortic Valve
  12. Aorta
  13. Arteries
  14. Arterioles
  15. Capillaries
  16. Venules
  17. Veins
  18. Venae Cavae
  19. Right Atrium
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6
Q

Which side of the heart contains more muscle?

A

The left side is more muscular because systemic circulation has a much higher resistance and pressure.

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7
Q

Starting at the site of impulse initiation, what are the 4 structures in the Electrical Conduction system of the heart?

A
  1. Sinoatrial (SA) Node
  2. Atrioventricular (AV) Node
  3. Bundle of His (AV bundle) and its branches
  4. Purkinje Fibers
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8
Q

What does Systole refer to? What about Diastole?

A

The period during ventricular contraction when the AV valves are closed. During Diastole, however, the heart is relaxed and the semilunar valves are closed.

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9
Q

What does Cardiac Output refer to?

A

The product of heart rate and stroke volume.

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10
Q

How do the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems affect heart rate?

A

Sympathetic increases the heart rate and contractility. The Parasympathetic NS decreases heart rate.

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11
Q

Cardiac muscle has Myogenic Activity - what does this mean?

A

It can contract without any neurological input.

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12
Q

Roughly how many beats per minute does the SA Node generate?

A

Roughly 60-100 beats per minute.

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13
Q

What does the Vasculature of the Cardiovascular System consist of?

A

Consists of arteries, veins, and capillaries.

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14
Q

What are Arteries?

A

Thick, highly muscular structures with an elastic quality, which allows for recoil and helps to propel blood forward within a system.

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15
Q

Arteries carry blood in which direction?

A

Away from heart.

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16
Q

What are Arterioles?

A

Small muscular arteries that control flow into capillary beds.

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17
Q

What are Capillaries?

A

Have walls that are one cell think, making them so narrow that red blood cells must travel through them single-file. Capillaries are the site of gas exchange and solute exchange.

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18
Q

Capillaries carry blood in which direction?

A

From arterioles to venules.

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19
Q

What are Veins?

A

Inelastic, thin-walled structures that transport blood to the heart. They are able to stretch in order to accommodate large volumes of blood but do not have recoil capability.

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20
Q

What are Veins compressed by?

A

Surrounding skeletal muscles.

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21
Q

How do Veins maintain one-way flow?

A

With the use of valves.

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22
Q

What are Venules?

A

Small veins.

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23
Q

If all automatic input of the heart were cut, what would happen?

A

The heart would continue beating at the intrinsic rate of the pacemaker (SA Node). The individual would be unable to change his or her heart rate via the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system, but the heart would not stop beating.

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24
Q

In terms of circulation, what is a Portal System?

A

A system in which blood passes through two capillary beds in series.

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25
Q

How does blood travel in the Hepatic Portal System?

A

Blood travels from the gut capillary beds to the liver capillary bed via the Hepatic Portal Vein.

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26
Q

How does blood travel in the Hypophyseal Portal System?

A

Blood travels from the capillary bed in the hypothalamus to the capillary bed in the anterior pituitary.

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27
Q

How does blood travel in the Renal Portal System?

A

Blood travels from the glomerulus to the vasa recta through an efferent anterior.

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28
Q

What is blood composed of?

A

Cells and plasma; an aqueous mixture of nutrients, salts, respiratory gases, hormones and blood proteins.

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29
Q

What is the composition of Erythrocytes (Red Blood Cells)?

A

Lack mitochondria, a nucleus, and organelles in order to make room for hemoglobin. Common measures include hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit.

30
Q

What is Hemoglobin?

A

A protein that carries oxygen.

31
Q

What is Hematocrit?

A

Percentage of blood composed of erythrocytes.

32
Q

What is the composition of Leukocytes (White Blood Cells)?

A

Formed in the bone marrow; they are a crucial part of the immune system.

33
Q

What are Granular Leukocytes?

A

Granular Leukocytes, such as Neutrophils, Eosinophils, and Basophils play a role in nonspecific immunity.

34
Q

What are Agranulocytes?

A

Agranulocytes, including Lymphocytes and Monocytes, also play a role in immunity, with Lymphocytes playing a large role in specific immunity.

35
Q

What are Thrombocytes (Platelets)?

A

Cell fragments from megakaryocytic that are required for coagulation.

36
Q

What are Blood Antigens?

A

Include the surface antigens A, B, and O, as well as Rh factor D.

37
Q

Which Alleles are co-dominant? Which are recessive?

A

The IA (A) and IB (B) alleles are co-dominant, while the I (O) allele is recessive.

38
Q

Do individuals have antibodies for alleles that they don’t have?

A

Yes, an individual has antibodies for any AB alleles that they do not possess.

39
Q

What kind of antibodies will an Rh-negative person have?

A

Positive Rh factor is dominant; therefore, an Rh-negative individual will only create anti-Rh antibodies after exposure to Rh-positive blood.

40
Q

What is the stimuli for B-cells to make antibodies?

A

Antigens; after exposure of a B-cell to its specific antigen, the cell becomes an antibody-producing factory.

41
Q

What antigens and antibodies does A blood produce?

A

A antigens and anti-B antibodies

42
Q

Who can A blood types donate to? Who can they receive blood from?

A

Can donate to A and AB; can receive from A and O

43
Q

What antigens and antibodies does B blood produce?

A

B antigens and anti-A antibodies

44
Q

Who can B blood types donate to? Who can they receive blood from?

A

Can donate to B and AB; can receive from B and O

45
Q

What antigens and antibodies does AB blood produce?

A

A and B antigens and no antibodies

46
Q

Who can AB blood types donate to? Who can they receive blood from?

A

Can donate to AB only; can receive from A, B, AB, AND O (universal recipient)

47
Q

What antigens and antibodies does O blood produce?

A

No antigens; anti-A and anti-B antibodies

48
Q

Who can O blood types donate to? Who can they receive blood from?

A

Can donate to A, B, AB, and O (universal donor). Can receive from O only.

49
Q

What does Blood Pressure refer to?

A

The force per unit area that is exerted on the walls of blood vessels by blood. It is divided into systolic and diastolic components.

50
Q

Describe optimal Blood Pressure

A

It has to be high enough to overcome the resistance created by arterioles and capillaries, but low enough to avoid damaging the vasculature and surrounding structures.

51
Q

What can be used to measure Blood Pressure?

A

A Sphygmomanometer

52
Q

What is BP maintained by?

A

Baroreceptor and Chemoreceptor reflexes.

53
Q

What does Low BP promote?

A

Aldosterone and Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH or Vasopressin) release.

54
Q

What does High BP promote?

A

Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) release.

55
Q

What does Gas Exchange via Capillaries rely on?

A

The existence of concentration gradients to facilitate diffusion across the capillary walls. Capillaries are also leaky; which aids in transport of gases and solutes.

56
Q

What do Startling Forces consist of?

A

Hydrostatic Pressure and Osmotic (Oncotic) Pressure.

57
Q

What is Hydrostatic Pressure?

A

The pressure of the fluid within the blood vessels. Forces fluids out of the arteriolar end of a capillary bed.

58
Q

What is Osmotic Pressure?

A

The “sucking” pressure drawing toward solutes .

59
Q

What is Oncotic Pressure?

A

Osmotic pressure due to proteins. Oncotic pressure draws fluids back in at the venue end of a capillary bed.

60
Q

What kind of binding is exhibited by oxygen being carried by hemoglobin?

A

Cooperative Binding; each successive oxygen bound to hemoglobin increases the affinity of the other subunits, while each successive oxygen released decreases the affinity of the other subunits.

61
Q

How does partial pressure differ in the lungs and in the tissues?

A

In lungs: High PP of oxygen resulting in loading of oxygen onto hemoglobin.
In tissues: Low PP of oxygen, resulting in unloading.

62
Q

How is CO2 carried in the blood?

A

In the form of carbonic acid, or bicarbonate and hydrogen ions.

63
Q

Is CO2 polar or non polar? What about bicarbonate/carbonic acid/hydrogen ions?

A

CO2 is non polar and not particularly soluble, while bicarbonate/carbonic acid/hydrogen ions are polar and highly soluble.

64
Q

What can cause a right shift in the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, ultimately reflecting a decreased affinity for oxygen? (Think Bohr effect)

A

A high PaCO2, high hydrogen concentration, low pH, high temperature and high concentration of 2,3-BPG.

65
Q

A left shift in oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve can occur via the opposite of what causes a right shift. When else can a left shift be seen?

A

A left shift can also be seen in the dissociation curve for fetal hemoglobin compared to adult hemoglobin; fetal hemoglobin has a higher affinity for oxygen.

66
Q

How are nutrients, waste and hormones carried for disposal?

A

Via the bloodstream.

67
Q

What does Coagulation result from?

A

An activation cascade.

68
Q

What happens when the endothelial lining of a blood vessel is damaged?

A

The collagen and tissue factor underlying the endothelial cells are exposed. This is how a cascade of events called the Coagulation Cascade occurs.

69
Q

What results from a Coagulation Cascade?

A

A formation of a clot over the damaged area.

70
Q

How are clots formed?

A

Platelets bind to the collagen and are stabilized by fibrin, which is activated by thrombin.

71
Q

What can break down a clot?

A

Plasmin, which is generated by Plasminogen.

72
Q

Where should you look on the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve to determine the amount of oxygen that has been delivered to tissues?

A

The amount of oxygen delivery can be seen as a drop in the y-value (percent hemoglobin saturation) on an oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve.

MCAT - Biology (12 decks)

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