Anatomy Definition Lists Flashcards
What is an anastomosis?
- communication between 2 blood vessels
What is the aorta?
- main artery of the body
- all arteries derive from the aorta
Which valve and part of the heart does the ascending aorta come from?
- aortic valve
- left ventricle
What is the aortic arch?
- joins ascending and descending aorta
Which vertebrae does the aortic arch end at?
-T4
What connects the aortic arch and the pulmonary trunk?
- ligamentum arteriosum
- remnant of the foetal ductus arteriosus

What are the blood vessels that arise from the aortic arch?
- brachiocephalic artery (right only)
- left common carotid artery - left sub clavian artery
What is an auricle?
- small pouch in the wall of each atrium
- functions to ⬆️ capacity of the heart

What are coronary arteries?
- arteries supplying the heart with blood
What is the coronary sinus?
- largest vein supplying the heart
- coronary veins drain blood into right atrium

Where is the mediastinum in the chest?
- space in thorax
- between pleural spaces (left and right lung)
What is contained within the mediastinum?
- heart
- aorta
- trachea
- oesophagus
- thymus gland
- nerves
- lymphatics and
What do the tricuspid and mitral valves separate?
- tricuspid = right atrium and ventricle
- mitral = left atrium and ventricle

Where does the phrenic nerve originate from?
- C3, 4 and 5 keeps us alive
- only nerve to innervate the diaphragm
Where does the phrenic nerve enter the thorax?
- through superior thoracic aperture
Where does the right phrenic nerve descend once it has entered the superior thoracic aperture?
- descends anteriorly along the right lung root
- runs alongside the right pericardium of the heart
- enters diaphragm at the inferior vena cava opening
Where does the left phrenic nerve descend once it has entered the superior thoracic aperture?
- descends anteriorly along the left lung root
- crosses the aortic arch and bypasses the vagus nerve
- runs alongside the left pericardium of the heart
- enters diaphragm at the inferior vena cava opening
What is the sole purpose of the motor function of the phrenic nerve?
- innervate the diaphragm
In addition to motor function, the phrenic nerve provides sensory information. Where does it provide sensory information from?
- central tendon of the diaphragm
- pericardium
- parietal pleura
Can the visceral and parietal pleura feel pain?
- parietal yes from phrenic nerve
- visceral no from vague nerve (stretch only)
When looking at the heart anteriorly, out of the pulmonary veins supplying oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart, and the pulmonary arteries carrying de-oxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs, which is superior and inferior?
- pulmonary arteries are superior
- pulmonary veins are inferior

What is regurgitation in the heart?
- blood flow backwards into the heart
- generally due to defective valves
What is the sinoatrial node of the heart?
- specialised cardiac muscle
- located in upper wall of atrium
- junction of superior vena cava
- pacemaker of the heart
What is stenosis?
- narrowing of an opening, blood vessel or valve













































