Anatomy of the CVS 1

Question 1

What tissues lack blood vessels?

Answer 1

Cartilage and The epidermis both receive a nutrient supply by diffusion from the blood supply of underlying tissues

Question 2

What is a portal system?

Answer 2

Two sets of capillaries connected by a portal vein which isn’t part of the normal path of circulation.

Question 3

What is the hepatic portal circulation?

Answer 3

The hepatic portal vein connects the capillaries of the digestive tract with those of the liver.

Question 4

What forms the right border of the heart?

Answer 4

The Right atrium and a little the right ventricle

Question 5

What chambers make up the left border of the heart?

Answer 5

The left ventricle. Also known as the apex of the heart.

Question 6

What makes up the anterior border of the heart?

Answer 6

The right atrium, left ventricle and right ventricle. (the right ventricle is about 1/2 the border)

Question 7

What makes the posterior border of the heart?

Answer 7

The left atrium. Also known as the base

Question 8

What chambers form the inferior border of the heart?

Answer 8

Mainly the right ventricle with the left contributing near the apex.

Question 9

What do we call the veins & arteries that supply the heart itself with blood?

Answer 9

Coronary Arteries

Cardiac Veins

Question 10

Into what vessels do the cardiac veins drain?

Answer 10

First the Coronary Sinus then into the right atrium

Question 11

What is contained in the anterior mediastinum?

Answer 11

Thymus gland or remnants
Fat
Ligaments

Question 12

What plane separates the superior & inferior mediastinum and what level is it at?

Answer 12

The thoracic plane at T4.

It passes through the sternal angle.

Question 13

Where on the surface is the apex of the heart?

Answer 13

The 5th left intercostal space in the mid-clavicular line.

Question 14

What is situs inversus?

Answer 14

A congenital condition where pretty much everything internally has been inverted around the middle axis to the other side.
People are usually asymptomatic but it can be very confusing.

Question 15

Whats the difference in the heart with a child?

Answer 15

A child’s is higher and more horizontal

Question 16

What structures are considered lateral to the heart?

Answer 16

The lungs and phrenic nerves

Question 17

What structures are found posterior to the heart>

Answer 17

The oesophagus
Descending aorta
Thoracic Vertebrae T5-T8

Question 18

What structures are anterior to the heart?

Answer 18

The anterior edges of the lung/pleurae
Thymic remnants
The sternum
Costal cartilages 4-7

Question 19

What are the layers of the heart wall & what surrounds it?

Answer 19

Innermost - Endocardium
Middle - Myocardium (cardiac muscle)
Outermost - Epicardium (Visceral Pericardium)

All surrounded by a pericardial cavity and serous parietal pericardium. Around that is a fibrous pericardium.

Question 20

What makes up the endocardium?

Answer 20

A layer of squamous epithelium on a basement membrane with some connective tissue.

Question 21

What makes up the epicardium?

Answer 21

Connective tissue + a basement membrane with simple squamous epithelium on it.
The epithelium of the epicardium is also the serous visceral pericardium.

Question 22

What layer of the heart wall forms the valves?

Answer 22

The endocardium (also lines the heart chambers)

Question 23

What connects the myocytes in the myocardium?

Answer 23

Intercalated Discs.

Which are made of gap junctions (electrical communication) & desmosomes (binding myocytes together)

Question 24

What do intercalated discs allow?

Answer 24

The cardiac muscle to act as a functional syncytium. All contracting simultaneously and as one.

Question 25

How does cardiac muscle appear in histology?

Answer 25

Faintly Striated Branching Mononucleated Connected by intercalated discs

Question 26

Which section of the heart wall can put on fat?

Answer 26

The epicardium

Question 27

What are cusps and how many are in each valve?

Answer 27

thin structures derived from the endocaridum that make up the valves. All the valves have 3 cusps (tricuspid) except the mitral which has 2 (bicuspid), L atrium to L ventricle.

Question 28

What do chordae tendinae and papillary muscle do?

Answer 28

They prevent the valves from turning inside out and failing and to function.

Question 29

What is incompetance and stenosis of a heart valve?

Answer 29

Incompetence is widening of the valve | Stenosis is narrowing of the valve

Question 30

What do we call an infection of the heart valves?

Answer 30

Bacterial Endocarditis

Question 31

What are the 4 valves?

Answer 31

R Atrium -> R ventricle = Tricuspid Valve R Ventricle -> Pulmonary Trunk = Pulmonary Valve L Atrium -> L ventricle = Mitral or Bicuspid Valve L Ventricle -> Aorta = Aortic Valve

Question 32

What do we call the aortic and pulmonary valve?

Answer 32

Semilunar valves

Question 33

What do we call the tricuspid and mitral valves?

Answer 33

Atrioventricular Valves

Question 34

What happens when a valve has stenosis?

Answer 34

It narrows and the chamber must generate a greater pressure to force blood out resulting in hypertrophy and eventually cardiac failure.

Question 35

What happens to an incompetent valve?

Answer 35

It cant close properly so there is some regurgitation of blood and the chamber must work harder. again leading to hypertrophy and cardiac failure.

Question 36

What are the 2 functions of connective tissue in the heart? and what is it also known as?

Answer 36

Structural support in the form of the: - Atrioventricular septum - roots and anchorage of great vessels - supports myocytes and capillaries. Electrical insulation: - Separates atria from ventricles to prevent simultaneously contraction. - Separates myocardium from great vessels so the vessels don't contract. Its also known as the Cardiac Skeleton.

Question 37

Why does blood only enter the coronary arteries during distole?

Answer 37

During systole: - The aortic valve is open - the cusps block the openings in the aorta to the aortic sinuses During Diastole: - The valve shuts - The aortic sinuses are exposes and blood flows in from the aorta.

Question 38

Why does blood only enter the heart's capillaries during distole?

Answer 38

Because during systole the heart is contracted cutting off the capillaries.

Question 39

In what layer of the heart are its coronary arteries found?

Answer 39

In or on the epicardium

Question 40

What happens when theres occlusion (blockage) of a coronary artery?

Answer 40

Heart Attack

Question 41

What are the attachments of the heart?

Answer 41

It sits in a dense connective tissue bag called the fibrous pericardium. Its attached to the Sternum, Central Tendon of the diaphragm and hangs from the roots of the great vessels.

Question 42

what is the function of pericardial fluid within the serous membrane?

Answer 42

It acts as a lubicant

Question 43

To what are the serous membranes bound to?

Answer 43

The parietal layer is bound to the fibrous pericardium | The Visceral Layer is bound to the heart as part of the epicardium

Question 44

What is the function of the serous pericardium?

Answer 44

To allow freedom of movement to the heart during the cardiac cycle.