Blood Pressure Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of blood vessels.
What is cardiac output?
Amount of blood pumped through the circulatory system in minute.
What is stroke volume?
The volume pumped from each ventricle of the heart per beat.
What is systemic vascular resistance (TPR)?
The change in pressure with resistance in blood vessels (vasodilation and vasoconstriction).
What is mean arterial blood pressure?
The average arterial blood pressure during a single cardiac cycle involving contraction and relaxation.
What is pulse pressure?
The difference between systolic and diastolic BP.
What is preload?
The initial stretching of cardiac myocytes before contraction.
What is after load?
The ‘load’ the heart must eject blood against.
What is systolic arterial BP?
The pressure exerted by blood against the walls of the aorta and systemic arteries when the heart contracts.
What is diastolic arterial BP?
The pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the aorta and systemic arteries when the heart relaxes.
Why is it important to regulate mean arterial pressure?
It is important to tightly control this pressure to ensure adequate blood supply to organs of the body, especially the vital organs.
What are baroreceptors?
Mechanoreceptors (pressure sensors) that respond to stretching of the arterial wall. They only respond to acute changes.
Name the 2 locations of baroreceptors.
- Carotid sinus- innervated by the sinus of Hering which is a branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve.
- Aortic arch- innervated by the arctic nerve that combines with the vagus nerve.
Name the control centre for BP?
The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) which is located in the medulla of the brainstem.
What is the role of the NTS?
Modulates the activity of sympathetic and the parasympathetic neutrons, which in turn regulate the autonomic control of the heart and blood vessels.
