Cardiovascular System Flashcards
(159 cards)
What does the cardiovascular include?
The heart and a system of vessels that distributes blood to the tissues of the body and to the lungs for exchange of gases
What is the term to describe the heart and lung combination portion of the cardiovascular system?
Pulmonary circulation
What are arteries?
Vessels that carry blood away from the heart and are highly oxygenated
What are veins?
Vessels that carry blood to the heart and are low in oxygenation
What is the term for circulation to everywhere in the body except the lungs?
Systemic circulation
How do pulmonary and systemic circulation relate?
Pulmonary circulation is functionally and anatomically separate from systemic circulation
In terms of pumps, how can the heart be visualized, and what does each of the pumps do?
The heart can be thought of as two pumps in one organ
One pump is low in pressure and directs blood returning from the body to the lungs
The other pump is high in pressure and distributes blood to the systemic circulation
What is the heart’s overall shape?
A cone-shaped, hollow, muscular structure
What is the base of the heart?
The dorsally-oriented part that is attached to thoracic structures via large arteries, veins, and the pericardial sac
What is the apex of the heart?
The ventrally-oriented part that is free within the pericardial sac
How is the heart angled?
So the left and right sides are somewhat cranial and caudal to each other
What is the pericardium?
A serous membrane that partially surrounds the heart and allows for movement with little friction
What is the pericardial space?
A closed cavity formed by the pericardium that contains a small amount of fluid which allows for frictionless beating of the heart
What are the two layers of the pericardium?
Visceral pericardium (epicardium) and the parietal pericardium
What is the visceral pericardium?
The inner layer of the pericardium that is adherent to the outer parts of the heart
What is the parietal pericardium?
The outer layer of the pericardium that is consistent with the visceral pericardium at the base (top) of the heart
What is the fibrous pericardium?
A superficial fibrous layer that reinforces the parietal pericardium
What makes up the pericardial sac?
The parietal pericardium, the fibrous pericardium, and the mediastinal pleura
What is the pericardial sac?
A thin and tough tissue surrounding the heart
What are the three layers of the heart wall?
The epicardium, the endocardium, and the myocardium
What is the epicardium?
A thin, outer, serous covering of the heart
What is the endocardium?
A thin, inner endothelial covering of the heart
What are endothelial cells?
A single cell layer that lines all blood vessels and regulates exchanges between the bloodstream and surrounding tissues
What is the myocardium?
A think muscular layer of the heart