Cardiovascular system Flashcards
(96 cards)
What are the three primary structural components of the cardiovascular system?
- Blood vessels
- Heart
- Blood
Name the three types of blood vessels
Arteries
Capillaries
Veins
What do arteries do?
carry blood AWAY from the heart (mostly carry oxygenated blood)
What do capillaries do?
supply blood cells with nutrients and oxygen and take waste products away
What do veins do?
Return blood to the heart (mostly carry deoxygenated blood)
What separates the two sides of the heart?
the septum - a muscular wall
What is the mediastinum?
The space located between the sternum, the vertebral column, the lungs and the diaphragm
What is the pericardium?
Triple-layered sac that encloses the heart
What is the fibrous pericardium
Outer, strong layer of dense connective tissue. Attached to diaphragm inferiorly and vessels of heart superiorly
What are the three components of the serous pericardium?
2a. Parietal layer - outer
2b. Visceral layer (epicardium) - directly covers the heart
Pericardial cavity - between the 2 layers and contains fluid film to reduce friction
Name the 3 layers of the heart
Epicardium
Myocardium
Endocardium
What is the epicardium?
Consists of visceral serous pericardium (“upon”)
What is the myocardium?
Cardiac muscle tissue, contractile layer
- Cardiac cells are interconnected at junctions called intercalated discs.
- spontaneously contracts - without neural input
- innervated by autonomic nervous system
What is the endocardium
Deep to myocardium, sheet of simple squamous epithelium on a thin layer connective tissue (lines chambers and valves)
How are the atria separated?
Interatrial septa
How are the ventricles separated?
Interventricular septa
What three functions does the fibrous skeleton have?
- Anchors heart valves by forming supportive rings (prevents over–opening)
- Provides a rigid framework for the attachment of cardiac muscle tissue in atria and ventricles
- Electrical insulation between atria and ventricles; ensures that muscle impulses are timed properly
What are the four valves in the heart?
- Pulmonary semilunar valve
- Right atrioventricular valve (tricuspid)
- Aortic semilunar valve
- Left atrioventricular valve (bicuspid)
What prevents the valves from being pushed back to the atria?
Papillary muscles and chordae tendineae
When are the papillary muscles relaxed and chordae tendineae slack?
bicuspid and tricuspid valves are open
When are the papillary muscles contracted and chordae tendineae taut?
bicuspid and tricuspid valves are closed
List four important features of the right atrium
- receives deoxygenated blood from systemic circulation via 3 blood vessels)
- Conveys blood into the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve (3 cusps)
- Contains the SA and AV nodes (parts of the heart conduction system)
- Important internal features: fossa ovalis
What three blood vessels go to the right atrium?
- Coronary sinus
- Superior vena cava
- Inferior vena cava
List to important features of the right ventricle
- Receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium and pumps it into the pulmonary circuit
- important internal features: trabeculae carnae line the walls of both ventricles