circulatory system Flashcards
(100 cards)
What is physiology?
The dynamic study of life that describes the vital functions of living organisms and their organs, cells & molecules.
What does physiology deal with?
How the human body functions, depending on individual organ systems, cell functions, and interactions between subcellular organelles and molecules.
What is the circulatory system composed of?
The heart and a series of vessels through which the blood circulates.
What type of system is the circulatory system?
A closed system where blood does not come in direct contact with tissues.
How many chambers does the heart have?
Four chambers: right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle.
What guards the apertures between each atrium and its respective ventricle?
Atrioventricular valves: tricuspid valve on the right side and mitral valve on the left side.
What valves guard the exits from the right ventricle and left ventricle?
Pulmonary semilunar valve and aortic semilunar valve, respectively.
What is the structural composition of the heart?
Composed of cardiac muscle fibers characterized by branching and interconnecting fibers, each surrounded by a cell membrane.
What proteins are contained in cardiac muscle fibers?
Actin, myosin, troponin, tropomyosin, and dystrophin.
What is the role of intercalated discs in cardiac muscle?
They allow for free diffusion of ions and provide resistance bridges for rapid spread of excitation waves.
What is the significance of cardiac muscle functioning as a syncytium?
It leads to the heart contracting as one unit, resulting in more efficient pumping.
What types of cardiac muscle are present in the heart?
Atrial muscle, ventricular muscle, and specialized excitatory and conductive muscle fibers.
What is the primary function of the heart?
To act as a pressure pump that delivers oxygenated blood to the systemic circulation.
What is the function of arteries?
To stretch during systole and maintain blood flow during diastole through elastic recoil.
What is the main site for nutrient and waste exchange?
Capillaries, due to their very thin walls and large cross-sectional area.
What is the role of veins in the circulatory system?
To collect and return blood from capillaries to the heart.
What is the resting membrane potential of cardiac myocytes?
-90 mV.
What initiates the depolarization of cardiac myocytes?
An adequate stimulus that causes rapid depolarization to about -65 mV.
What characterizes phase 0 of the action potential in cardiac myocytes?
Rapid upstroke from resting value to a positive value of about +20 mV, initiated by fast Na+ channels.
What occurs during phase 1 of the cardiac action potential?
A rapid small initial repolarization caused by inactivation of fast Na+ channels and efflux of K+.
What is the plateau phase in the cardiac action potential?
A phase where membrane repolarization slows down, maintaining membrane potential around zero mV.
What is the duration of the plateau phase in ventricular myocytes?
About 200 msec.
What currents balance during the plateau phase of the cardiac action potential?
A balance between inward Ca2+ currents and outward K+ currents.
What increases during the action potential phase related to K+ conductance?
The conductance of the membrane to K+ increases gradually during this phase but is still less than its value under resting conditions.