Chapter 21- Anatomy of Cardiovascular System

Heart
o Location of the Heart:
Lies in the mediastinum behind the body of the sternum,
between the points of attachment of ribs 2 and 6.
Apex lies on the diaphragm, pointing to the left.
Base lies just below second rib.
o Coverings of the Heart:
Pericardium: tough, loose fitting. Attached to great blood
vessels.
Serous Pericardium: parietal layer and visceral layer
(epicardium) adheres to the outside of the heart
Pericardial space: lies btwn visceral and parietal layers and
contains 10-15 ml of pericardial fluid
Function of the heart coverings: provides protection
against friction.
o Structure of the Heart:
Wall of the heart:
Epicardium: outer layer (visceral epicardium)
Myocardium: thick (cardiac muscle)
Endocardium: delicate inner layer of endothelial tissue
o Chambers of the Heart:
o Divided into 4 chambers with right and left chambers
separated by a septum.
o Atria: two superior chambers know as receiving
chambers. They receive blood from veins.
Myocardial wall of each atrium is not very thick,
because little pressure is needed to move blood
such a small distance due to gravity.
Auricle- earlike flap protruding from each
atrium.
o Ventricles: two lower chambers known as pumping
chambers because they push blood into the large
network of vessels.
Ventricular myocardium is thicker hen the
myocardium of the atrium because great force
must be generated to pump the blood a large
distance.
Myocardium of the left ventricle is thicker then
the right because it must push blood much
farther.

o Valves of the Heart:Mechanical Devices that permit the flow of

blood in one direction only. They prevent back flow of blood.
o Atrioventricular Valves (AV): prevent blood from
flowing back into the atria from the ventricles when the
ventricles contract
Tricuspid Valve (Right AV): guards the right
atrioventricluar orifice; free edges of three flaps
of endocardium.
Bicuspid (Mitral) (Left AV): two flaps. Similar to
tricuspid.
o Semilunar (SL) Valves: half-moon shaped flaps growing
out form the lining of the pulmonary trunk.
Pulmonary Valve: valve at entrance of the
pulmonary trunk
Aortic Valve: valve at entrance of the aorta
o Skeleton of the Heart:
Suport
Electrical Barrier
Rings of Fibrous tissue
o Coronary Circulation: blood supply of heart tissue
o Coronary Arteries: cells receive blood from the right
and left coronary arteries. OX rich blood to heart.
o Cardiac Veins: Coronary Sinus: gathers all venous blood.
o Nerve Supply of the Heart:
o Conduction of the heart: made up of modified cardiac
muscle, it generates and distributes hearts own
rhythmic contractions; can be regulated by afferent
nerves.
o Cardiac Plexuses: Located near the arch of the aorta
made up of the combination of sympathetic and
parasympathetic fibers (speed up or slow down heart)

Blood Vessels:
o Blood Vessel Types:
Arteries:
Carry blood away from the heart, all arteries except
pulmonary artery carry oxygenated blood.
Elastic Arteries: largest in body, able to stretch without
injury
Muscular Arteries: Connected to elastic
Arterioles
o Smallest Arteries
o Important in regulating blood flow to end organs
Metarterioles

Branch off of Arterioles

Short connecting vessel between true arteriole and 20100 capillaries
Capillaries: primary exchange vessels
Microscopic vessels
Not evenly distributed absent in avascular tissue such
as cartilage
Types:
o True capillaries: receive blood flowing from
meta with input reg. by precapillary sphincters
o Continuous: NO holes
o Continuous lining of epithelial tissue
o Fenestrated capillaries: Holes
Have both intercellurlar celfts and hole or
fenestrations through plasma membrane
to facilitate exchange functions.
o Sinusoids: Liver
Very Porous
Veins:
Carry blood toward heart
Act as collectors and as reservoir vessels. (Elastic
Tissue)

o Structure of Blood Vessels: Components or building blocks

commonly present
Lining endothelial tissue:
1 layer of squamous endothelial tissue
only found in capillaries
Collagen Fibers
Most abundant in body
Elastic Fibers
Middle
Smooth Muscle tissue
Involuntary
o Layers:
Tunica Externa: outer
Tunica Media: middle
Arteries & veins
Tunica Intima: inner
Only in capillaries

o Major Blood Vessels

Circulatory Routes:
Systemic Circulation: blood begins at the left ventricle
and ends at the right atrium.

Pulmonary Circulation: blood begins at right ventricle

and ends in left atrium

o Fetal Circulation:
Placenta: attached to uterine walls; where exchange of oxygen
and other substances between the separated maternal and
fetal blood occurs.
Umbilical Vein: returns oxygenated blood from placenta to the
fetus; enter throught the umbilicus and goes to the
undersurface of the liver where it goes off two or three
branches and then continues as the ductus venosus
Ductus Venosus: continuation of the umbilical vein and drains
into the inferior vena cava
Foramen Ovale: opening in septum between the right and left
atria
Ductus arteriosus: connecting the pulmonary trunk with the
aortic arch.

Chapter 22- Physiology of Cardiovascular System

Introduction:
o Vital role of the cardiovascular system in maintaining homeostasis
depends on the continuous and controlled movement of blood
through the capillaries

Hemodynamics
o Collection of mechanisms that influence the dynamic circulation of
blood.

The Heart as a Pump

o Conduction System of the Heart:
Composed of four major structures:
Sinoatrial node (SA node): pacemaker
Atrioventricular node (AV node)
AV bundle (bundle of HIS)
Subendocardial branches (Purkinje fibers)
Allows heart to pump efficiently by coordinating the action
potentials that trigger myocardial.
SA node: initiates each heart beat and sets its pace
(pacemaker) >0-75 BPM
o Electrocardiogram
Graphic record of the hears electrical activity, its conduction of
impulses before chambers contract.
Composition of normal EKG:
P wave: represents depolarization of the atria
QRS wave: represents depolarization of the ventricles
and repolarization of the atria
T wave: represents repolarization of the ventricles
EKG: used to diagnose: MI, ischemia, arrhythmias, chamber
enlargments.
o Cardiac cycle: a complete heart beat.
Consists of contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole) of
both atria and both ventricles.
Events that occur in the heart chambers that make up a heart
beat.