• Located between
lungs
• Base
– broad superior
portion of heart
• Apex
– inferior end, tilts to
the left, tapers to
point
Heart
• 2 superior chambers
– right and left atria which receive blood from the 2
loops of circulation
• 2 inferior chambers
– right and left ventricles which pump blood into the 2
loops of circulation
• Considered to be a “double pump” because the right
and left sides perform separate tasks
– the right atria and ventricle pumps blood through
the pulmonary circuit
– the left atria and ventricle pumps blood through the
systemic circuit
• Walls between the 2 atria interatrial septum and the 2
ventricles interventricular septum prevent the mixing of
blood between the 2 loops of circulation
Chamber Systole and Diastole
• Throughout the entire cardiovascular system, blood
only flows from a region of higher blood pressure to a
region of lower blood pressure
• Regions of higher pressure are created as a heart
chamber contracts
• During systole, the size of the chamber decreases and
the pressure within the chamber increases which
ejects the blood out (Boyle’s Law)
• When a chamber wall relaxes, the size of the chamber
increases. The pressure within the chamber
decreases allowing the chamber to fill (Boyle’s Law)
• The 2 atria contract while the 2 ventricles are relaxed
– atria ejects blood into the ventricles
• The 2 atria relax while the 2 ventricles contract
– ventricles eject blood out of the heart through the 2
loops of circulation and back to the atria
Heart Coverings
• The heart is surrounded by a double membrane
pericardium made of connective tissue
– prevents overfilling of the heart with blood
• Parietal pericardium
– fits loosely around the heart
• Visceral pericardium (epicardium)
– thin superficial layer of the heart
• Pericardial cavity
– filled with pericardial fluid
• allows for the heart to work in a relatively friction-
free environment
Pericardium
and Heart Wall
Heart Wall – 3 layers
• Epicardium
– visceral layer of the pericardium
• Myocardium
– cardiac muscle layer
– thickest layer of the heart wall
– contracts (systole) and relaxes (diastole) in a
specific pattern to pump blood through the vascular
circuits
• Endocardium
– inner lining of the heart
– made of epithelial tissue
Atria and Associated Vessels
• During atrial diastole both atria simultaneously fill
with blood returning to heart from the 2 loops of
circulation
• The right atrium receives oxygen poor blood via the
superior and inferior vena cava returning to the heart
from the systemic loop of circulation and via the
coronary sinus from the blood vessels of the heart
• The left atrium receives oxygen rich blood via the
pulmonary veins returning to the heart from the
pulmonary loop of circulation
• During atrial systole, both atria simultaneously pump
blood into the 2 ventricles
Ventricles and Associated Vessels
• During ventricular diastole, both ventricles
simultaneously fill with blood from the 2 atria
• During ventricular systole, both ventricles
simultaneously pump blood into the 2 loops of
circulation
– The right ventricle pumps the oxygen poor blood
received from the right atrium into the pulmonary
artery (trunk)
– The left ventricle pumps the oxygen rich blood
received from the left atrium into the aorta
• Blood flows away from the aorta and pulmonary artery
(higher blood pressure) into the systemic and
pulmonary circuits of circulation (lower blood pressure)
Left vs. Right Ventricle
• The left and the right ventricles
pump the same volume of
blood into the systemic and
pulmonary circuits but at very
different pressures (120 mmHg
vs. 25 mmHg)
• Because the blood that is
ejected from the left ventricle
has a further distance to travel
(head to toes), the outer wall of
the left ventricle is notably
thicker than the right which,
when contracted, produces a
higher blood capable of moving
blood a greater distance.
Heart Valves
• The heart contains 2 pairs of valves (4) which ensure
a unidirectional blood flow through the heart
• 2 valves are located between the atria and ventricles
– atrioventricular valves
• 2 valves are located between the ventricles and the
great arteries
– semilunar valves
• An open valve allows blood flow
• A closed valve prevents blood flow
• A valve will open and close due to a blood pressure
gradient across it
Atrioventricular Valves
• Atrioventricular (AV) prevent the backflow of blood
from the ventricles into the atria
– right AV valve = tricuspid (3 cusps)
– left AV valve = bicuspid (2 cusps) or mitral
– valve cusps (flaps) are extensions of the
endocardium
• Both AV valves open and close simultaneously
• AV valves open when the blood pressure in the 2 atria
is greater than the blood pressure in the 2 ventricles
– during ventricular diastole
• AV valves close when the blood pressure in the 2
ventricles is greater than the blood pressure in the 2
atria
– during ventricular systole
– produces the first heart sound (lub)
Chordae Tendineae and Papillary Muscles