| Describe the Structure of the cardiovascular system | The cardiovascular system is a transport system comprised of three main components: the heart, the blood vessel and the blood itself. The heart is the system’s pump and the blood vessels are like the delivery routes. Blood can be thought of as a fluid that contains the oxygen and nutrients the body needs and carries the wastes which need to be removed. The right atrium returns blood from the venous circulation (venous return) The left atrium is a reservoir for blood coming from the pulmonary circulation. Primes the left ventricle, The right ventricle pumps the venous blood into the pulmonary circulation The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood into the systemic circulation. Pulmonary artery carries oxygen to the lungs |
| Describe the functions of the cardiovascular system | Transports nutrients, gases and waste products around the body. Protect the body from infection and blood loss. Helps maintain the body’s constant body temperature (thermoregulation) Maintain fluid balance within the body. |
| What is cardiac muscle? | Cardiac muscle is a striated muscle, with muscle fibres that have intercalated discs (unique to cardiac muscle). Cardiac muscle cells operate as an electromechanical syncytium. cardiac muscle permits the easy spread of action potentials and a coordinated cardiac contraction. |
| Define Cardiac Valves | Cardiac valves permit filling of the ventricles and prevent backflow from ventricles to the atria during ventricular contraction. |
| Define Cardiac Conduction System | The cardiac conduction system is a network of specialized cardiac muscle cells that initiate and transmit the electrical impulses responsible for the coordinated contractions of each cardiac cycle. |
| Describe the action of the cardiac conduction system | Sinoatrial Node: Located in the right atrium below superior vena cava. Short cardiac cells that connect directly to surrounding atrial tissue. Atrioventricular Node: located in the posterior wall of the right atrium immediately behind the tricuspid valve. Transmission site of electrical impulse from atria into ventricles. |
| Compare and contrast the structure and function of arteries, veins and capillaries. | The main coronary arteries branch from the aorta and run along the epicardial surface or the heart. Arterial blood flows from the epicardial arteries inwards towards the endocardial surface. Coronary venous blood returns to the right atrium via the coronary sinus (75%) or via the smaller cardiac veins. Blood vessels flow blood throughout the body. Arteries transport blood away from the heart. Veins return the blood back toward the heart. Capillaries surround body cells and tissues to deliver and absorb oxygen, nutrients, and other substances. |
| How does cardiac output contribute to acute and chronic control of arterial pressure? | Cardiac output is the volume of blood flow from the heart through the ventricles, and is usually measured in litres per minute (L/min). |
| How does peripheral vascular resistance contribute to acute and chronic control of arterial pressure? | Peripheral vascular resistance refers to compliance, which is the ability of any compartment to expand to accommodate increased content. |
| How does the volume of circulating blood contribute to acute and chronic control of arterial pressure? | Volume of circulating blood is the amount of blood moving through the body. Increased venous return stretches the walls of the atria where specialized baroreceptors are located. |
| How does the viscosity of blood contribute to acute and chronic control of arterial pressure? | Viscosity of blood measures the blood’s thickness and is influenced by the presence of plasma proteins and formed elements in the blood. |
| How does elasticity of vessel walls contribute to acute and chronic control of arterial pressure? | Elasticity of vessel walls refers to the capacity that vessels have to resume its normal shape after stretching and compressing. |
