Topic

9: Cardiovascular System Part 1 (Chapter 17)

• O Summarize the functions of the cardiovascular system

• Describe the structure and function of the cardiac muscle

• Identify the structures and chambers of the human heart

• Describe the flow of blood through the human heart

• Explain internal controls of the heartbeat

• Describe the structure and function of the three main types of blood vessels

• Compare blood flow in the pulmonary and systemic circuits

• Explain the location and the purpose of the hepatic portal system

• Explain how blood pressure differs in veins, arteries and capillaries

Overview of the Cardiovascular System

- The cardiovascular system consists of the heart and blood vessels. It connects to many
other body systems
- Its primary purpose is to nourish all cells by delivering nutrients and oxygen to tissues
and removing wastes
- For this to occur, the it must:
o Have a pathway for blood
o Generate blood pressure to push blood through pathway
o Control the amount of blood that flows through pathway
o Connect to other body systems so that nutrient/waste exchange can take place
Functions of the Cardiovascular System
- Transportation
o Oxygen and carbon dioxide
o Nutrients
o Wastes
o Hormones
- Regulation
o Temperature
o Blood Pressure
- Protection
o Blood clotting
o Immune Cells
Cardiac Muscle Tissue
- Cardiac muscle cells have 1 to 3 centrally located nuclei
- Striated, branching cells
- Intercalated discs
o Desmosomes or anchoring junctions and gap junctions
o Important for conduction of electrical impulses (heart
beat)
- They have many mitochondria
The Heart
- The heart is a cone-shaped, muscular organ that acts as a double pump


- It beats 100,000+ times each day
- ANATOMY:
o 2 tissue types
o 2 sides
o 4 chambers
o 4 valves
o 3 major arteries
o 2 major veins
Anatomy of the Heart
- External portions of the heart are made of 2 main tissues.
- Pericardium is double-walled:
o parietal pericardium (outer wall)
o visceral pericardium (inner wall, forms outer layer of heart; aka epicardium)

- Internal portions of the heart have 4 chambers, 4 valves, and 1 septum
- Chambers:
o Right atrium
o Right ventricle
o Left atrium
o Left ventricle
- Valves:
o Atrioventricular (AV) Valve (tricuspid)
o Semilunar (SL) valve (pulmonary)
o AV valve (bicuspid/mitral)
o SL valve (aortic)
- “heart strings” = chordae tendinae in AV valves






Pathway of Blood
- Right Atrium (START)
- Right AV (Tricuspid) valve
- Right Ventricle
- Pulmonary SL Valve
- Pulmonary Arteries
- Pulmonary Arterioles
- Capillaries (lungs)
- Pulmonary Venules
- Pulmonary Veins
- Left Atrium
- Left AV (Bicuspid) valve
- Left Ventricle
- Aorta (to body)
- Arteries à Arterioles à Capillaries à Venules à
Veins
- Superior and Inferior Vena Cava (back to
beginning)
Systemic Blood Vessels
- The Systemic Circuit:
o Moves blood between heart and body
tissues




Hepatic Portal System
- The hepatic portal vein:
o Blood from digestive tract are transported to
the liver.
o The liver glucose and amino acids.
o The liver also purifies the blood of toxins and
pathogens.
o After blood has filtered through the liver, it is
collected by the hepatic vein and returned to
the inferior vena cava.
Pulmonary Blood Vessels
- The Pulmonary Circuit:
o Moves blood between heart and lungs
- The Coronary Circuit:
o Moves blood within the heart
-

The Cardiac Cycle
- Each heart beat is called a cardiac cycle (average = 70 beats/min)



Electrical Conduction
Heartbeat Regulation (Internal)
- The heart beat is controlled internally and externally:
- Internal Control
o Recall, cardiac muscle tissue is intercalated and contains gap
junctions
o This allows cells to conduct electrical pulses from one part of
the heart to another (see next slide)
- Special regions of the heart initiate communication by generating electrical pulses:
- Sinoatrial (SA) node
o Region of the heart that initiates the heart beat =
pacemaker
o Located on right atrium
o Causes atria to contract
- Atrioventricular (AV) node
o Located on right atrium
o Sends signal down AV bundle and Purkinje fibers causing
the ventricles to contract
Heartbeat Regulation (External)
- Cardiac center in the brain can alter the beat of the heart using the
sympathetic (é) and parasympathetic (ê) portions of the nervous
system
- Hormones such as epinephrine (é) and norepinephrine (ê) are
released by the brain
Anatomy of Blood and Lymphatic Vessels
Types of Blood Vessels
- Blood flows from your heart ® arteries ® arterioles ® capillaries ®
venules ® veins and then back to the ® heart



Arteries and Arterioles – From the Heart

Arteries and Arterioles – Blood Pressure
- Systolic BP = how much pressure is exerted when the heart beats
- Diastolic BP = how much pressure is exerted when heart is resting between beets

Capillaries- Exchange
- Arterioles branch into tiny networks of capillaries (capillary beds) that are the site for
nutrient exchange between the blood and body tissues
- Tissue cells take nutrients from the blood and expel waste into the blood
- Gases (O2 and CO2) pass from tissue to capillary through diffusion
- Walls of capillaries are only 1 layer thick!
- Blood pressure is low:
o It decreases in capillaries because of the branching. Blood flow is increased
through all the branches.



Capillaries
- The body regulates how much blood enters a tissue - blood only flows into capillary
beds when the tissue needs it









Veins and Venules – To the Heart

• Many veins carry blood back to the heart against the
force of gravity (especially our lower extremities)
• Veins have 2 special features:
• Muscle contractions move the blood back to the heart
• Special valves in the veins open and close at appropriate
times to prevent back flow
• Respiratory Pump (Breathing) Chapter 10:
• Blood in the thoracic cavity and abdomen is pumped back
to the heart – like an eyedropper








Heart Disease is the #1 Killer of Women
- FACT: Each year, more women than men die from stroke
- There is a lack of awareness about heart disease in woman
o Eight times as many women die from heart disease and stroke than from breast
cancer.
o 40% of all Canadian women's deaths are due to heart disease and stroke.
o A woman's risk of death from heart disease increases 4 times after menopause.
The rate of stroke also increases dramatically after menopause.