Cardiovascular System
The cardiovascular system, comprised of the heart and blood vessels, plays a vital role in circulating oxygen-rich blood throughout the body while removing waste. This system includes the pulmonary and systemic circuits, alongside key heart structures: the pericardium, myocardium, and endocardium. The heart houses four chambers and major valves that regulate blood flow. We explore how blood pressure is influenced by cardiac cycle dynamics and how arteries, capillaries, and veins work together. Additionally, we discuss lifespan changes that affect heart function, including plaque accumulation and variations in heart rate and blood pressure as we age.
Cardiovascular System
E N D
Presentation Transcript
The cardiovascular sys is composed of heart and blood vessels • Circulates blood to supply oxygen and remove waste from body cells • Pulmonary circuit – sends oxygen-poor blood to lungs • Systemic circuit – sends oxygen-rich blood and nutrients to all body cells and removes wastes • Structure of Heart • About 14 cm long and 9cm wide • Enclosed in pericardium • Tough layer of dense connective tissue • Epicardium – protects heart by reducing friction, includes capillaries and nerve fibers, often contains fat
Myocardium – thickest layer, made of cardiac muscle • Endocardium – epithelium and connective tissue, lines the chambers of heart and valves • Coronary arteries – supply heart with blood • Cardiac veins – drain blood that has passed through capillaries of myocardium • Heart Chambers and Valves • 4 hollow chambers • Upper – right and left atrium • Lower – right and left ventricle • Major valves prevent blood from flowing the wrong direction • Tricuspid valve • Pulmonary valve • Mitral valve • Aortic valve
Blood from systemic circuit • Venaecavae and coronary sinus • Right atrium • Tricuspid valve • Right Ventricle • Pulmonary artery • Pulmonary trunk • Pulmonary arteries • Alveolar capillaries (lungs) • Pulmonary Veins • Left atrium • Mitral valve • Left ventricle • Aortic valve • Aorta • Blood to systemic circuit
Heart Actions • Systole – contract • Diastole – relax • Cardiac cycle – Atria contract/ventricles relax Ventricles relax/ atria contract • Heart Sounds • Lubb-dubb • Lubb - AV valves closing • Dubb – closing of pulmonary and aortic valves • Electrocardiogram – ECG records electrical changes in the myocardium during cardiac cycle
Blood Pressure • The force blood exerts against the inner walls of blood vessels • Arterial blood pressure • The made mainly by heart action; rises and falls with parts of cardiac cycle • Systolic pressure occurs when ventricle contracts; diastolic pressure is when ventricle relaxes • Expanding and recoiling of the arterial wall is what we detect as pulse • Upper number is systolic pressure, lower number is diastolic pressure
Blood Vessels • Arteries and arterioles • Adapted to carry blood under high pressure • Arterioles are branches of arteries • Arteries carry blood away from the heart • Arterial System • Branches of aorta • Ascending aorta – right and left coronary artery • Branches of aortic arch – brachiocephalic, left common carotid, left subclavian arteries • Descending aorta – throacic and abdominal groups • Subclavian and common carotid – to brain, head and neck
Capillaries • Connect arterioles and venules • Single layer of squamous epithelial cells that form semipermeable membrane • Gases, nutrients and metabolic by-products are exchanged between capillary blood and tissue fluid • Materials move through diffusion
Venules and veins • Venules continue from capillaries and merge to form veins • Veins carry blood to the heart • Many veins contain flaplike valves that open to allow blood to flow to the heart but close to prevent back flow • Venous System • Larger veins usually run parallel to major arteries • Veins from head, neck, and face – jugular; unite with subclavian veins to form brachiocephalic veins • Veins from upper limb and shoulder – sets of superficial and deep veins drain the upper limb • Digital veins drain into pairs of radial veins and ulnar veins which merge to form a pair of brachial veins
Lifespan Changes • Plaque build-up can begin early • Fibrous connective tissue and adipose tissue enlarge the heart by filling in when the number and size of cardiac muscle cells fall • Heart rate and output decline slightly with age • Blood pressure increases with age and resting heart rate decreases