Cardiovascular system lecture notes, Lecture notes of Biology

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The cardiovascular system Structure of the heart The cardiac cycle Structure and organization of blood vessels

What is the cardiovascular system? The heart is a double pump heartarteries arterioles   veinsvenules capillaries

Serous membrane Continuous with blood vessels

Chambers of the heart; valves

Blood supply to the heart Coronary artery and vein system Right and left coronary arteries branch off of aorta Branch into smaller vessels Cardiac veins deliver blood to coronary sinus, and back to the right atrium

Coronary artery disease results when coronary arteries cannot deliver blood adequately Usual cause: plaques in arterial walls Angina pectoris (pain) when body is not receiving adequate oxygen Myocardial infarction (heart attack) when blood supply to heart is completely blocked; muscle dies

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

Aberrant ECG patterns indicate damage

Regulation of heart rate Blood pressure and its control What is hypertension and how is it treated? The heart rate and exercise Characteristics of arteries and veins Organization of the vascular system and responses to physiological needs

Sympathetic nervous system through celiac plexus to heart secretes norepinephrine increases force of contractions Cardiac control center in medulla oblongata maintains balance between the two Normally both sympathetic and parasympathetic function at a steady background level

Blood pressure Blood flow is generally equal to cardiac output Blood flow affected by pressure and resistance Blood pressure: the force that is exerted by blood against blood vessel walls Resistance depends on size of blood vessel and thickness (viscosity) of blood

Blood pressure is highest in large arteries will rise and fall as heart pumps highest with ventricular systole lowest with ventricular diastole pulse pressure is the difference between the two Resistance is highest in capillaries