•The cardiovascular system includes the heart and
blood vessels (arteries, veins, capillaries)
•A functional cardiovascular system is vital to survival
HEART
hollow, muscular
pump found between
the lungs
main function is to
propel blood
throughout the body
An adult heart
pumps ~4,000 gal
(~7,000 L) of blood
daily
Structure of Heart
The pericardium is a double layered sac that
encloses the heart
The pericardium consists of:
visceral pericardium - inner layer that covers the
entire heart; also known as the epicardium
parietal pericardium - outer layer; tough fibrous sac
A small amount of
serous fluid lies
between the two
layers to prevent
friction
Visceral
Pericardium
Parietal Pericardium
(epicardium)
Walls of the Heart
Epicardium – outermost
layer
Myocardium –
thick middle layer;
responsible for the
pumping action of the
heart
Endocardium - smooth
inner layer;
continuous with the
inner lining of blood vessels
Heart Chambers & Valves
The heart has four chambers enclosed by thick,
muscular walls
The upper part is
divided into right
and left atria,
which receive
blood entering the
heart
The bottom is
divided into right
and left ventricles,
which pump blood
out of the heart
•The interventricular septum acts as a wall that
separates the right side of the heart from the left side
Interventricular
Septum
Cardiovascular System
Notes Page 1 Class Work
• Chapter 13 vocabulary
The left side of
the heart is
thicker and
stronger than the
right side because
the left side
supplies blood to
all body tissues
Right side sends
blood to the lungs
Valves of the heart open and close to control and
ensure one way blood flow through the heart
otricuspid valve separates the right
atrium and right ventricle
o(bicuspid) mitral valve separates the
left atrium and left ventricle
See Your
Heart Valves
at Work
•MVP (mitral valve prolapse) – mitral valve does
not close properly, which causes blood to flow
backwards into left atrium
•Symptoms include fatigue and chest pain
The heartbeat is produced by the closure of valves
when blood is pushed through chambers of the
heart
Blood Flow through the Heart
right atrium → right ventricle → pulmonary artery
→ lungs → pulmonary vein → left atrium → left
ventricle → aorta → arteries → arterioles →
capillaries → venules → veins → superior and
inferior vena cava→ back to right atrium
•Blue = oxygen poor blood; Red = oxygen rich blood
•Carbon dioxide is dropped off and oxygen is picked
up in the lungs
•Oxygen is dropped off and carbon dioxide is picked
up at the capillaries
•The coronary arteries supply blood to heart muscle
•right coronary artery supplies both left and right
sides of the heart
•left coronary artery supplies left side of the heart
Plaque may build-up in a coronary artery at the site of a
tear in the lining of the vessel
•A heart attack or acute myocardial infarction (MI) occurs
when one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked by spasm or
by clot formation
•The blockage results in damaged tissue and a permanent loss of
contraction of this portion of the heart muscle
Symptoms of
a possible
heart attack
include chest
pain and pain
that radiates
down the
shoulder and
arm.
•Coronary artery disease is a narrowing of the
small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to
the heart
Directional Coronary Atherectomy (DCA) is a minimally invasive procedure to remove
the blockage from the coronary arteries and allow more blood to flow to the heart
muscle and ease the pain caused by blockages.
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is a
minimally invasive procedure to open up blocked coronary
arteries, allowing blood to circulate unobstructed to the heart
muscle.
Angina is a specific type of pain in the chest caused by
inadequate blood flow through the coronary vessels of the
myocardium
•Atherosclerosis is
another disorder of
the arteries.
•Fat, cholesterol,
and other substances
collect in the walls
of arteries,
which can damage artery walls and block blood flow.
•These plaque deposits severely restricted blood flow in
the heart muscle, resulting in chest pain.
BLOOD VESSESLS
•Arteries
•Veins
•Capillaries
Vasoconstriction is constriction or narrowing of a
blood vessel.
When a blood vessel constricts, the flow of blood
is restricted or slowed.
•Arteries carry blood away from the heart; thickest
blood vessels
•All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary
arteries, carry oxygenated (oxygen-rich)
blood.
•The pulmonary artery carries
oxygen-poor blood from the
right ventricle to the lungs.
•Arterioles are small arteries
that connect to capillaries.
•The aorta is the
largest artery
•The aorta originates
in the left ventricle of
the heart and carries
oxygen rich blood to
the rest of the body.
•The carotid arteries deliver oxygen-rich blood to the
head and brain; located in the neck
•The jugular veins return oxygen-poor blood from the
head and brain to the heart.
An aneurysm is a sac-like protrusion of an artery caused by a
weakened area within vessel wall
•If a cerebral (brain) aneurysm ruptures, the escaping blood
within the brain may cause severe neurologic complications or
death.
•A person who has a
ruptured cerebral
aneurysm may
complain of the sudden
onset of "the worst
headache of my life“.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
involves a widening,
stretching, or ballooning of the
aorta
•There are several causes of
abdominal aortic aneurysm,
but the most common results
from atherosclerotic disease
•As the aorta gets progressively
larger over time there is
increased chance of rupture.
Blood Pressure is the
measurement of force
applied to the artery
walls
The pressure is
determined by:
1. Force behind blood
2. Amount of blood
pumped
3. Size and flexibility of
the arteries
HEART ACTIONS
Atrial Systole – atria contract
Ventricular diastole – ventricles relax
• Normal blood pressure – 120/80
• Hypertension is a disorder characterized by
chronically high blood pressure (exceeding 140/90)
 Hypertension is called "the silent killer" because it
often causes no symptoms for many years, even
decades, until it finally damages critical organs
BLOOD PRESSURE (BP)
2 Factors:
1. Cardiac output: rate of blod flow produced by the
heart
2. Systemic vascular resistance (SVR): the resistance
of the blood vessels to blood flow
• BP = cardiac output x SVR
• So what two factors could serve to increase blood
pressure? Why would BP increase with age?
BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL:
1. Autonomic nervous system responses
• Baroreceptors – pressure sensitive nerve endings in the
carotid sinus and aortic arch
• Decreased BP causes activation of the sympathetic
nervous system
2. Capillary shift mechanism – low BP makes fluid move
from interstitial space into circulation
3. Hormonal responses –
• Sympathetic stimulation → adrenaline/noradrenaline
• Renin and angiotensin produced by kidney →
vasoconstriction AND fluid retention
4. Kidney and fluid balance mechanisms
Hypotension
low blood pressure
symptoms include lightheadedness, dizziness, and
fainting
Low blood pressure is blood pressure that is
low enough that the flow of blood to the organs
of the body is inadequate
•Unlike high blood pressure, low blood pressure
is defined primarily by signs and symptoms of
low blood flow not by a specific blood pressure
number
•Common causes of low blood pressure include
a reduced volume of blood, heart disease, and
medications
•Veins are blood vessels that
return blood to the heart
All veins, with the exception of the
pulmonary vein, carry deoxygenated
(oxygen poor) blood
Veins:
1. Lumen of the vein
2. Valve
are not as strong as arteries
are thinner and less flexible than arteries
contain valves to prevent backflow of blood
Venules are small veins that connect to capillaries
The superior and
inferior vena cava
function to return
oxygen poor blood to
right atrium
The pulmonary vein
returns oxygen-rich
blood from the lungs to
the left atrium
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted, painful superficial veins
resulting from poorly functioning valves; usually occur in the
veins of the legs
•Jugular Vein – located in the neck; drain blood from the
head, brain, face and neck; joins the subclavian vein
•Brachiocephalic Vein - two veins that drain blood from the
head, neck, and upper limbs; unite to form the superior vena
cava
PICC Line –
Peripherally
Inserted
Central Catheter
•In medicine, a port is a
small medical appliance
that is installed beneath
the skin. A catheter
connects the port to a
vein.
•Under the skin, the port
has a septum through
which drugs can be
injected and blood
samples can be drawn
many times, usually with
less discomfort for the
patient than a more
typical "needle stick".
Hickman Catheter
The capillaries are networks of tiny, thin blood vessels that connect
arterioles to venules
Gases, nutrients, and metabolic by-products (CO2) are exchanged
in capillaries
Capillaries are so small that it would take 10 to equal the
thickness of a human hair
Cardiac Conduction System
•The sinoatrial node (SA node) is a group of cells that
generates electrical current; these "sparks" cause the
right atrium to contract
•The SA node is located in the right atrium; called the
pacemaker
•The SA node sets the
pulse rhythm
A pacemaker is a
battery-operated
electronic device which
is inserted under the
skin to help the heart
beat regularly and at an
appropriate rate
The pacemaker has leads
that travel through a large
vein to the heart, where the
wires are anchored
The leads send the electrical
impulses to the heart to tell it
to beat
•The atrioventricular node (AV node), located between
the right atrium and right ventricle, is the secondary
pacemaker
•The AV node sets the rhythm of your heart
contractions
•The AV node receives impulses from the SA node and
delays the signal, giving the atrium time to contract first
•If the atrium and the ventricle contracted at the same
time, the ventricles would push out their blood before
they were totally full, resulting in low blood pressure
Arrhythmias problems that affect the electrical system of
heart muscle; types of arrhythmias include:
Bradycardia - heart rate of less than 60 beats per
minute; symptoms include fatigue, dizziness,
lightheadedness, fainting due to insufficient blood flow to
the brain
Tachycardia - rapid heart beating; can produce chest
pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting due to the heart
beating too fast to circulate blood effectively
Atrial Fibrillation - type of arrhythmia, or abnormal
heartbeat, that is caused by erratic electrical signals originating
from the atria.
Animation
Pulmonary Circulation –
heart to the lungs and back
to the heart
Systemic Circulation –
heart to all body tissues
and back again
Cardiovascular System Disorders
Heart disease – any condition that impairs normal functioning
of the heart muscle or blood vessels of heart
Specific Heart Conditions:
Congestive Heart Failure – inability of the left ventricle to
pump adequate blood to the body's other organs
 Congenital Heart Defects – heart problems that babies have
at birth
Animation
 Common congenital disorders:
1. Ventricular Septal Defects (VSD)
2. Atrial Septal Defects (ASD)
 abnormal openings in the interventricular
septum
Review for test:
1. The outermost layer of the pericardium
2. The lining of the heart
3. Heart muscle
4. The pacemaker of the heart
5. The point in the conduction system of the heart where the impulse is
temporarily delayed
6. Prevents backflow into the left atrium
7. Prevents backflow into the right atrium
8. True or False: The myocardium receives its blood supply directly from the
carotid arteries.
9. True or False: A heart rate of less than 60 beats/min is called tachycardia.
10.True or False: The atria receive blood returning to the heart.
11.True or False: Congestive heart failure means that the pumping efficiency
of the heart is depressed so that there is inadequate delivery of blood to
body tissues.
12.True or False: Tissues damaged by myocardial infarction are replaced after
a long time because myocardial cells replicate slowly.
13.True or False: The left side of the heart pumps a larger volume of blood
than the right since the left side feeds the entire body except the lungs.
14.Normal heart sounds are caused by ________.
15.The left ventricular wall of the heart is thicker than the right wall in order
to________.
16.Blood within the pulmonary veins returns to the ______.
17.Blood enters which of these vessels during ventricular systole?
A. Aorta
C. pulmonary veins
B. pulmonary arteries
D. both a and b
18.Blood is carried to capillaries in the myocardium by way of the _______
arteries.
19.Which of the following factors does not influence heart rate?
A. Skin color
C. gender
B. Age
D. body temperature
20.Define systole and diastole. Which heart chambers are usually referenced
when these terms are used?
21.Largest artery of the body
22.Carries oxygen rich blood from the lungs
23.Which is greater: oxygen concentration in pulmonary arteries or oxygen
concentration in pulmonary veins.
24.Which is greater: systolic pressure or diastolic pressure
25.True or False: The largest of the circulatory routes is the systemic route.
26.True or False: All arteries of the systemic circulation branch from the
superior vena cava.
27.True or False: Hypotension is generally considered to be systolic blood
pressure above 100 mm Hg.
28. True or False: Capillaries directly connect arterioles to venules.
29.True or False: Pulmonary circulation does not directly serve the metabolic
needs of body tissues.
30.Which type of blood vessels contain valves and what is their function?
Measuring Blood Pressure
1. Systolic pressure (top number)
 pressure inside the artery when the heart
contracts and pumps blood through the body
2. Diastolic pressure (bottom number)
 pressure inside the artery
when the heart is at rest
and is filling with blood
(Do not copy)
•You inflate the sphygmomanometer (sfĭg'mō-mə-nŏm'ĭ-tər) to 180
mm Hg. This collapses the major arteries to the arm (that's
why it is uncomfortable).
(Sphygmo is Greek for pulse, and a manometer measures pressure)
•Then you slowly release air by gently turning the air valve,
and watch the pressure drop. “righty tighty” “lefty lucy”
•When you first hear a sound, that will be the Systolic blood
pressure. The sound you hear is the blood now flowing in the
artery of the arm
•As you continue to watch the pressure drop, note when you
no longer hear any sounds, that will be the Diastolic blood
pressure
Blood Pressure Animation