Cardiovascular system
General
The
cardiovascular system is a series
of tubes and a muscular pump that
provides a ONE-WAY street for
blood, oxygen, and nutrients.
Blood and nutrients travel through
blood vessels (arteries, veins, and
capillaries).
 The
cardiovascular system is fueled by a
muscular pump called the heart. The heart
is actually two pumps connected by a
SEPTUM.
 The
right side of the heart pumps blood that
is deficient in oxygen to the lungs [Pulmonary
Circulation].
 The
left side of the heart pumps blood that is
rich in oxygen to the body [Systemic
Circulation].
The cardiovascular system
Roots pertaining to the cardiovascular system
Angi/o
Vas/o
vessel
Angiogram (record)
Vasospasm (twitching)
aort/o
aorta
Aortostenosis
(narrowing)
Arterio/o
artery
Arteriosclerosis
(condition of hardening)
Ather/o
Fatty plaque
Atheroma
Atri/o
atrium
Atrial
Cardi/o
heart
Cardiomegaly
(enlargement)
Electr/o
electric
Electrocardiogram (record
of electric)
Phleb/o
Ven/o
vein
Phlebitis
Venous
Thromb/o
Blood clot
Thrombolysis
(destruction of a clot)
Ventricul/o
Ventricle (brain or
heart)
Interventricular septum
(wall between the two
ventricles)
The Heart
 The
heart has three distinct layers of tissue.
1. endocardium
- deepest layer.
2. myocardium
- muscle
3. epicardium
- outermost layer
 The
heart is a muscular organ that pumps
blood and is enclosed in a membranous
sac. This sac allows the heart to beat
without friction.
 This
sac is called the Pericardium. Perimeans “around”, cardium refers to the
heart.
 There
are two sides of the heart.
 There are two vertical divisions of the
heart.
 The top compartments are atria
 The bottom compartments are ventricles
 Therefore, there are right and left atria and
right and left ventricles.
Heart Chambers
 Abbreviations
chambers:
Right atrium
Right ventricle
Left atrium
Left ventricle
for
RA
RV
LA
LV
Left
Atrium
Right
Atrium
Right
Ventricle
Left
Ventricle
Apex
 The
ventricles are larger than the atria. This
is because the ventricles are responsible
for pumping blood a farther distance than
the atria.
 Of
the two ventricles, the left is larger than
the right. This is because the left ventricle
must pump blood to the entire body.
A
rapid contraction of the atrium or
ventricle is known as a flutter.
 Atrial
flutter can cause chest pain and
shortness of breath (SOB).
 The
rule for forming plural words from the
singular that end in –um is to drop the –um
and add an –a.
 Arteries
bring blood AWAY from the heart.
 Veins bring blood TOWARD the heart.
 Arteries usually carry blood with much
oxygen.
 Veins usually carry blood with little oxygen.
 The Right Atrium receives blood from all
tissues of the body through veins. This blood
is oxygen poor.

The blood brought back to the heart
comes from three sources:
1.
Superior Vena Cava (Svc) brings blood
from the top part of the body.
Inferior Vena Cava (Ivc) brings blood from
the lower part of the body.
Coronary Sinus brings blood from the heart
muscle.
2.
3.
All three sources empty into the Right Atrium.
 Once
inside the right atrium, the blood must
travel to the right ventricle. In order to do
this, it must pass through the Tricuspid Valve.
 The
function of all heart valves is to allow
one way travel of blood.
 It
would be dangerous to have blood
backflow because of different oxygen
concentrations.
Heart Valves
Mitral
Left
Tricuspid
Right
Apex
 Once
inside the right ventricle, the blood
passes through the pulmonary semilunar
valve into the pulmonary arteries.
 The
pulmonary arteries carry oxygendeficient blood to the lungs.
 Once
inside the lungs, the blood vessels
branch until they reach one cell layer thick.
These capillaries combine with the alveoli of
the lungs for the exchange of oxygen and
carbon dioxide.
 The
blood now has much oxygen. It returns
to the heart by the Pulmonary Veins. There
are four pulmonary veins that empty into the
Left Atrium.
 The blood then must pass through the Mitral
Valve (Bicuspid Valve) into the left ventricle.
 From the left ventricle the blood passes
through the Aortic Semilunar Valve in the
Aorta.
 The aorta is the largest artery of the body.
 The
contraction of the left ventricle sends
blood rich in oxygen all over the body.
 There
are three arteries that bring blood to
the head, neck, and upper extremities.

There is one major vessel that brings blood
to the abdomen and lower extremities.
 Arteries
are the large vessels that bring
blood away from the heart. These vessels
branch into smaller Arterioles which
eventually branch into Capillaries which are
only one cell thick.
 The
primary responsibility for initiating the
heartbeat is with the Sinoatrial Node. This is
located on the posterior wall of the right
atrium.
 Once this electric current is generated,
atrial muscle contracts forcing blood into
the ventricles.
 Once this occurs the heartbeat moves to
another region called the Atrioventricular
Node.
 Once
this occurs, the AV node sends
electrical impulses through a series of
Bundle Branches ending in Purkinje Fibers
that stimulate the ventricles to contract.
Blood Supply to Heart
 Coronary
 right
Artery System
coronary
 left coronary
 left anterior descending
 circumflex
The Cardiac Cycle and Heart Sounds
 The
Cardiac Cycle is the events that occur
in one complete heartbeat.
 The cardiac cycle has 2 phases:
1. contraction of the heart: Systole
2. relaxation of the heart: Diastole
Systolic
The blood pressure when the heart is
contracting. It is specifically the maximum
arterial pressure during contraction of the
left ventricle of the heart. The time at which
ventricular contraction occurs is called
systole.
Diastolic
Referring to the time when the heart is in a
period of relaxation and dilatation
(expansion).
Electrocardiogram
 Electrical
activity of the heart can be measured by
an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG).
 EKG’s
are electrical tracings of each part of the
cardiac cycle.
 Each
time a different part of the heart contracts,
an electrical impulse can be recorded from
different areas on the thorax.
Clinical aspects
of the cardiovascular system
 Hypertension
The elevation of arterial blood pressure to a level
that is likely to cause damage to the
cardiovascular system
 Hypotension
Lower than normal arterial blood pressure
 Orthostatic
hypotension
Low blood pressure that occurs upon standing up
 Microcardia
Small heart
 Cardiomegaly
(megalocardia)
Enlargement of heart
 Myocardial
Heart attack
Infarction (MI)
 Cardiomegaly
The abnormal enlargement of the heart
 Cardiomyopathy
The term used to describe all diseases of the heart
muscle
 Carditis
An inflammation of the heart
 Coronary
arteries
Supply oxygen-rich blood to the myocardium
 Coronary
artery disease
Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that reduces
the blood supply to the heart muscle
 Angiitis
The inflammation of a blood or lymph vessel
 Angina
A condition of episodes of severe chest pain
due to inadequate blood flow to the
myocardium
 Angiostenosis
The abnormal narrowing of a blood vessel
Pericarditis
An inflammation of the pericardium that
causes an accumulation of fluid within the
pericardial sac
Phlebitis
The inflammation of a vein
 Arrhythmia
Describes an abnormality, or the loss of the normal
rhythm, of the heart
 Arteriectomy
The surgical removal the surgical removal of part of an
artery
 Endocarditis
An inflammation of the inner lining of the heart
 Plaque
A fatty deposit that is similar to the buildup of rust
inside a pipe
 Atheroma
A deposit of plaque on or within the arterial wall
 Arteriosclerosis
Any of a group of diseases characterized by
thickening and the loss of elasticity of arterial walls
 The
prefix “tachy-” refers to rapid.
a rapid heartbeat (pulse):
tachycardia
 The
prefix “brady-” refers to slow.
a slow heartbeat (pulse):
bradycardia
Tachycardia
An abnormally rapid resting heart rate

Bradycardia
An abnormally slow resting heart rate
Cardiac
arrest
An event in which the heart abruptly stops
or develops a very abnormal arrhythmia
that prevents it from pumping blood
Peri/cardi/ectomy
- sx procedure excising the pericardium.
Peri/cardi/o/rraphy
- suturing a wound of the pericardium.
My/o/cardi/um
- the muscular layer of the heart.
Atherosclerosis
 Atherosclerosis
is a form of Arteriosclerosis
and is characterized by an abnormal
accumulation of fat and fibrous tissue
(scarring) in a blood vessel.
 This
leads to a narrowing of the lumen
which causes a decrease in blood flow to a
part of the body
 This
condition can lead to necrosis, or
cellular death.
Atherosclerosis
 To
prevent blood clots, patients may take
an anticoagulant. These are agents that
delay blood coagulation (clotting).
 Anticoagulants
are used to prevent
thrombus formation (thrombogenesis).
 Thrombolysis
is accomplished with
thrombolytic agents or medications that
destroy a clot.
Cardiac
catheterization
A diagnostic procedure in which a catheter is
passed into a vein or artery and then guided
into the heart
Atherectomy
The surgical removal of plaque buildup from
the interior of an artery
Aneurysm
A localized weak spot, or balloon-like
enlargement, of the wall of an
artery
 There
are two types of aneursym:
1. Fusiform – the wall dilates equally
resulting in a tubular swelling.
2. Sacculated – a balloon is attached to
the vessel by a narrow stalk.
Aneurysm/ectomy
The surgical removal of an aneurysm
Ischemia
A condition in which there is an
insufficient oxygen supply due to a
restricted blood flow to a part of the
body
Ischemic
heart disease
A group of cardiac disabilities
resulting from an insufficient supply of
oxygenated blood to the heart
Thrombus
A blood clot attached to the interior
wall of an artery or vein
Thrombosis
The abnormal condition of having a
thrombus
Coronary thrombosis
Damage to the heart muscle caused
by a thrombus blocking a coronary
artery
Deep
vein thrombosis
The condition of having a thrombus
attached to the wall of a deep vein
Embolism
The sudden blockage of a blood vessel by
an embolus
Embolus
A foreign object, such as a blood clot,
quantity of air or gas, or a bit of tissue or
tumor that is circulating in the blood