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Cardiovascular lecture

Gross Anatomy
2015
Components of the CV system

Heart: pumps blood


Vessels: (arteries, capillaries, veins): transport blood
Blood: specialized connective tissue that carries nutrients, gases, hormones, antibodies, and
waste
Lymphatics: fluid homeostasis; absorption of excess blood plasma and fats

Associated organs
Lungs: Oxygenate blood
spleen, kidney, bone marrow, liver: involved in blood production (hematopoiesis)
breakdown of spent blood cells, filtration/purification.
Heart functions
How does the heart function efficiently?
Isolates oxygenated blood from deoxygenated blood
Transports blood through the chambers and out into circulation
Coordinates chamber contraction
Sustains contractions and responds to variable physiological demands (exercise, stress,
digestion)
The hearts of mammals
and birds have four chambers

The heart has a dorsal base and an apex that faces ventrally, caudally and a bit to the left.
Chambers serve to separate oxygenated from deoxygenated blood
RA and LA
RV and LV
Left ventricle has a considerably thicker wall than the right ventricle.
The hearts of mammals and birds
have four chambers

How does blood enter and exit the chambers?

Blood flow through the heart is unidirectional!


RA RV lungs LA LV Systemic circulation.
Relies on a system of opening and closing valves to move blood into and out of chambers.

Four valves separate the chambers:

Left atrioventricular valve (AV) (Mitral or Bicuspid)


Right atrioventricular valve (AV) (Tricuspid)
Aortic valve (LV and aorta)
Pulmonary valve (RV and pulmonary artery)

AV valves have cusps, which open and close depending on the surrounding pressures in the atrial
and ventricular chambers.
Chordae tendineae,
Papillary muscles
Chordae tendineae connect each cusp to two papillary muscles and each papillary
muscle to two cusps.
Parietal cusps and septal cusps.
Aortic and pulmonary valves:

Aortic and pulmonary valves (aka semilunar valves) are formed by cusps only; these
valves have no chordae tendineae.

Aortic and pulmonary valves (aka semilunar valves) are formed by cusps only; these valves have
no chordae tendineae.

Blood flows passively into the right atrium via the cranial and caudal venae cavae and is
directed by an intravenous tubercle towards the right AV valve.
Heart sounds are associated with valves closing
Systole: [sis-tuh-lee] LUB !!!
Right & Left Ventricles Contract
Right & Left AV Valves are Closed
Aortic and Pulmonary Valves are Open
Diastole: [dahy-as-tl-ee] DUB !!!
Right & Left Ventricles Relax
Aortic & Pulmonary Valves are Closed

Right & Left AV Valves are Open


Some simultaneous contraction of the right and left Atria occurs.
Cardiac conduction: Initiation of contraction:

Sinoatrial (SA) node: Pacemaker; initiates/controls inherent rhythm of contraction in


the heart.
Atrioventricular node (AV node): the only electrical connection between the atria and the
ventricles comes through this node.
Atrioventricular bundle: AV bundle lies in the ventricular septum and splits into right and
left bundles, composed of specialized myocardial conductive fibers called Purkinje fibers.
(Do not confuse with Purkinje CELLS!)
Trabecula septomarginalis (AKA the moderator band) Sends a short cut through the
right ventricle.

Blood Circulation is like a figure 8 with the Heart at the middle and the Pulmonary and
Systemic Circulations producing the two loops
Arterial Circulation Leaving the heart
(oxygenated =red, de-oxgenated = blue)

SYSTEMIC (Aorta to arteries to arterioles to capillaries)

PULMONARY (Pulmonary artery to smaller arteries to arterioles to


capillaries)

NOTE: Arteries move blood away from the heart; veins bring it back to the
heart.

For the most part, arteries carry oxygenated blood and veins carry
deoxygenated blood. HOWEVER, you will notice that the pulmonary ARTERY
moves deoxygenated blood to the lungs (AWAY from the heart) and the
pulmonary VEINS return oxygenated blood TO the heart.
Venous Circulation Towards the heart (deoxygenated=blue)

SYSTEMIC (capillaries to venules to veins to cranial & caudal vena cava & also
veins of the heart)

PORTALcoming from GI (capillaries to venules to portal vein to Liver


with venules, sinusoids (capillaries), venules and hepatic veins into caudal
vena cava

PULMONARY (capillaries to venules to pulmonary veins)

Portal circulation
Oxygen rich, nutrient poor blood leaves heart; goes to muscles/organs etc.
Veins draining abdominal viscera carry oxygen poor, nutrient rich blood to liver via
PORTAL VEIN.
LIVER has capillary bed of *sinusoids* through which blood passes
Blood exits liver through HEPATIC VEINS
Blood enters caudal vena cava, to right atrium of heart.
Portal circulation
NUTRITIONAL & FUNCTIONAL
BLOOD SUPPLIES
Nutritional: Supports organ so it can function
Heart: coronary arteries
Lungs: bronchial arteries
Liver: hepatic artery
Functional: Supplies blood for functional purpose of organ (also may support organ)
Heart: venae cavae & pulmonary veins
Lungs: pulmonary arteries
Liver: portal vein
HEART EXTERNAL STRUCTURE AND SEROUS MEMBRANES

The heart itself consists of three tissue layers (from the inside out):
Endocardium: endothelial lining of heart chambers
Myocardium: smooth cardiac muscle making up the heart (by far the thickest of the
three layers)
Epicardium or visceral pericardium: tightly adherent serous membrane
Pericardium
Heart: encased in a 3 layered membrane, the pericardium; this lies within the
mediastinum.

The pericardium has the following layers: (from the inside out)
Visceral pericardium or epicardium: tightly adherent to the heart muscle.
Parietal pericardium: adheres to medial surface of the outer fibrous pericardium
Fibrous pericardium: an inelastic fibrous tissue which surrounds the heart. This
layer is closely associated with the mediastinal pleurae.
Pericardial cavity:
Potential space separating the visceral and parietal pericardium.
This potential cavity can accumulate biological fluids (pericardial effusion;
pericarditis)

Cardiac skeleton
The atria and ventricles are separated by a fibrous skeleton of the heart formed by annular
rings which encircle the valve openings and serve for valve attachment.
The region between these rings is known as the trigone.
In large ruminants the cartilage in this region can ossify and form the ossa cordis ("heart
bone").
Muscular ridges on the interior walls of the heart reduce turbulence.
In the atria, these are pectinate muscles
In the Ventricles, these are trabeculae carnae.

Structures That Close at Birth


Fetal Circulation
The paired umbilical arteries carry deoxygenated blood back to the placenta.
In the adult they become the round ligaments of the bladder.
The umbilical vein carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetal heart via the
caudal vena cava.
In the adult this becomes the round ligament of the liver
NOTE: here is another case where veins are carrying OXYGENATED blood and
arteries are carrying DEOXYGENATED blood. . .
Artery and vein
Arteries

Arteries: Conduit for blood from the heart to the capillaries.


Arterioles: possess smooth muscular sphincters to regulate blood flow and distribution to
capillaries.
Capillaries: thin-walled (typically 1 layer of endothelial cells) for diffusion and gas
exchange.
Three types:
Capillaries
Fenestrated capillaries (intestinal villi, renal Glomeruli)
Sinusoids (Liver, spleen, bone marrow)
Arteries are a Pressure reservoir.
Veins

Like the RV, veins operate under low internal pressure.


They are thin-walled and very distensible
Veins have valves are made of endothelial cells to prevent backflow or pooling (edema) of
blood.
Some veins, such as the venous sinuses in the head, lack valves. This allows blood to flow
in both directions.
Veins are usually adjacent to arteries and between layers of skeletal muscle: as muscle and
arteries contract, vasoconstriction occurs, increasing the venous pressure and inducing the
blood to return to the heart.
Veins act as a Volume reservoir
Percentage of Blood in
compartments
Cavernous tissue: closely packed endothelial spaces which enlarge when they become
engorged with blood. Found in the genitalia and erectile tissue.
Vasa vasorum: vessels of the vessel vessels which provide a nutrient blood supply to
especially large vessels, such as the aorta. Vasa vasorum penetrates the tunica adventitia
(outer layer) of the blood vessel and ramifies with tunica media (middle layer).
Vascular anastomosis (plural, anastomoses)
a. Arteriovenous anastomoses allow blood to be shunted to or away from organs which
are variably active (e.g., stomach, liver, spleen), or to regions involving temperature
regulation (e.g., skin, nose and ears).
b. Interarterial anastomoses allow for collateral circulation. An example would be the
recurrent and collateral ulnar arteries.
Counter current exchange system:
blood in one vessel (artery) flows in the opposite direction to blood in an adjacent vessel
(vein) allowing for an efficient mechanism of heat exchange. Heat is diffused through the
walls of the two adjoining vessels; For example, the carotid rete, found just below the
brains of ruminants, is thought to help prevent the brain from overheating.

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