GROUP 3

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

PRESENTATION.
THE HEART
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
The heart is a muscular, wet ,brute of cone shaped organ which pumps blood in the body having to beat
100,000 times a day and beats 2.5 billion times in a lifetime, in other to maintain pressure. It is 10cm long
and weighs 225g in females and 310g in males, having its size as that of a fist and lying obliquely in the
thoracic cavity at the mediastinum slightly to the left side of the chest.
ORGANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HEART
i. Inferiorly: The apex resting on the central tendon of the diaphragm.
ii. Superiorly: The great blood vessels, pulmonary arteries and veins.
iii. Posteriorly: Oesophagus, trachea, thoracic vertebrae, left and right bronchioles, descending aorta,
inferior vena cavae.
iv. Laterally: The lungs.
v. Anteriorly: The sternum, ribcage, and intercostal muscles.
WELL LABELLED DIAGRAM OF THE HUMAN HEART
SCOPES OF OBJECTIVE: BLOOD CIRCULATION
i. Blood pressure
ii. Pulse and factors affecting them
iii. Cardiac rate.

What is blood circulation? Blood circulation can be defined as the continuous flow of blood throughout the body which aids in
adequacy of blood in the body cells giving rise to the supply of oxygen and nutrient in the body. The heart which is the main
component of the cardiovascular system ensures the steady pump of blood in the body, with the aid of the lungs which supply's
the heart with oxygen needed for the metabolic functions in the body.

MODE OF CIRCULATION
A. Pulmonary circulation
B. Systemic or General circulation.

Pulmonary circulation: This is the circulation of blood from the right ventricle to the lungs where carbon dioxide are
excreted and oxygen is absorbed.
Systemic or general circulation: This is the process where blood pumped out from the left ventricle is carried by the
branches of the aorta throughout the body which is later returned to the right atrium of the heart through the
inferior and superior vena cava.
DIAGRAMS SHOWING THE PULMONARY AND SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION.

PULMONARY CIRCULATION SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION

BLOOD PRESSURE
What is blood pressure? Blood pressure can be defined as the amount of strain your arteries feel as the heart moves your
blood around the body at 60 beats per minutes.
Types of blood pressure
A. Systolic pressure
B. Diastolic pressure
SYSTOLIC PRESSURE
This is the maximum pressure is exerted against the large arteries when heart is pumping oxygenated blood to the body system.
This is also referred to as the indication or top number of blood pressure reading.
DIASTOLIC PRESSURE
This is the fall of pressure in the arteries when the deoxygenated blood is returning to the right atrium of the heart. The is also
referred to as the falling number of blood pressure.
FACTORS THAT DETERMINE BLOOD PRESSURE
a) Cardiac output; This is a condition regarding stroke volume and heart rate, which may increase or decrease output and in
turn causing blood pressure.
b) Peripheral resistance: This is a condition where there is controversy in blood flow where there is high degree of
vasoconstriction, the resistance of blood flow and blood pressure increases.
 CONTROL OF BLOOD PRESSURE
There are two ways of control in blood pressure ;
1. Short term control: It is a collection of interconnected neurons in the medulla and pons of the brain stem which involves the
baroreceptors, chemoreceptors and circulating hormones. These receives integrate and coordination's input.
BARORECEPTOR‘S: It is the walls of the aortic and carotid sinuses which are sensitive to pressure, and this is termed
baroreceptor reflex.
CHEMORECEPTOR’S: These are nerve ending which are involved in respiration and are sensitive to levels of carbon dioxide and
acidity in blood
CIRCULATING HORMONES: This is regarded as those hormone which travel in blood and act on distant target cells e.g.;
Aldosterone, Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone, Thyroxine (T4), Insulin, Cortisol, Prolactin etc.
2. Long term control: It is the slower, long lasting changes in blood pressure which involves RAAS and action of antidiuretic
hormone (ADH). The heart in the order hand releases hormone which causes the loss of sodium and water from kidney and this
reduces the blood pressure opposing the activities of the ADH and RAAS.
FACTORS AFFECTING BLOOD PRESSURE
i. Age
ii. Smoking
iii. Alcohol
iv. Disease conditions
v. Hemorrhage
 PULSE

The aortic pressure wave which is transmitted through the body can be felt at points where superficial artery can be pressed
firmly but gently to the bone, although anatomically this varies considerably in individuals and in the same individual at the same
time. An average of 60-80 b.p.m is common at rest but the term anatomically used for pulse under 60 b.p.m is termed
bradycardia and the pulse above 100 b.p.m is termed tachycardia.
Pulse rate can be used to gather information's in medical field and in order to know the following;
a. The heart beat
b. The volume and strength of the beat of the blood vessel walls giving some indications of the blood pressure which is being
compressed with moderate pressure by the physician.
c. The regularity of the heart beat which must be equal between intervals.
FACTORS AFFECTING PULSE
Some health issues may cause the interference in the pulse rate where in certain circumstance the pulse rate might be lower
than the cardiac rate for example;
o When there is disorder of the cardiac contraction having a problem of atrial fibrillation where the heart is unable to generate
enough force and in order to circulate blood to the peripheral arteries.
o When the arteries which supply blood to the peripheral tissues are blocked or narrowed blood in this case is no longer pump
with the each heart beat e.g when there is a condition of peripheral vascular disease of the leg which reduces blood flow in
the foot.
DIAGRAM SHOWING THE PULSE POINT FOR DETECTING PULSE RATE
 CARDIAC RATE
This can be defined as the number of times the human heart beat per minute and this heart beat varies from age in individual
and consists of the contraction and relaxation of the heart. The heart beats from the range of 60-90 b.p.m.

FACTORS AFFECTING CARDIAC RATE

 Disease condition
 Circulating hormones
 Activity and exercise
 Gender
 Age
 Temperature
 Emotional state. etc.
DIAGRAM SHOWING CARDIAC RATE OF THE HUMAN HEART
THE END

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