Cardiovascular System

Anatomy and Physiology

Circulatory System
•Maintains the distribution of blood flow through out the body
•Includes: The Heart, blood vessels, Arteries, Capillaries, and veins
•Has two parts: The Pulmonary Circulation and The Systemic Circulation
•The Pulmonary Circulation: transports deoxygenated blood between the
heart and lungs
•The Systemic Circulation: transports oxygenated blood away from the
heart to tissues and cells, and returns oxygen back to the heart
•Collects waste from the body and cells
•Carbon dioxide is transported by the circulatory system from lungs, liver,
kidneys
•Has Four Valves
The Heart
•Is made up of cardiac muscle
•The heart has four chambers
•Average beat is 60-100 bpm.
•Each time the cardiac muscle contracts, blood pushes
through the body within blood vessels
•The heart is locate in the mediastinum( center of the chest
cavity)
•About the size of a fist, shaped like an up-side-down pear
•The lower edge of the heart is called the apex
•The wall of the heart has three layers
Layers of the Heart
1. Endocardium: Inner layer of the heart
• Lines the chambers of the heart
• Reduces friction as the blood passes through the chambers
2. Myocardium: The middle layer
• Contractions help develops the pressure needed to pump blood through
blood vessels
3. Epicardium: The outer layer
• This layer is double-layer pleural-sac called pericarium
• The visceral pericardium: Inner layer
• The Perietal Pericardium: Outer layer
• Fluid between the layers helps the sacs reduce friction as the hearts beats
Pulse and Blood Pressure
• Blood Pressure is a measurement of the force exerted by
blood against the wall of a blood vessels.
• A Ventricular Systole: the blood is under a lot of pressure
from contracting
• Systolic Pressure is the highest blood pressure reading
• Diastolic Pressure is the lowest blood pressure reading
• Pulse is the surge blood caused by the heart contraction
 Chambers of the heart
•A. Two atria( upper chambers)
o receiving chambers
B. Two ventricles( lower chambers)
o pumping chambers
Both have a thick myocardium and
•contracts, ejects blood out of the heart
•into the arteries
•C. Interatrial Septum( right side)
•D. Interventricular Septum( left side)
Valves of the Heart
•Four valves
•Restrains and
controls the
direction of flow of
the blood
•They allow the
blood to flow
forward in direction
“only”, by blocking
the previous
chamber
Valves

• Pulmonary Valve • The Tricuspid

(semi lunar valve) (atrioventricular valve)
• Located between the • Controls the opening
right ventricle and the between the right
pulmonary artery atrium and right
ventricle
• Prevents the blood
from returning to the • Once the blood enters
right ventricles as it the right ventricle, it
relaxes cannot go back
• Has three leaflets
Valves( continued)
•Mitral Valve •Aortic Valve
(bicuspid valve) (a semi lunar valve)
•Has two cusps •Located between the
•Blood flows through left ventricle and
the atrioventricular aorta
valve and keeps it •Blood leave the left
from returning ventricle and cannot
through the left return
atrium
Blood Vessels( three types)
• Arteries: large, thick-wall vessels
Carries blood away from the heart
Muscles can contract and relax to change size of the arterial lumen
Coronary arteries provides blood to capillaries
• Veins: thin-wall vessels
Carries blood back to the heart
Can collapse easily
Prevents blood from back-flowing
Ensure the blood flows toward the heart
Blood Vessels
• Capillaries: thin-wall vessels
Has network of tiny vessels called capillary beds
Allows diffusion of the oxygen and nutrients from the
blood into the body tissues
Blood flow does not flow as quick as the arteries and
veins
 Blood Flow Through the Body
1. Deoxygenated blood pumps to the
right atrium( the superior vena cava
and Inferior vena cava)
2. From the right atrium to the tricuspid
valve
3. To the right ventricle
4. Blood pumps to the pulmonary valve
5. From the pulmonary valve to the
pulmonary
artery( this carries oxygen to the lungs)
6. To the left atrium (where it receives
blood)
7. Returns blood to the heart, to the
relaxed atrium (from the four
pulmonary valves)
8. Left atrium contracts blood, sends
blood to the mitral valve, and
relaxed in the left ventricle
9. From the left ventricle to the aortic
valve, to the
aorta, and through out the rest of the
body
Blood
• Blood is the red fluid that circulates in our blood vessels,
i.e.veins and arteries.
• The main function of blood is to act as the body’s transport
system
• It also has a major role in the body’s defense against
infection.
Pathologies of the Heart
• Hypertension: Blood
pressure above the
normal range
• Hypotension: Decrease
in blood pressure
• Thrombophlebitis:
Inflammation of the
vein, from blood clots
in the vein
• Varicose Veins: swollen
veins