The Cardiovascular System:

Structure and Function

 Cardiovascular System

 A closed system of the heart and blood

vessels
 The heart pumps blood
 Blood vessels allow blood to circulate to all
parts of the body
 The function of the cardiovascular
system is to deliver oxygen and
nutrients and to remove carbon dioxide
and other waste products
Organs of the Cardiovascular System

• Heart
• Blood vessels
– Arteries
• Arterioles
• Capillaries
– Veins
• Venules
The Heart

Chambered muscular
organ
Pumps blood throughout
the body
Receives deoxygenated
blood through veins
Pumps oxygenated blood
through arteries
The Heart: Heart Wall
 Three layers
 Epicardium
 Outside layer
 This layer is the parietal pericardium
 Connective tissue layer
 Myocardium
 Middle layer
 Mostly cardiac muscle
 Endocardium
 Inner layer
 Endothelium
Slide 11.4
The Heart: Coverings

 Pericardium – a double serous

membrane
 Visceral pericardium
 Next to heart
 Parietal pericardium
 Outside layer
 Serous fluid fills the space between the
layers of pericardium
Slide 11.3
External Heart Anatomy

Slide 11.5
Atria

• Right Atrium (RA)-

right upper chamber-
receives blood from
body- deoxygenated
blood
• Left atrium (LA)- left
upper heart.- receives
oxygenated blood
from lungs and sends
it to the left ventricle
Ventricles
• Right ventricle- (RV)-
right lower chamber-
receives blood from right
atrium and sends it to the
lungs through pulmonary
artery

• Left Ventricle (LV)- lower

left chamber- receives
blood from left atrium and
sends it through the aorta
to the body.
• Aorta: The main trunk Aorta
of the systemic arteries, pulmonary artery
carrying blood from the
Left
left side of the heart to Atrium
the arteries of all limbs Right
Atrium
and organs.
• Pulmonary Artery Left
carries blood to lungs Right
Ventricle
Ventricle
• Tricuspid valve Mitral Valve
controls blood flow
between the right
atrium and
ventricle Left
Atrium
• Mitral valve Right
Atrium
controls blood
movement
between the left Left
Ventricle
atrium and Right
ventricle Ventricle
Tricuspid
Valve
• Pulmonary valve Pulmonary Mitral Valve
valve
controls blood
movement from right
ventricle into Left
pulmonary artery Atrium
Right
• The aortic valve Atrium
controls blood flow
from the left ventricle Left
Ventricle
to the aorta Right
Ventricle
Tricuspid Aortic valve
Valve
Blood Vessels: The Vascular System
Blood Vessels: Anatomy
 Three layers (tunics)
 Tunic intima
 Endothelium
 Tunic media
 Smooth muscle
 Controlled by
sympathetic nervous
system
 Tunic externa
 Mostly fibrous
connective tissue
Slide
Blood Vessels: The Vascular
System

 Taking blood to the tissues and back

 Arteries
 Arterioles
 Capillaries
 Venules
 Veins

Slide 11.23
Arteries
• Arteries
– Muscular, thick, elastic
blood vessels
– Carry oxygenated blood
away from the heart to
body cells, tissue &
organs
– Except for pulmonary
artery
 arteriole venule

• Arterioles
– Small terminal
branches of
arteries
– Connect arteries
to capillaries

artery cappilary vein

Coronary Arteries
• Supply blood to the
heart muscle.
• The heart needs a large
amount of blood and 5-
7% of blood flows
through the coronary
arteries.
 arteriole venule
• Veins
– Thin walled blood
vessels
– Carry deoxygenated
blood to the heart
from body cells,
tissue & organs
– Except for pulmonary
vein

artery cappilary vein

 arteriole venule

• Venules
– Small veins
– Connect capillaries
to larger veins

artery cappilary vein

 arteriole venule

• Capillaries- tubes that

connect arteries and
veins
• Walls only one cell
thick
• Site for exchange of
nutrients and oxygen
from blood cells and
carbon dioxide and
wastes to the blood
artery cappilary vein
Blood

• The body contains 4 to

6 quarts
• Contains Plasma:
antibodies, nutrients,
gases, waste products
• Produced in bone
marrow
• White and red blood
cells
 Vital Signs
All indicate the efficiency of the system
– Arterial pulse
– Blood pressure
Pulse

 Pulse –
pressure wave
of blood
 Monitored at
“pressure
points” where
pulse is easily
palpated
Figure 11.16
Slide 11.35
 Blood Pressure
 Measurements by health professionals
are made on the pressure in large
arteries
 Systolic – pressure at the peak of
ventricular contraction
 Diastolic – pressure when ventricles relax
 Pressure in blood vessels decreases as
the distance away from the heart
increases
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 11.36
 Variations in Blood Pressure
 Human normal range is variable
 Normal
 140–110 mm Hg systolic
 80–75 mm Hg diastolic
 Hypotension
 Low systolic (below 110 mm HG)
 Often associated with illness
 Hypertension
 High systolic (above 140 mm HG)
 Can be dangerous if it is chronic
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 11.41