Cardiac Anatomy and

Physiology.

Prof Martin Stout

Consultant. Cardiology.
NW Heart Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
Contents:
• Anatomical aspects:
• Gross anatomy of the heart.
• Cardiac cells and the myocardium
• Coronary arteries and cardiac veins.
• Nerve supply of the heart.
• Cardiac conduction system.
• Physiological aspects:
• Excitation / contraction coupling.
• Cardiac cycle.
• Coronary circulation physiology.
Cardiac Anatomy and
Physiology.

Part 1 Anatomical Aspects

Gross anatomy of the heart.
Gross anatomy of the heart.
Gross anatomy of the heart.
Nerve innervation of the heart.
• Sympathetic and parasympathetic system.
• SA node and AV node.
• Atrial and ventricular myocardium.
• Inhibition and acceleration.
• Afferent nerves and T1-T4 spinal chord.
• Noradrenergic, chronotropic, ionotropic, dromotrophic responses.
• Right sided thoracic sympathetic ganglia and right vagus – SA node.
• Left sided ganglia and left vagus – AV node, ventricles.
Nerve innervation cont….
• Sympathetic – beta 1 and 2 adrenoreceptors.
• Cholinergic / parasympathetic are opposite.
• Autonomic centres in the CNS – medulla / hypothalamus.
• Tonic vagal discharge.
• Para and sympathetic systems carry afferent input via bara and
chemoreceptors.
• Target for numerous pharmacological medication in different pathological
mechanisms.
Cardiac Conduction system.
Cardiac Anatomy and
Physiology.

Part 2 Physiological Aspects

Systemic and pulmonary circulation
Conduction / excitation sequence.
 Cardiac action potential

SA nodal action potential

Cardiac Cycle.
Coronary physiology.
Coronary physiology.
Coronary physiology.
 Summary:
• Anatomical aspects:
• Gross anatomy of the heart.
• Cardiac cells and the myocardium
• Coronary arteries and cardiac veins.
• Nerve supply of the heart.
• Cardiac conduction system.
• Physiological aspects:
• Excitation / contraction coupling.
• Cardiac cycle.
• Coronary circulation physiology.