Chapter 18: The Cardiovascular System: The Heart

The student should be able to:

1. Describe the external and internal anatomy of the heart.
2. Construct a labelled diagram showing the flow of blood through the heart.
3. Compare and contrast the microscopic structure, metabolism, and contraction of
skeletal and cardiac muscle. (See summary in Tables 9.3 and 18.1)
4. Draw and label an action potential for cardiac pacemaker cells (Figure 18.12) and for
contractile cardiac muscle cells (Figure 18.15). Compare the changes in membrane
potential and membrane permeability that occur during each action potential.
5. Name and locate the components of the intrinsic cardiac conduction system. Describe
the initiation and spread of an impulse from the SA node to the ventricular contractile
cells.
6. Draw and label a normal ECG and explain the P wave, QRS complex, and T wave.
7. Describe the sequence and timing of events (related to cardiac contractions, blood
flow, and valve function) that occur during a normal cardiac cycle.
8. Define cardiac output and identify the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate
stroke volume and heart rate. Contrast the effects of preload, contractility, and
afterload; compare and contrast the effects of the sympathetic and parasympathetic
neurotransmitters; state the role of baroreceptors and the effects of ion imbalances
and thyroxine.
9. Do the following Review Questions at the end of Chapter 18: 1 – 13(a), 14 – 19.

Key Terms:
base, apex, pericardium, fibrous pericardium, serous pericardium, parietal layer,
pericardial cavity, visceral layer (epicardium), myocardium, cardiac skeleton, endocardium,
atrium (pl. atria), ventricles, interatrial septum, interventricular septum, coronary sulcus,
auricles, fossa ovalis, superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, coronary sinus, pulmonary
veins, papillary muscles, pulmonary trunk, right and left pulmonary arteries, aorta,
pulmonary circuit, systemic circuit, coronary circulation, left and right coronary arteries,
cardiac veins, atrioventricular (AV) valves (tricuspid and mitral valves), chordae tendineae,
aortic and pulmonary semilunar (SL) valves

intercalated discs, functional syncytium, automaticity (autorhythmicity),

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