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Physiology Chap9 (Cardiac Muscle)
Physiology Chap9 (Cardiac Muscle)
another
right heart: pumps blood through the lungs 2 syncytiums:
left heart: pumps blood through the peripheral 1. atrial syncytium - constitutes the walls of the
organs two atria
each of these hearts is a pulsatile two-chamber 2. ventricular syncytium - constitutes the walls
pump composed of an atrium and a ventricle. of the two ventricles
Each atrium is a weak primer pump for the The atria are separated from the ventricles by
ventricle, helping to move blood into the ventricle. fibrous tissue that surrounds the atrioventricular
The ventricles then supply the main pumping (A-V) valvular openings between the atria and
force that propels the blood either (1) through the ventricles.
pulmonary circulation by the right ventricle or (2) Normally, potentials are conducted only by way
through the peripheral circulation by the left of a specialized conductive system called the A-V
ventricle. bundle, a bundle of conductive fibers several
cardiac rhythmicity - Special mechanisms in the millimeters in diameter
heart cause a continuing succession of heart This division of the muscle of the heart into two
contractions functional syncytiums allows the atria to contract
a short time ahead of ventricular contraction
refractory to restimulation
normal refractory period of the ventricle is 0.25 to
0.30 second
additional relative refractory period of about 0.05
second
refractory period of atrial muscle is much shorter
than that for the ventricles (about 0.15 second for
the atria compared with 0.25 to 0.30 second for
the ventricles).
Diastole and Systole
Excitation-Contraction Coupling-Function of
Calcium Ions and the Transverse Tubules Diastole – period of relaxation
Systole – period of contraction
action potential spreads to the interior of the
cardiac muscle fiber along the membranes of the The total duration of the cardiac cycle, including
transverse (T) tubules. systole and diastole, is the reciprocal of the heart
rate
T tubule action potentials in turn act on the
membranes of the longitudinal sarcoplasmic
Effect of Heart Rate on Duration of Cardiac Cycle
tubules to cause release of calcium ions into the
muscle sarcoplasm from the sarcoplasmic When heart rate increases, the duration of each
reticulum cardiac cycle decreases
promote sliding of the actin and myosin filaments At a normal heart rate of 72 beats/min, systole
along one another; this produces the muscle comprises about 0.4 of the entire cardiac cycle.
contraction At 3x the normal heart rate, systole is about 0.65
of the entire cardiac cycle.
calcium ions also diffuse into the sarcoplasm
from the T tubules themselves at the time of the
action potential
Relationship of the Electrocardiogram to the
Cardiac Cycle
The T tubules of cardiac muscle, however, have
a diameter 5 times as great as that of the skeletal
muscle tubules, which means a volume 25 times
P wave – atrial depolarization, contraction of After ventricular contraction begins, AV valves
atria, rise in the atrial pressure curve (3 rd phase close
diastole) additional 0.02 to 0.03 second is required for the
QRS waves – ventricular depolarization, ventricle to build up sufficient pressure to push
contraction of ventricles, risein ventricular the semilunar (aortic and pulmonary) valves open
against the pressures in the aorta and pulmonary
pressure; begins slightly before the onset of
artery
ventricular systole Contraction is occurring in the ventricles, but
T wave – repolarization of ventricles, ventricles there is no emptying
relax, occurs slightly before the end of
ventricular contraction Period of Ejection
When the left ventricular pressure rises slightly
Function of the Atria as Primer Pumps above 80 mm Hg, the ventricular pressures push
Blood normally flows continually from the great the semilunar valves open
blood begins to pour out of the ventricles, with
veins into the atria; about 80 percent of the blood
about 70 percent of the blood emptying occurring
flows directly through the atria into the ventricles during the first third of the period of ejection and
even before the atria contract. Then, atrial the remaining 30 percent emptying during the
contraction usually causes an additional 20 next two thirds
percent filling of the ventricles. period of rapid ejection = 1/3
period of slow ejection = 2/3
Pressure Changes in the Atria-a, c, and v Waves
a wave - atrial contraction, right atrial pressure Period of Isovolumic (Isometric) Relaxation
increases 4 to 6 mm Hg, left atrial pressure At the end of systole, ventricular relaxation
begins suddenly
increases about 7 to 8 mm Hg
aortic and pulmonary valves closed
c wave - ventricles begin to contract, caused For another 0.03 to 0.06 second, the ventricular
partly by slight backflow of blood into the atria at muscle continues to relax, even though the
the onset of ventricular contraction but mainly by ventricular volume does not change, giving rise to
bulging of the A-V valves backward toward the the period of isovolumic or isometric relaxation
atria because of increasing pressure in the intraventricular pressures decrease rapidly back
to their low diastolic levels. Then the A-V valves
ventricles
open to begin a new cycle of ventricular pumping.
v wave - end of ventricular contraction, slow flow
of blood into the atria from the veins while the A- End-Diastolic Volume, End-Systolic Volume, and
V valves are closed during ventricular Stroke Volume Output
contraction; when ventricular contraction is over, end-diastolic volume: During diastole, normal
the A-V valves open, allowing this stored atrial filling of the ventricles increases the volume of
each ventricle to about 110 to 120 ml
blood to flow rapidly into the ventricles and
stroke volume output: ventricles empty during
causing the v wave to disappear. systole, the volume decreases about 70 ml
end-systolic volume: remaining volume in each
Function of the Ventricles as Pumps ventricle, about 40 to 50 ml
Filling of the Ventricles During Diastole
During ventricular systole, large amounts of blood Function of the Valves
accumulate in the right and left atria because of Atrioventricular Valves
the closed A-V valves. Therefore, as soon as A-V valves (prevent backflow of blood from the
systole is over and the ventricular pressures fall ventricles to the atria during systole, and
again to their low diastolic values, the moderately the semilunar valves prevent backflow from the
increased pressures that have developed in the aorta and pulmonary arteries into the ventricles
atria during ventricular systole immediately push during diastole
they close when a backward pressure gradient
the A-V valves open and allow blood to flow
pushes blood backward, and they open when a
rapidly into the ventricles forward pressure gradient forces blood in the
forward direction
Emptying of the Ventricles During Systole filmy A-V valves require almost no backflow to
cause closure, whereas the much heavier
Period of Isovolumic (Isometric) Contraction semilunar valves require rather rapid backflow for
a few milliseconds.
first heart sound - When the ventricles contract,
Function of the Papillary Muscles
one first hears a sound caused by closure of the
papillary muscles attach to the vanes of the A-V
A-V valves. The vibration is low in pitch and
valves by the chordae tendineae
relatively long-lasting
they do not help the valves to close
second heart sound - When the aortic and
If a chorda tendinea becomes ruptured or if one pulmonary valves close at the end of systole, one
of the papillary muscles becomes paralyzed, the hears a rapid snap because these valves close
valve bulges far backward during ventricular rapidly, and the surroundings vibrate for a short
contraction, sometimes so far that it leaks period.
severely and results in severe or even lethal
cardiac incapacity
Regulation of Heart Pumping
Aortic and Pulmonary Artery Valves
aortic and pulmonary artery semilunar valves When a person is at rest, the heart pumps only 4
function quite differently from the A-V valves to 6 liters of blood each minute.
1. high pressures in the arteries at the end of basic means by which the volume pumped by the
systole cause the semilunar valves to snap heart is regulated are
to the closed position, in contrast to the (1) intrinsic cardiac regulation of pumping in
much softer closure of the A-V valves response to changes in volume of blood flowing
2. because of smaller openings, the velocity of into the heart and
blood ejection through the aortic and (2) control of heart rate and strength of heart
pulmonary valves is far greater than that pumping by the autonomic nervous system.
through the much larger A-V valves
3. because of the rapid closure and rapid
ejection, the edges of the aortic and Intrinsic Regulation of Heart Pumping-The
pulmonary valves are subjected to much Frank-Starling Mechanism
greater mechanical abrasion than are the A-
intrinsic ability of the heart to adapt to increasing
V valves
volumes of inflowing blood is called the Frank-
4. A-V valves are supported by the chordae
Starling mechanism of the heart
tendineae, which is not true for the semilunar
Frank-Starling mechanism means that the
valves
greater the heart muscle is stretched during
filling, the greater is the force of contraction and
Aortic Pressure Curve the greater the quantity of blood pumped into the
When the left ventricle contracts, the ventricular aorta. Or, stated another way: Within physiologic
pressure increases rapidly until the aortic valve limits, the heart pumps all the blood that returns
opens. after the valve opens, the pressure in the to it by the way of the veins.
ventricle rises much less rapidly
entry of blood into the arteries causes the walls of What Is the Explanation of the Frank-Starling
these arteries to stretch and the pressure to Mechanism?
increase to about 120 mm Hg. cardiac muscle itself is stretched to greater
at the end of systole, after the left ventricle stops length.
ejecting blood and the aortic valve closes causes the muscle to contract with increased
incisura occurs in the aortic pressure curve when force
the aortic valve closes. This is caused by a short ventricle, because of its increased pumping,
period of backward flow of blood automatically pumps the extra blood into the
pressure in the aorta decreases slowly arteries.
throughout diastole because the blood stored in
the distended elastic arteries flows continually Ventricular Function Curves
through the peripheral vessels back to the veins. ventricular function curves - functional ability
Before the ventricle contracts again, the aortic stroke work output curve - as the atrial pressure
pressure usually has fallen to about 80 mm Hg for each side of the heart increases
(diastolic pressure), which is two thirds the
Ventricular volume output curve - function of the
maximal pressure of 120 mm Hg
two ventricles of the human heart; As the right
pressure curves in the right and left atrial pressures increase, the respective
ventricle and pulmonary artery are similar to ventricular volume outputs per minute also
those in the aorta, except that the pressures are increase.
only about one sixth as great
VFC are another way of expressing the Frank-
Starling mechanism of the heart. As the
Relationship of the Heart Sounds to Heart ventricles fill in response to higher atrial
Pumping pressures, each ventricular volume and strength
of cardiac muscle contraction increase high potassium concentration in the extracellular
fluids decreases the resting membrane potential
in the cardiac muscle fibers
Control of the Heart by the Sympathetic and depolarizes the cell membrane, causing the
Parasympathetic Nerves membrane potential to be less negative. As the
amount of blood pumped each minute (cardiac membrane potential decreases, the intensity of
output) often can be increased more than 100 the action potential also decreases, which makes
percent by sympathetic stimulation contraction of the heart progressively weaker.