Cardiovascular System and Heart

Introduction
 The cardiovascular system is a key element in transporting and
exchanging substances between the environment and the cells that
function in tissues.

 Cardio - Greek word kardia, meaning heart,

 vascular -Latin word vasculum, meaning vessel.
This system comprises of the:
 Heart
 Arteries
 Veins
 Capillaries
 Lymph vessels
 Lymph glands
All of these work in coordination
 Characteristics of the Cardiovascular System

 The heart fills passively, rather than by actively sucking.

 As a consequence of the heart's passive filling, the circulation rate is

normally regulated by peripheral-vascular factors, rather than by cardiac
variables.

 The flow from the heart is intermittent, while the flow to it is

continuous.
Functions
 The primary function - to provide an adequate supply to all the body
cells of materials needed and carries away the waste products of their
metabolism.

 The volume of blood in our body is limited, but it has to perform

unlimited amount of work continuously. This naturally leads to the
conclusion that the same quantity of blood must be circulated over and
over again.

 The basic functions of the cardiovascular system are, as follows:

 Distribution, transport and exchange of nutrients and gases

 Removal of metabolic wastes

 Distribution of endocrine glands secretions

 Immunity and prevention of excessive bleeding

 Regulation of body temperature.

 Reproduction
Anatomy and Physiology of the Heart
 The heart is a funnel shaped, hollow, muscular organ that is responsible for pumping
blood to all parts of the body.
 The heart is located near the center of the thoracic cavity between the lungs in the
middlie mediastinal space and is contained in the pericardial sac.
 The pericardial sac supports the heart and contains some fluid for lubrication.
 Base / Broad end is supported by large arteries & veins.
 Apex / Pointed end is directed toward the abdomen.
 Anatomy
 Rests obliquely in the thoracic cavity.
Location

 The anterior surface of the heart faces the

sternum

 The posterior surface viz. the base of the

cone faces the vertebral column.

 Inferior / diaphragmatic surface rests upon

the diaphragm.
 Coverings of the Heart
 Pericardium is a double walled sac around the heart composed of:
 A superficial fibrous pericardium
 A deep two-layer serous pericardium
 The parietal layer lines the internal surface of the fibrous pericardium
 The visceral layer or epicardium lines the surface of the heart
 They are separated by the fluid-filled pericardial cavity
The pericardium:
 Protects and anchors the heart
 Prevents overfilling of the heart with blood
 Allows for the heart to work in a relatively friction-free environment
 Heart: Tissue Layers
 Endocardium – inner
surface of the heart

 Myocardium – cardiac
muscles
 Pericardium – membrane
sac which encloses the heart
 External Anatomy
Four chambers
 2 atria
 2 ventricles
 Major veins
 Superior vena cava
 Pulmonary veins
 Major arteries
 Aorta
 Pulmonary trunk
Heart Chambers
 Right Atrium
-Receives blood from the Inferior vena
cava, Superior vena cava, Coronary
sinus
 Left Atrium
-Receives blood from the
pulmonary veins
 Left Ventricle
Receives blood from the left atrium
 Right Ventricle
Receives blood from the right atrium
 Major Vessels of the Heart
Vessels returning blood to the heart :
-Superior (anterior) and inferior (posterior) venae cava, Right and left
pulmonary veins
Vessels conveying blood away from the heart :
 Pulmonary trunk, which splits into right & left pulmonary Arteries,
Ascending aorta (3 branches) – brachiocephalic, left common carotid,
and subclavian arteries

Vessels that Supply / Drain the Heart

 Arteries – right and left coronary (in atrioventricular groove), marginal,
circumflex & anterior interventricular arteries
 Veins – small cardiac, anterior cardiac & great cardiac veins
Chambers of the Heart
 The mammalian heart is four chambered: two ventricles and two
atria; both right and left.
 The atria have much thinner walls than the ventricles and are much
smaller.
 The right ventricle forms most of the anterior surface of the heart.
 The left ventricle is the largest of all the chambers and forms the heart
apex.
 2 left chambers are separated from the 2 right ones, by a continuous
partition (septum) :
 Atrial portion is called interatrial septum (fibrous)
 Ventricular part is known as the interventricular septum (upper ¼
fibrous, lower ¾ muscular)
Septal defects
 Atrial and ventricular septal defects are the most common congenital
heart defects.
 They can occur alone or along with other congenital heart disorders.
 Atria of the Heart
 Atria are the receiving chambers of the heart
 Each atrium has a protruding auricle
 Pectinate muscles mark atrial walls
 Blood enters right atria from superior and inferior venae cavae and
coronary sinus
 Blood enters left atria from pulmonary veins
 Interatrial septum: opening (closed at the other end by the fossa ovalis)
to the right atrium
 Left AV (mitral) valve – superior surface: opens to left ventricle
 Right AV (tricuspid) valve – superior surface: opens into right ventricle
 Ventricles of the Heart
 Ventricles are the discharging chambers of the heart
 Papillary muscles and trabeculae carneae muscles mark ventricular walls
 Right ventricle pumps blood into the pulmonary trunk
 Left ventricle pumps blood into the aorta
 Chordae tendinae: Fibrous structure attach to cusps of AV valve, preventing
both separation & prolapse (valves being pushed back into atrium)
(Note: the chordae tendinae and papillary muscles do not "pull" the valves
open.)
 Valves
 “Tricuspid” valve (Right AV valve)
 RA to RV
 Mitral valve (the bicuspid one) or Left AV valve
 LA to LV
SemilunarValves
 Pulmonary or pulmonic valve
 RV to pulmonary trunk (branches R and L)
 Aortic valve
 LV to aorta

AV valves prevent the back flow of blood into the atria during ventricular contraction
(systole)

Semilunar valves prevent the back flow of blood from aorta and pulmonary artery into
the ventricles during ventricular relaxation (diastole).
CARDIAC MUSCLE
 Heart is composed of three major types of cardiac muscle namely:
 Atrial,Ventricular and Special excitatory and conductive muscle fibres.
 Characteristics of cardiac muscle
 The atrial and ventricular muscle fibres contract similarly to skeletal muscle fibres
except the duration of contraction is longer. The excitatory and conductive muscle
fibres contract only feebly but exhibit rhythmicity

 Cardiac muscle fibres are arranged in a lattice network with gap junctions
 1% of cardiac cells are autorhythmic
 Signal to contract is myogenic

 Intercalated discs with gap junctions and

desmosomes to transfer action potential form one
cell to other
 Electrical link and strength (Electrical synapse)

 Sarcoplamic Reticulum smaller than in skeletal

muscle
 Extracelllar Ca2+ initiates contraction (like smooth
muscle)

 Abundant mitochondria extract about 80% of O2

Properties of cardiac muscle
 Obey all or none law- When one of the cardiac muscle cells is excited, and
the action potential spreads to all of them.

 The heart is composed of two separate functional syncytia, the atrial

and the ventricular walls.

 They are separated from each other by fibrous tissue, but are
connected to each other by specialised conduction system fibres.

 This type of two functional syncytia allows the atria to contract a short
time before ventricular contraction which is important for
effectiveness for pumping of the heart.