Cardiovascular Physiology

Benson Idahosa University

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 Functions
Delivery of O2, glucose, amino acid, vitamins,
fatty acids, drugs & water to tissues
Removal of metabolic wastes
Distribution of hormones to tissues &
secretion of some hormones (e.g. ANP)
Temperature regulation
Participates in reproduction – provides
hydraulic mechanism for penile erection.
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Immunity
Cardiovascular System

◆A pump (the heart)

◆A system of channels
(the blood vessels)
◆A fluid medium (blood)

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Cardiovascular System

The CVS consists of the heart and two vascular

systems, the systemic and pulmonary
circulations. The heart pumps blood through
two vascular systems –
•The pulmonary circulation (low pressure
system), for gas exchange, and
•The systemic circulation, which delivers
blood to individual organs, matching supply to
metabolic demand. Blood pressure and flow is
largely controlled by the autonomic nervous 4
system
 Heart Structure & Blood Flow
Flow Ultrastructure

Intercalated discs contain:

desmosomes (which hold the cells tightly together) and 5
gap junctions (which permit action potentials to easily spread)
- Syncythium
 The Cardiac Cycle
Each pump or beat of the heart consists of two
parts or phases - diastole and systole.
During diastole the ventricles are filling and the
atria contract.

Then during systole , the ventricles contract

while the atria are relaxed and filling.
The cardiac cycle is best understood through
details of the simultaneous pressure
characteristics in the aorta, left atrium (atrium)
and left ventricle (ventricle) through one cardiac
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cycle.
 The Cardiac Cycle
The 4 heart chambers
are separated by valves
Right atrium
communicates with
right ventricle through
tricuspid valve, which
has 3 cusps
Left atrium
communicates with left
ventricle through
bicuspid valve, which 7
has 2 cusps
Pressure & Volume 1 2 3 4
Changes AV Valves
Semilunar Valves

Aortic Pressure

Ventricular
Pressure
Atrial Pressure

Ventricular
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Volume
 The Stages of the Cardiac Cycle
2 3
Isovolumetric Ventricular
1 Ejection
Contraction 4
Atrial
Isovolumetric
Contraction
Relaxation

Ventricular
Filling

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Isovolumetric: constant volume
 Atrial Contraction
Follows the P wave of the ECG
Denotes depolarization of the atria
Ventricles are relaxed; A-V valves are open; Atrial
contraction causes additional increase in ventricular
volume

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 Isovolumetric Contraction
Starts during the QRS complex of the ECG – ventricular
depolarization
Ventricular pressure rises; when it exceeds atrial pressure, A-V
valves close, causing 1st Heart Sound
Ventricular pressure rises, volume is unchanged – since all
the valves are closed.

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 Ventricular Ejection
When ventricular pressure becomes greater than
aortic & pulmonary pressures, semilunar valves open
Blood is ejected from the ventricles; volume decreases
Atrial filling begins

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 Isovolumetric Relaxation
Starts after ventricles are fully repolarized – T wave of
the ECG
Ventricular pressure drops rapidly; volume is constant
When pressure drops below aortic value, semilunar
valves close, causing 2nd Heart Sound.

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 Ventricular Filling
Starts when ventricular pressure falls below atrial
pressure; A-V valves open & semilunar valves close
There is a rapid and slow phase of filling; Rapid filling
of left ventricle through mitral valve produces 3rd Heart
Sound, more common in children

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SUMMARY OF EVENTS

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When the ventricles Right Atria to Right Ventricle
contract; the AV
valves close.
to the lungs
from the systemic
circulation Pulmonary Arteries

from the lungs

LA
RA RA: right atria
RV: right ventricle
Tricuspid (AV)
LA: left atria
Valve LV
LV: left ventricle
RV

Right Left
aorta to the systemic circulation
Pressure in RA > Pressure in RV: Tricuspid Valve Open
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Pressure in RA < Pressure in RV: Tricuspid Valve Closed
When the ventricles Right Atria to Right Ventricle
contract; the AV
valves close. Pulmonary Artery Pulmonary Artery

RA RA

RV
RV

Ventricles Relaxed Ventricles Contracting

Pressure in RA > Pressure in RV: Tricuspid Valve Open

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Pressure in RA < Pressure in RV: Tricuspid Valve Closed
When the ventricles Left Atria to Left Ventricle
contract; the AV
valves close.
to the lungs

Pulmonary Arteries

from the lungs

LA
RA: right atria RA
RV: right ventricle Bicuspid (AV)
LA: left atria
Valve
LV: left ventricle LV
RV

Right Left
aorta to the systemic circulation
Pressure in LA > Pressure in LV: Bicuspid Valve Open
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Pressure in LA < Pressure in LV: Bicuspid Valve Closed
Ventricular contraction Left Ventricle to Aorta
leads to the opening of the
semilunar valves.
to the lungs

Pulmonary Arteries

from the lungs

LA
RA
Semilunar
valve
LV
RV
Right
Left
aorta to the systemic circulation
Pressure in Aorta > Pressure in LV: Semilunar Valve Closed
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Pressure in Aorta < Pressure in LV: Semilunar Valve Open
Ventricular contraction Right Ventricle to Pulmonary Artery
leads to the opening of the
semilunar valves.
to the lungs
from the systemic
circulation Pulmonary Arteries
Semilunar from the lungs
valve LA
RA RA: right atria
RV: right ventricle
LA: left atria
LV
LV: left ventricle
RV

Right Left
aorta to the systemic circulation
Pressure in Pulmonary Artery > Pressure in RV: Semilunar Valve Closed

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Pressure in Pulmonary Artery < Pressure in RV: Semilunar Valve Open
 Pulmonary
Valve Diseases Arteries
Aorta

Semilunar
Aorta valve
LA
RA
LV
Left
Right RV
LV

• Regurgitation: Valve doesn’t close properly (blood leaks backwards)

(Insufficiency)
➢Reduced blood flow to
• Stenosis: Valve doesn’torgans.
open fully
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➢Extra workload for the
heart.
 Action Potentials
Ventricles, atria and Purkinje system share
common features:
Long duration – 150mSec in atria, 250 in
ventricles and 300 in purkinje fibres. (In nerve
and skeletal muscle, duration is 1-2mSec!!)
Long refractory periods
Stable resting membrane potentials
Plateau, which accounts for long AP duration &
refractory period 22
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