Anatomy &physiology Lec.(6) MLT dept.

Anatomy of cardiovascular system

Human cardiovascular system, organ system that conveys blood through vessels to and from all parts of the
body, carrying nutrients and oxygen to tissues and removing carbon dioxide and other wastes. It is a closed
tubular system in which the blood is propelled by a muscular heart. Two circuits, the pulmonary and the
systemic, consist of arterial, capillary, and venous components.

Shape and location

The human adult heart is normally slightly
larger than a clenched fist with average
dimensions of about 13 × 9 × 6 centimeters
and weighing approximately 300 grams. It is
cone-shaped, with the broad base directed
upward and to the right and the apex pointing
downward and to the left. It is located in the
thoracic cavity behind the sternum, in front of
the trachea, the esophagus, and the
descending aorta, between the lungs, and
above the diaphragm (the muscular partition
between the chest and abdominal cavities).
About two-thirds of the heart lies to the left of
the midline.
Heart membrane
Pericardium – a double-walled sac around the heart
composed of:

1-A superficial fibrous pericardium

2-A deep two-layer serous pericardium

a-The parietal layer lines the internal surface of the

fibrous pericardium

b-The visceral layer or epicardium lines the surface

of the heart

c-They are separated by the fluid- filled pericardial

cavity

Heart wall
Epicardium – visceral layer of the serous
pericardium

Myocardium – cardiac muscle layer forming

the bulk of the heart

Fibrous skeleton of the heart – crisscrossing,

interlacing layer of connective tissue

Endocardium – endothelial layer of the inner myocardial surface

Anatomy &physiology Lec.(6) MLT dept.
Chambers of the heart
The heart is divided by septa, into right and left halves, and
each half is subdivided into two chambers. The upper
chambers, the atria, are separated by a partition known as
the interatrial septum; the lower chambers, the ventricles,
are separated by the interventricular septum.
The left superior portion of the heart is slightly smaller than
the right atrium and has a thicker wall.

Atria are thin walled, deliver blood to adjacent ventricles

Ventricle walls are much thicker and stronger

-right ventricle supplies blood to the lungs (little flow resistance)

-left ventricle wall is the thickest to supply systemic circulation

External surface of the heart

Shallow grooves called the interventricular sulci,
containing blood vessels; mark the separation
between ventricles on the front and back surfaces
of the heart. There are two grooves on the external
surface of the heart. One, the atrioventricular
groove, is along the line where the right atrium and
the right ventricle meet; it contains a branch of the
right coronary artery (the coronary arteries deliver
blood to the heart muscle). The other, the anterior
interventricular sulcus, runs along the line between
the right and left ventricles and contains a branch
of the left coronary artery.
On the posterior side of the heart surface, a groove
called the posterior longitudinal sulcus marks the
division between the right and left ventricles; it
contains another branch of a coronary artery. A fourth groove, between the left atrium and ventricle, holds the
coronary sinus, a channel for venous blood.

Valves of the heart

To prevent backflow of blood, the heart is
equipped with valves that permit the blood to
flow in only one direction. There are two types
of valves located in the heart: the
atrioventricular valves (tricuspid and mitral)
and the semilunar valves (pulmonary and
aortic).

The atrioventricular valves are thin, leaf like

structures located between the atria and the
ventricles.
The right atrioventricular opening is guarded
by the tricuspid valve, so called because it
consists of three irregularly shaped cusps, or
flaps.
Tendinous cords of dense tissue (chordae tendineae) covered by thin endocardium extend from the nipple like
Anatomy &physiology Lec.(6) MLT dept.
papillary muscles to connect with the ventricular surface of the middle supporting layer of each leaflet. The
chordae tendineae and the papillary muscles from which they arise limit the extent to which the portions of the
valves near their free margin can billow toward the atria.
The left atrioventricular opening is guarded by the mitral, or bicuspid, valve, so named because it consists of
two flaps. The mitral valve is attached in the same manner as the tricuspid, but it is stronger and thicker
because the left ventricle is by nature a more powerful pump working under high pressure.
The semilunar valves are pocket like structures attached at the point at which the pulmonary artery and the
aorta leave the ventricles. The pulmonary valve guards the orifice between the right ventricle and the
pulmonary artery. The aortic valve protects the orifice between the left ventricle and the aorta.

Blood vessels (anterior view)

Vessels returning
blood to the heart
include:
1-Superior and inferior venae
cavae

2-Right and left pulmonary

veins

Vessels conveying blood

away from the heart
include:
1-Pulmonary trunk, which
splits into right and left pulmonary arteries

2-Ascending aorta (three branches) –

a. Brachiocephalic
b. Left common carotid
c. Subclavian arteries

Blood vessels (posterior view)

Vessels returning blood to the heart include:

1. Right and left pulmonary veins
2. Superior and inferior venae cavae

Vessels conveying blood away from the heart include:

1. Aorta

2. Right and left pulmonary arteries

Vessels that Supply/Drain the Heart (Anterior View)

 Arteries – right and left coronary (in atrioventricular groove), marginal, circumflex, and anterior
interventricular arteries
 Veins – small cardiac, anterior cardiac, and great cardiac veins
Anatomy &physiology Lec.(6) MLT dept.
Vessels that Supply/Drain the Heart (posterior View)

 Arteries – right coronary artery (in atrioventricular groove) and the posterior interventricular artery
(in interventricular groove)
 Veins – great cardiac vein, posterior vein to left ventricle, coronary sinus, and middle cardiac vein

Blood vessel
The arteries
The arteries are the blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich
blood from the heart to the tissues of the body. Each artery is
a muscular tube lined by smooth tissue and has three layers:

 The intima, the inner layer lined by a smooth tissue

called endothelium
 The media, a layer of muscle that lets arteries handle
the high pressures from the heart
 The adventitia, connective tissue anchoring arteries to
nearby tissues

The largest artery is the aorta, the main high-pressure pipeline

connected to the heart's left ventricle. The aorta branches into
a network of smaller arteries that extend throughout the body.
The arteries' smaller branches are called arterioles and
capillaries. The pulmonary arteries carry oxygen-poor blood
from the heart to the lungs under low pressure, making these
arteries unique.

Veins:
Veins are the blood vessels which carry the
blood from peripheral tissues towards heart.
They carry the deoxygenated blood, which is
bluish in color and for the same reason veins
appear blue.
 Veins are thin-walled, being thinner than
the arteries.
 Their lumen is larger than that of the
accompanying arteries.
 Veins have valves which maintain the
unidirectional flow of blood, even
against gravity.

The capillaries
Capillaries are the smallest of all blood vessels and form the
connection between veins and arteries. As arteries branch and
divide into arterioles and continue to reduce in size as they
reach the muscle they become capillaries. Here the capillaries
form a capillary bed, which is a vast expanse of very small
vessels forming a network throughout the muscle.
Anatomy &physiology Lec.(6) MLT dept.
Pathway of blood through the heart and lungs
 Right atrium  tricuspid valve  right
ventricle
 Right ventricle  pulmonary semilunar
valve  pulmonary arteries  lungs
 Lungs  pulmonary veins  left atrium
 Left atrium  bicuspid valve  left
ventricle
 Left ventricle  aortic semilunar valve 
aorta
 Aorta  systemic circulation