The Cardiovascular System

• Main Function: transportation

• other functions:
• Respiration
• Nutrition
• Waste Removal
• Immunity
• Cellular Communication
• Thermoregulation

The Heart
• Cone shaped organ that weighs less than a pound.
• Located in between the lungs
• Apex points downward & contacts the diaphragm at the level of fifth intercostal space
• Lies near the anterior chest wall, behind the sternum, in the pericardial cavity

• Coverings of the Heart

• It is separated from the other organs by a double-layered membrane = PERICARDIUM
• The Pericardium is composed of a Fibrous Pericardium & a Serous Pericardium.
The serous pericardium has 2 parts:
1. Parietal layer - attached to the back of the fibrous pericardium
2. Visceral layer (epicardium) - attached to the heart muscle
• These two are separated by a fluid filled space = pericardial cavity.

• Heart Wall
• Epicardium
• covers the outer surface of the heart
• Visceral layer of the serous pericardium

• Myocardium
• Middle
• Cardiac muscle cells (very thick)
• Consist of thick bundles of cardiac muscle twisted and whorled into ring-like
arrangements
• Contracts
• Reinforced internally by a dense, connective tissue network called “skeleton of
the heart”
• Endocardium
• thin, glistening sheet of endothelium that lines the heart chambers.
• innermost, forms valves, & is continuous with the endothelium of the blood
vessels that enter & leave the heart

• Heart Chambers
• 2 atria - “receiving chambers”
- thin walled, receive blood returning to the heart.
 • 2 ventricles - “discharging chambers”
- thick walled, pump blood out of the heart into arteries
• Interatrial and interventricular septa separate the chambers

• Four Heart Valves

• ATRIOVENTRICULAR or AV VALVES - located between the atrial and ventricular
chambers on each side.
- prevent backflow into the atria when ventricles contract.
• Bicuspid or Mitral valve- left AV valve, consist of two flaps or cusps of
endocardium.
• Tricuspid valve- right AV valve, has three flaps.
CHORDAE TENDINEAE - tiny white cords that anchor the flaps to the walls of the
ventricles.
** AV valves open during heart relaxation and closed during contraction.
• SEMILUNAR VALVES- guards the bases of the two large arteries leaving the ventricular
chambers.
• Pulmonary valve- between right ventricle and pulmonary artery.
• Aortic semilunar valve- between left ventricle and aorta.
** Semilunar valves are closed during heart relaxation and are forced open when the
ventricles contract.

Blood Pathway
Conduction System
- A network of specialized cardiac muscle cells that initiates and distributes electrical
impulses.
- It determines the rate & rhythm of the heartbeat
- This system causes heart muscle depolarization in only one direction (from the atria to the
ventricles)
- It enforces a contraction rate approximately 75 bpm on the heart.

Cardiac Cycle and Heart Sounds

• Systole - heart contraction
• Diastole - heart relaxation
• CARDIAC CYCLE - refers to the events of complete heartbeat

Heart Sounds
• “Lubb” and “dupp”
o The first heart sound is caused by closing of the AV valves,
- longer and louder
o The 2nd heart sound is caused by the closing of the semilunar valves
- short and sharp
**Murmurs - abnormal or unusual heart sounds

• Follow one volume through the heart:

o Lubb: aortic valve open, R and L AV-valves close
o Dupp: aortic valve close, R and L AV-valves open
o Lubb: pulmonary valve open, AV-valves closed
o Dupp: pulmonary valve close, AV-valves open
THE BLOOD VESSELS
• TYPES
o Arteries
o Veins
o Capillaries
• 3 layers
o Tunica Intima – innermost
o Tunica media – middle
o Tunica Externa – outermost tunic

• Functions of the blood vessels

o Arteries
- Carries blood away from the heart
- Blood passes through elastic arteries, muscular arteries and arterioles
- Arterioles
- Smallest, tunica media very thin (<10 layers)
o Capillaries
- Functional units" of circulatory system
- Types of Capillaries
 Continuous Capillaries
 Fenestrated Capillaries
 Sinusoids
o Veins
- Carry blood towards the heart
- Venules – the smallest veins

• Major blood vessels

o MAJOR ARTERIES of the SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION
 Aorta – largest artery, connected from the left ventricle of the heart
a. Ascending aorta - springs upward from the left ventricle, left and right
arteries originates at its base
- Arterial branches of the Ascending aorta:
o Right and Left coronary arteries
b. Aortic arch - arches to the left, connecting the ascending aorta with
descending aorta
- Arterial branches of the Aortic arch:
o Brachiocephalic trunk
- divides into the R. common carotid and R. subclavian artery.
o Left common carotid artery
- forms the L. internal carotid and L. external carotid
o Subclavian artery
- Before it leaves the thoracic cavity, gives rise to:
a. INTERNAL THORACIC ARTERY
b. VERTEBRAL ARTERY
c. THYROCERVICAL TRUNK
- After passing the first rib:
a. AXILLARY ARTERY
b. BRACHIAL ARTERY
  Radial artery
 Ulnar artery

c. Thoracic aorta – downward

- Arterial branches of the thoracic aorta:
o Intercostal arteries
o Bronchial arteries
o Esophageal arteries
o Phrenic arteries
d. Abdominal aorta
- Arterial branches of the abdominal aorta
o CELIAC TRUNK - first branch
o L. gastric artery
o Splenic artery
o Common hepatic artery
o SUPERIOR MESENTERIC ARTERY
o R and L RENAL ARTERIES
o GONADAL ARTERIES
o ovarian arteries
o testicular arteries
o LUMBAR ARTERIES
o INFERIOR MESENTERIC ARTERY
o R and L COMMON ILIAC ARTERIES –
o Internal iliac artery
o External iliac artery
 Femoral artery & deep femoral artery
 popliteal artery
 tibial artery
 dorsalis pedis
o Major Veins of the Systemic Circulation
 VEINS DRAINING into the SUPERIOR VENA CAVA
 VENOUS RETURN FROM THE HEAD AND NECK.
o Internal Jugular vein
o External Jugular vein
o Vertebral veins
• VENOUS RETURN FROM THE UPPER LIMBS AND NECK
o Cephalic vein
o Basilic vein
**median cubital vein - joins the cephalic and basilic vein
o The Radial and Ulnar veins
o Subclavian vein
o R and L Brachiocephalic veins
o Azygos vein
o VEINS DRAINING into the INFERIOR VENA CAVAE
o Anterior and Posterior Tibial veins and Fibular veins
o Great Saphenous vein
o R. and L. Common Iliac vein
o R. and L. Gonadal vein
o R. and L. Renal vein
o Hepatic Portal vein