Cardiovascular System Overview

Cardiovascular System Overview

• The cardiovascular system circulates blood throughout the body.
• It is responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.
• It removes waste products from the body.
• It is composed of the heart, blood vessels, and blood.
• The heart pumps blood throughout the body.
• The blood vessels are arteries, veins, and capillaries.

Heart Anatomy

• The right atrium receives blood low in oxygen from the body.
• The blood then enters the right ventricle and is pumped to the lungs.
• Blood returns from the lungs, high in oxygen, and enters the left atrium.
• Blood then enters the left ventricle to be pumped to the body via the aorta.

Blood Vessel Anatomy

• Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
• Arterioles are small arteries that lead to capillaries.
• Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels where exchanges occur between blood and tissues.
• Venules are small vessels that receive blood from capillaries and drain into veins.
• Veins carry blood back to the heart.

Cardiovascular Terms

• Artery: A vessel that carries blood away from the heart.
• Arteriole: A small vessel that carries blood from the arteries into the capillaries.
• Vein: A vessel that carries blood back to the heart.
• Venule: A small vessel that carries blood from the capillaries to the veins.
• Valve: Structure that keeps fluid flowing in one direction.
• Sinoatrial (SA) Node: Small mass in the upper part of the right atrium that initiates the heartbeat (pacemaker)
• Systole: The contraction phase of the heartbeat.
• Myocardium: The middle layer of the heart wall that is composed of cardiac muscle.

Cardiovascular System Terminology

• cardi/o: heart
• vas/o, vascul/o: vessel, duct
• angi/o: vessel
• arteriol/o: vessel
• venous: pertaining to a vein
• phleb/o: vein
• angiography: x-ray imaging of a vessel
• cardiomyopathy: any disease of the heart muscle
• vasospasm: sudden contraction of a vessel
• phlebotomy: incision into a vein to withdraw blood.

Cardiovascular System Disorders

• Aneurysm: Localized abnormal dilation of a blood vessel.
• Angina Pectoris: Feeling of chest constriction or pain, usually brought on by physical exertion.
• Arrhythmia: Any abnormality in the heart rate or rhythm.
• Atherosclerosis: Fatty, fibrous patches in the lining of arteries.
• Dyslipidemia: Abnormal serum lipid levels.
• Bradycardia: Slow heart rate (less than 60 bpm).
• Tachycardia: Fast heart rate (greater than 100 bpm).
• Dyspnea: Difficult or labored breathing.
• Edema: Swelling caused by excess fluid in body tissues.
• Heart failure: Inability of the heart to maintain adequate circulation.
• Hypertension: High blood pressure; essential (primary, idiopathic) hypertension has no known cause.
• **Myocardial Infarction (MI): ** Localized necrosis (death) of cardiac muscle tissue.
• Embolism: Obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot or other matter.
• Ischemia: Local deficiency of blood supply caused by circulatory obstruction.
• Stroke: Damage to the brain due to reduced blood flow.
• Shock: Circulatory failure with an inadequate blood supply to the tissues.

Diagnostic and Treatment Terms

• Coronary angiography: radiographic study of the coronary arteries after introduction of a dye.
• Echocardiography (ECG): Noninvasive method using ultrasound to visualize internal cardiac structures.

Explore the intricacies of the cardiovascular system, including its key components—the heart, blood, and blood vessels. This quiz delves into the anatomy of the heart and the vital roles of arteries, veins, and capillaries in blood circulation. Test your knowledge of how oxygen and nutrients are delivered to tissues while waste products are removed.