Cardiovascular System Overview

Cardiovascular System Organs

• The heart pumps blood through blood vessels
• Arteries carry blood away from the heart
• Capillaries are exchange sites between blood and tissues
• Veins carry blood towards the heart

Cardiovascular System Functions

• Distributes blood to all body areas
• Delivers needed substances to cells
• Removes wastes

Heart Chambers and Major Blood Vessels

• The heart has four chambers: two atria (right and left) and two ventricles (right and left)
• Major blood vessels include the superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, aorta, and pulmonary trunk.
• Other parts include the pulmonary valve, bicuspid valve, and mitral valve. These regulate blood flow in the heart.

Heart Layers

• Endocardium: Inner layer lining the heart chambers, reducing friction as blood passes through.
• Myocardium: Thick muscle layer responsible for contracting and creating pressure to pump blood via blood vessels.
• Epicardium: Outer layer forming the visceral pericardium sac. This helps reduce friction during heartbeats.

Cardiovascular Combining Forms

• General Combining Forms: angi/o (vessel), aort/o (aorta), arteri/o (artery), ather/o (fatty substance), atri/o (atrium), cardi/o (heart)
• Additional Combining Forms: coron/o (heart), hemangi/o (blood vessel), phleb/o (vein), sphygm/o (pulse), steth/o (chest), thromb/o (clot), valv/o (valve), valvul/o (valve), vascul/o (blood vessel), vas/o (vessel, duct), ven/o (vein), ventricul/o (ventricle).

Heart Conduction System

• The sinoatrial (SA) node (pacemaker) initiates the heartbeat.
• Internodal pathways transmit signals between the atria.
• The atrioventricular (AV) node delays the signal.
• The AV bundle (Bundle of His) transmits signals to the ventricles.
• Bundle branches distribute signals to parts of the ventricles.
• Purkinje fibers spread the signal through the ventricles.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) Waves

• P wave: Precedes atrial systole
• QRS complex: Precedes ventricular systole
• T wave: Precedes ventricular diastole

Word Building with Combining Forms (angio)

• -gram: Angiogram (record of a vessel)
• -itis: Angiitis (inflammation of a vessel)
• -plasty: Angioplasty (surgical repair of a vessel)
• -spasm: Angiosapasm (contraction of a vessel by involuntary muscle action)
• -stenosis: Angiostenosis (narrowing of a vessel)

Word Building with Combining Forms (ather/o & atri/o)

• -ectomy: Atherectomy (surgical removal of a fatty substance)
• -oma: Atheroma (fatty substance, such as a tumor or growth)
• -al: Atrial (pertaining to the atrium)
• -al: Interatrial (pertaining to between the atria)

Word Building with Combining Forms (cardi/o)

• -ac: Cardiac (pertaining to the heart)
• -brady- -ia: Bradycardia (state of slow heart)
• -electr/o -gram: Electrocardiogram (record of heart's electricity)
• -megaly: Cardiomegaly (enlarged heart)
• -my/o -al: Myocardial (pertaining to the heart muscle)
• -ologist: Cardiologist (heart specialist)
• -rrhexis: Cardiorrhexis (ruptured heart)
• -tachy- -ia: Tachycardia (state of fast heart)

Word Building with Combining Forms (coron/o, phleb/o, and vascul/o)

• -ary: Coronary (pertaining to the heart)
• -itis: Phlebitis (inflammation of a vein)
• -ar: Vascular (pertaining to a blood vessel)

Word Building with Combining Forms (ven/o & ventricul/o)

• -ous: Venous (pertaining to veins)
• -ule: Venule (small vein)
• -gram: Venogram (record of a vein)
• -ar: Ventricular (pertaining to ventricles)
• inter- -ar: Interventricular (pertaining to between ventricles)

Cardiovascular Vocabulary

• Cardiology: Branch of medicine for diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease
• Ischemia: Temporary deficiency of blood supply due to circulatory obstruction
• Murmur: Abnormal heart sound
• Palpitations: Pounding, racing heartbeats
• Orthostatic hypotension: Sudden drop in blood pressure when standing up
• Sphygmomanometer: Blood pressure cuff

Heart Pathology

• Angina pectoris: Severe pain and sensation of constriction around the heart
• Arrhythmia: Irregularity in heartbeat
• Cardiac arrest: Complete stopping of heart activity
• Cardiomyopathy: Myocardial disease (heart muscle disease)
• Congestive heart failure (CHF): Left ventricle muscle is too weak to efficiently pump blood
• Coronary artery disease (CAD): Poor blood supply to heart muscle
• Endocarditis: Inflammation of lining membranes of heart
• Myocardial infarction (MI): A heart attack (insufficient supply of oxygenated blood to heart)
• Myocarditis: Inflammation of heart muscle
• Pericarditis: Inflammation of pericardial sac
• Hypertension: Increase in blood pressure
• Hypotension: Decrease in blood pressure
• Thrombophlebitis: Inflammation of vein resulting in blood clots
• Thrombus: Blood clot within a blood vessel
• Arteriosclerosis: Hardening and loss of elasticity of arterial walls