CardiovascularPaper

PhysiologyPeriod1
Mrs.Graham
WestminsterHighSchool
HBUHSD
By:
NadiaVillarruel
April3,2015


Villaruel,N.,CARDIOVASCULARPAPER
1

Blood
Functions/Characteristics
Areddishsubstanceknownasbloodisfoundwithinourveins,accordingtoElaine
MariebandKatjaHoehn,bloodistheriveroflifethatsurgeswithinus,transportingnearly
everythingthatmustbecarriedfromoneplacetoanother(2007).Thecolorofblooddepends
ontheoxygenlevel,ifitsmoreofascarletcolorthebloodisoxygenrich,meanwhilethedarker
itis,thelessoxygenitcontains.Italsohasadistinctmetallictastetoitbecauseofironfound
insideit.Bloodbothhelpsbydeliveringandtransporting.Ithelpstodeliveroxygenfromthe
lungsandnutrientstoallbodycellsfromthedigestivetract.Fromcellstoeliminationsites
metabolicwasteproductsaretransportedbyblood(Hoehn,Marieb,2007).
Plasma
Plasmaisfoundinourblood,itsastickyyellowishfluidwhichismademainlyof
water.Eventhough90%ofplasmaiswateritcontainsover100distinctdissolvedsolutessuch
aswastes,hormones,andnutrients(Hoehn,Marieb,2007).Threedissolvedproteins
characterizedasalbumins,globulins,andfibrinogenshelpmakeupplasma.Plasmaproteinsare
mostlymadeupofalbumins,becauseoftheirsignificantcontributionsinosmoticpressureand
plasmaosmolarity.Albuminsalsohelpwithtransportingsteroidhormones,thyroidhormones,
andfattyacids.Globulinsisthesecondproteinwhichhelpsmakeupplasmaproteins.
Antibodiesareanexampleofthemwhichhelpaidethebodyindefense.Lastlyfibrinogenworks
withclotting.Whenbloodclottingisnotpreventedtheprocessoffibrinogenoccurs,makinga
solubleproteinintoaninsolubleone(
Bartholomew,Martini,Nath,2014)
.


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RBCs
ThetermRBCstandsforredbloodcells.Intheaverageadulttheirbloodcontainsabout
25trillionredbloodcells,meanwhileonedropcontains260million.Roughlytheymakeupof
thecellsfoundinthehumanbody.Redbloodcellsdifferfromothercellsbecauseoftheir
biconcaveshapetheyposses,thuscreatingtheoutermargintobethickerandthecentralregion
tobethinner.Theunusualshapeplaysanimportantroleintheirfunctions.Allowingalarger
surfacefortheareatovolume,creatingafasterexchangebetweentheinteriorofRBCsandits
surroundingplasma.ItalsopermitsRBCstostack,whichsmoothesthenarrowbloodvessels
allowingflow.LastlyRBCsareabletoflexandbendwhenenteringsmallbranchesand
capillaries(
Bartholomew,Martini,Nath,2014)
.
WBCs
ThetermWBCstandsforwhitebloodcells,andareoftenreferredtoleukocytes.They
containanucleusunlikeRBCsandhelpdefendthebodyincaseofavirus,forexamplewhen
youresick.Theyrealsoinchargeofgettingridofdamagedorabnormalcells,wastes,and
toxinsfromthebody.Basedontheirappearanceinastain,WBCscanbeidentifiedasgranular
oragranular.Thedifferencebetweenthosetwotypesofleukocytesisthatanagranularcontains
afewormaybenonestainedgranules,whileagranularcontainsanabundance(
Bartholomew,
Martini,Nath,2014)
.
Platelets
Plateletsarentindividualcells,butarecellfragments.Theyappearasspindledshaped
whenseenonabloodsmear.Plateletsareinchargeofthreethingsreleasing,formingand
reducing.Theyhelpreleasechemicalssuchasenzymeswhichareimportanttocontrolandstart


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clottingprocesses.Onthespotoftheinjury,plateletshelpformaplateletplugbyclumping
together.Thisallowsbloodlosstoslowdownwhileclottingisoccurring.Theproductionof
plateletsisknownasthrombocytopoiesis,whichoccursinredbonemarrow.Enormouscells
withlargenucleiareknownasmegakaryocytes,whicharefoundinredbonemarrow.During
theirgrowththeymakeenzymes,membranes,andproteins.Insmallenclosedmembranepackets
whichareplateletsenteringthebloodstream,theyshedcytoplasm.Onceamegakaryocytes
matures,allofitscytoplasmislostgraduallythereforcreatingabout4,000
platelets(
Bartholomew,Martini,Nath,2014)
.
HEART
Info&Location
Aheartisfoundineverylivingthing,itsjobistopumpbloodallaroundthebodywhich
carryoxygenandnutrients.Itcanbethesizeofafistandhaveamassof250to350gramsof
purecardiacmuscle,musclewhichisbranchedandstriated.Itslocationisabovethesurfaceof
thediaphragmandwithintheribcage,posteriortothesternumandanteriortothevertebral
column.Itscoveredbythepericardium,adoublewallsacwhichprotectstheheartandprevents
itfromoverfillingofbloodduetoexpanding(Hoehn,Marieb,2007).
Anterior/Posterior
Ontheanteriorsurfaceoftheventriclesandalongtheinterventricularsulcusthegreat
veinisfound.Itsjobistodrainbloodfromthesuppliedregionoftheinterventricularartery.
Withinthecoronarysulcus,itcurvesaroundtheleftsideoftheheartreachingthetopoftheatria.
Ontheposteriorsideofthecoronarysulcus,theveinemptiesitselfonthecoronarysinus.The
posteriorcardiacveindrainsdrainstheareabythecircumflexartery.Thebloodfromthesurface


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ofrightatriumandventricleisreceivedbythesmallcardiacvein.Theposteriorinterventricular
arteryisdrainedbythemiddlecardiacvein.anteriorsurfaceisdrainedbytheanteriorcardiac
veins,whichthenareemptiedtotherightatrium(
Bartholomew,Martini,Nath,2014)
.
Chambers
Therearefourmuscularchambersfoundwithintheheartwhichhelpbloodtravelandget
tovariousareasofthebody.Therightandleftatriumsareknownasthetwosuperiorand
posteriorchambers.Theyreceivebloodandreturnittotheheartfromtheveinswhichcarry
bloodbacktotheheart.Thetwoinferiorchambersaretherightandleftventricles.Theypump
bloodintoarterieswhichthenthebloodiscarriedawayfromtheheartbythearteries
(
Bartholomew,Martini,Nath,2014)
.
Fibers
Largeamountsofelasticfibersandcollagenfibershelpmakeuptheconnectivetissuesof
theheart.Strongandelasticsheathsarewhatwrapcardiacmusclecells,allowingflexibility.The
connectivetissuesfoundwithintheheartallowtheforceofcontraction,strengthsandprevents
theoverexpansionoftheheart,italsoallowstheshapeofthehearttoreturntonormalaftera
contraction,lastlyitprovidesphysicalsupporttothebloodvessels,cardiacmusclefibers,and
thenervesofthemyocardium.Theheartcontainsfourdensebandsoftoughelastictissue,which
surroundthebasesandheartvalvesofthepulmonarytrunkandaorta,thisisknowasthecardiac
skeleton.Theventricularcellsareelectricallyinsulatedfromtheatrialcellsbythebands
(
Bartholomew,Martini,Nath,2014)
.
Pressure&Volume/Contraction


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Bloodpressureisthepressurethebloodgoesthroughwhenitisflownthroughthe
arteries.Bloodpressurecanvaryongravityanddependingonwhatyouredoinglikestandingor
sitting.Yourebloodpressurecanbemeasuredatthebrachialarterywhichisfoundonyourarm.
Therearetwotypesofpressuressystolicanddiastolic.Systolicpressureisyoubloodpressure
duringventricularsystole.Diastolicpressureisbloodpressureduringventriculardiastole
(
Bartholomew,Martini,Nath,2014)
.
Heartrate/Bloodpressureexperiment:

Position:

BloodPressure

Pulse(HR)

Sitting

100/50

88

WithExercise

130/50

112

Standing

90/60

76

Laying

110/50

80

Inclasswedidanexperimentinwhichwetookourpulsealongwithourbloodpressureinfour
variouscircumstances,sitting,withexercise,standing,andlaying.Aftergoingoutsideanddoing
somejumpingjacksalongwithrunningalapnotonlydidIfeelmyheartbeatingalotfasterbutI
alsosawamajorchangeinmydata.Bothmybloodpressureandmypulsewerethehighestwith
exercisebecausethatrequiredmyhearttoworkalotfastertopumpbloodallaroundmybody.


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Heartrate/Bloodpressuregraphed

(Villarruel,2015)

VESSELS
Arteries/Capillaries/Veins


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Bloodiscarriedawayfromtheheartbyarteriesandcarriedtotheheartbyveins.The
thickmuscularwallsofarteriesallowthemcontractandstretch.Theelasticityallowsthe
diameterofthearterytochangebasedonthebloodpressure.Thecontractilityarterialwalls
allowthediametertochangeactively.Capillariesarethinwalledmicroscopicvessels,theyhelp
connectsmallveinsandsmallarteries.Capillariesareoftenreferredtoexchangevesselssince
theyallowtheexchangeofwastes,dissolvedgases,andnutrientsthroughtheirthinwalls.There
arethreetypesofarteriesandveins.Thelargeveincontainsitsbrancheswithinthethoracicand
abdominopelviccavities,inwhichtheycontainasuperiorandaninferiorvenacava.Medium
sizedveinscontainfewsmoothmusclefibersandhaveathintunicmedia.Smallveinsare
knownasvenules,theyvaryincharacterandsize.Alargearteryisknownasanelasticartery,
theirwallsarentthickliketheirdiameters,butareveryflexible.Musculararterieshaveagreat
percentageofsmoothmusclefibersandathicktunicamedia.LastlytheArteriolearteriescontain
scatteredsmoothmusclefiberswhicharepoorlydefined,thisnotformingacompletelayer.
Therearetwodifferenttypesofcapillaries,thefenestratedcapillaryandcontinuouscapillary.
Thewallsoffenestratedcapillariescontainporesfromincompleteendotheliallining.Continuous
capillariesarefoundinmanyareaofthebody,theycontainacompleteliningintheendothelium.
Tightdesmosomesandjunctionsconnectendothelialcells(
Bartholomew,Martini,Nath,2014)
.
BloodFlow
Bloodisabletotravelthroughtheheartinapathway,itfirststartsoffintherightsideof
theheartwherethedeoxygenatedbloodis,thentravelstotheleftsideoftheheartwherethe
oxygenatedbloodis.Bloodfirstentersthesuperiorvenacavathenthentravelsintotheright
atrium.Itgoesthroughthetricuspidvalveintotherightventricle,thenthroughthepulmonary


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valvetotheleftandrightpulmonaryarteries.Whenittravelsthroughthepulmonaryarteriesthe
carbondioxidefoundinthebloodturnsintooxygenwhichnowtravelsthroughtheleftatrium.
Fromtheleftatriumitittravelsthroughthemitralvalveintotheleftventricle,whichthengoes
uptotheaorta.Thiscyclerepeatsseveraltimeseveryday(KhanAcademy,2015).

PicLabeled:

Description:

Functions:

Posteriorviewofthe

Bloodisreceivedfrom

heart(back)

therightatriumtothe

rightventricle,whichis

thenpumpedintothe
pulmonarycircuit
(Bartholomew,Martini,

(Villarruel,2015)

Nath,2014)
Theleftventricle
receivesbloodfromthe
leftatrium,whichwas
collectedfromthe
pulmonarycircuit.
Theleftventriclethen
pumpsittothesystemic
circuit
(Bartholomew,


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9

Martini,Nath,2014)
Anteriorviewoftheheart Throughsystemic
(front)

circuitandthesuperior
andinferiorvenacavas,
therightatriumreceives

blood

(Villarruel,2015)

(Bartholomew,Martini,
Nath,2014)
Theapexfoundatthe
bottomoftheheart,the
inferior
tip
(Bartholomew,
Martini,Nath,2014)
Hearybeingcutthrough

preventingbackflow

therightsidefirst

duringacontraction
thechordaetendineae
(fibrouscords)help
stabilizeoftheAV

(Villarruel,2015)

valvesinthe
heart
(Bartholomew,
Martini,Nath,2014)


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TopoftheHeart

theaortacarriesblood
tothesystemiccircuit,
whichwascarriedaway
fromtheleftventricle
Itisalargeelastic
artery
(Bartholomew,

Martini,Nath,2014)

(Villarruel,2015)
Heartcutinhalf

Thechordaetendineae
originateatthepapillary
muscles,whicharise
fromtherightventricles
innersurface

(Bartholomew,Martini,
(Villarruel,2015)

Nath,2014)

HumanHeartDrawings:
AnteriorPosterior


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(Villarruel,2015)(Villarruel,2015)

References
Bartholomew,E.,Martini,F.,&Nath,J.(2014).
Fundamentalsofanatomyand
physiology
Ch.1921(10thed.)SanFranciscoCA,PearsonEducation.
Hoehn,K.,Marieb,E.(2007)
Humananatomyandphysiology
Ch.17&18(7thed.)San
Francisco
CA,PearsonEducation
KhanAcademy,.(2015).
Flowthroughtheheart
.Retrieved26March2015,from
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/healthandmedicine/circulatorysystem/fetalcirc
ulation/v/flowthroughtheheart
Villarruel,N.(2014).Pigheartimages,graph,andHumanheartdrawings