Cardiovascular Physiology Study Guide

  1. Describe the complete circuit for blood through the entire cardiovascular system indicating the kinds of vessels it encounters in each portion of the system.

  2. Describe the overall function of the cardiovascular system with respect to where nutrients and waste products are picked up and delivered.

  3. Understand the concepts of pressure gradient and resistance and how these quantities relate to blood flow

  4. Describe the anatomy of the heart with respect to the names of the chambers and the valves that establish unidirectional flow in the cardiovascular system.

  5. Describe the basic structure of cardiac muscle and the structures responsible for cell-to-cell conduction of action potentials

  6. Describe the characteristics of a pacemaker potential and the anatomic location(s) where these pacemaker potentials are generated

  7. Describe the anatomy (name the components) of the cardiac conduction system.

  8. Draw a typical cardiac action potential, name its four components, and associate these components with the appropriate ion conductances.

  9. Name the three components of the normal electrocardiogram and associate each component with its corresponding electrical event.

  10. Describe the process of excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac muscle. How is it different from the process in skeletal muscle?

  11. Draw a Wiggers diagram that describes the sequence of events that occur on the left side of the heart (left atrium, left ventricle, central aorta). Indicate the points in time when the mitral and aortic valves are open or closed, and when blood is flowing and in what direction. Also note when the heart sounds are heard and what causes them.

  12. Describe the two variables that contribute to defining the cardiac output. Where can cardiac output be measured?

  13. Draw a diagram that shows the volume of blood contained in the left ventricle throughout the cardiac cycle. Indicate the points defined as the end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes. Indicate how stroke volume and ejection fraction would be determined.

  14. Understand the effects of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity on the characteristics of cardiac pacemaker potentials. How do these changes affect heart rate?

  15. Describe the Frank-Starling mechanism for the intrinsic control of stroke volume. Draw a diagram to represent this relationship

  16. Understand how increasing sympathetic activity to the heart alters the above diagram. What is the definition of cardiac contractility? What ionic mechanisms are responsible for changes in contractility?

  17. Understand the concept of compliance. How is it calculated?

  18. What functions do the arterioles serve? How is the resistance to blood flow changed at the arteriolar level?

  19. Describe the processes involved in the three local control mechanisms (active hyperemia, flow autoregulation, reactive hyperemia).

  20. What are the specific effects of sympathetic nerve activity on vascular tone? What are the specific effects of parasympathetic activity on vascular tone? What hormones also affect vascular tone?

  21. Describe the structure of a typical capillary. How do O2 and CO2 get through the capillary wall? How do nutrients and proteins get through?

  22. What equation describes the net movement of fluid through the capillary wall. List each of the terms in this equation and determine the direction of fluid flow caused by this factor acting by itself.

  23. Describe the actions of the skeletal muscle and respiratory pumps and how they affect the return of blood to the heart from the peripheral vasculature.

  24. Understand the function of the large veins as storage areas for large amounts of blood.

  25. Describe the structure of the lymphatic system. Where are the lymphatic capillaries located? What materials are transported in the lymph? Where does the lymph re-enter the cardiovascular system? How is lymph flow facilitated?

  26. What is the major variable being regulated in the systemic circulation? What two factors ultimately determine the magnitude of this variable?

  27. Describe how the baroreceptor reflex operates. How does it respond to a transient increase in mean arterial pressure?

  28. How does the body respond to hemorrhage? What mechanisms are called into play to maintain mean arterial pressure?

  29. Define the three kinds of shock.

  30. How does the upright posture affect the function of the cardiovascular system?

  31. What are the usual responses of the cardiovascular system to moderate exercise?
<< Back