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Cardiovascular System Cheat Sheet by

A full rundown on the cardiovascular system

System Overview

The three principal compon­ents: Heart (the pump) Blood vessels (the pipes) Blood (the fluid to be moved) Functions: Supply oxygen­/nu­tri­ents, remove waste, regulate temper­ature, distribute hormones, immuno­-vi­gilance

Compar­ison: PM vc CC

Electrical Activity & Autorh­yth­micity

Autorh­ythmic Cells: 1% of heart, initiate APs
Contra­ctile Cells: 99%, mechanical pumping
Pacemaker Activity:-
1. Funny channels: (Na⁺ in) and K⁺ channels close.
2. T-type Ca²⁺ channels open
3. Threshold: L-type Ca²⁺ channels open
4. Repola­riz­ation: K⁺ channels open
Note that: : Long refractory period coincides with plateau (Prevents summat­ion­/te­tanus)

Contra­ctile Cell Action Potential

Type of Cell: Contra­ctile (99% of cardiac cells)
Resting potential: –90 mV
1. Depola­riz­ation: Fast Na⁺ channels open
2. Initial Repola­riz­ation: Transient K⁺ channels open
3. Plateau: L-type Ca²⁺ channels open, reduced K⁺ efflux
4. Repola­riz­ation: Regular K⁺ channels open
Return to Rest: Leaky K⁺ channels restore resting potential

Pacemaker vs. Cardiac cell

Pacemaker: gradual depola­riz­ation, no true resting potential, Ca²⁺-d­epe­ndent spike
Contra­ctile: stable resting potential, Na⁺-de­pendent spike, plateau from L-type Ca²⁺

Conduction Pathway

1. SA nodes
2. AV nodes
3. Bundle of his
4. Right/left bundle branches
5. Purkinje fibers
 

Structure of the Heart & bloodflow

Anatomy of the Heart

Heart Wall Layers:
Endoca­rdium: Inner layer, lines chambers
Myocar­dium: Cardiac muscle layer, respon­sible for contra­ction
Epicar­dium: Outer layer, also part of perica­rdium
Perica­rdium: Protective sac around the heart
Valve Compos­ition:
Connective tissue: Mostly collagen, provides structural support
Endoth­elium: Inner lining of heart and blood vessels

Heart Structure & Blood Flow

4 Heart Valves: Tricuspid, Pulmonary, Mitral, Aortic Flow Sequence: Right atrium → Right ventricle → Lungs → Left atrium → Left ventricle → Body Oxygen­ation: Pulmonary arteries = O₂-poor, Pulmonary veins = O₂-rich

Cardiac Cycle & Heart Sounds Phases:

S1 (“lub”) = AV valves close
S2 (“dub”) = Aortic­/pu­lmonary valves close
Murmur: Stenotic or insuff­icient valves → turbulence
Phases: Mid-to­-late diastole → Ventri­cular systole → Early diastole

Heart Valve Disorders

Stenotic = valve doesn’t open completely
Insuff­icient = valve doesn’t close completely
Causes murmurs (turbulent flow)
 

Blood Pressure

Pulse Pressure = Systolic – Diastolic
Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) = Diastolic + ⅓(Pulse Pressure)
Measured by: Sphygm­oma­nometer (Korotkoff sounds)

Blood pressure during dynamic exercise

Systolic increases
Diastolic ~same
MAP increases progre­ssively

Blood Flow

Flow influenced by: Radius (power of 4 effect), Length, Viscosity
Pressure gradient = Flow × Resistance

Cardiac Output

CO = Heart Rate × Stroke Volume
Stroke Volume = EDV – ESV
Regula­tion: 2 Types
Type 1: Intrinsic: Frank–­Sta­rling Law = Increased venous return increases ventri­cular filling (increased EDV), which results in a larger stroke volume due to the length­–te­nsion relati­onship.
Extrinsic: Sympat­hetic stimul­ation → ↑ , contra­ctility → ↑ SV

MAP Regulation

MAP = C.O x TPR
Contri­butors: Stroke vol.,Heart rate, Blood Vol., Blood Viscosity, Arteriolar Radius, Sympat­het­ic/­Par­asy­mpa­thetic activity

ECG Components

P wave: Atrial depola­riz­ation
PR segment: AV node delay
QRS complex: Ventri­cular depola­riz­ation (atrial repola­riz­ation hidden)
T wave: Ventri­cular repola­riz­ation
TP interval: Ventricles relaxi­ng/­filling
ST segment: Ventricles contra­cti­ng/­emp­tying

ECG wave

ECG Abnorm­alities

Rate: Tachyc­ardia
Rhythm: Extras­ystole, ventri­cular fibril­lation
Conduc­tion: Complete heart block
Myopat­hies: Myocardial infarction
 

Capillary exchange

Lipid-­soluble substa­nces: pass through endoth­elial cells
Small water-­soluble substa­nces: pass through pores
Exchan­geable proteins: moved via vesicular transport
Plasma proteins: generally cannot cross capillary wall

Net Filtration Pressure (NFP)

NFP = Capillary Hydros­tatic Pressure − Blood Colloid Osmotic Pressure
Affects direction of fluid movement (filtr­ation vs. reabso­rption)
Positive NFP = fluid pushed out (filtr­ation)
Negative NFP = fluid pulled in (reabs­orp­tion)

Barore­ceptor Reflex

Stimulus: ↑ or ↓ blood pressure
Sensors: Carotid sinus and aortic arch
2 effects can occur:
↑ BP =↑ afferent firing = ↓ HR, ↓ contra­ctility & vasodi­lation
↓ BP = ↓ afferent firing =↑ HR, ↑ contra­ctility & vasoco­nst­riction

Veins & Venous Return

Valves prevent backflow
Factors that facilitate return:
Sympat­hetic stimul­ation, Skeletal muscle pump, Respir­atory activity, Increased blood volume.

Exercise Physio­logy: Cardio­vas­cular Response

Systole and diastole both decrease, but diastole decreases more
Systolic & MAP increase; diastolic remains about the same
Cardiac output shifts to muscles, heart, skin
 

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