The cardio-vascular

system
Nira Ravaliya
 Cardio-vascular
FUNCTION STRUCTURE

Transport The heart

Defence VESSELS

Clotting Arteries

Regulation Veins

Capillaries

BLOOD

Cells

Plasma
 Composition of blood
Blood is a thick, alkaline fluid which appears bright
red in arteries and dark red in veins

Makes up about 8% of our total body weight

Average volume of blood per adult is 5 to 6 litres

55% of blood is in the form of plasma

45% is in the form of blood cells

Composition of blood
Cardio-vascular system consists of :
A fluid BLOOD

A pump THE HEART

A network ARTERIES,VEINS, CAPILLARIES

of vessels
 Composition of blood
PLASMA

Water= 90% of total volume, Renews cellular fluid

55% of total blood

MINERALS- chlorides, phosphates, carbonates

maintain bloods PH of 7.4

PROTEINS- albumin, globulin, fibrinogen,heperin

make blood viscous (sticky) which helps to control flow and maintains blood pressure

NUTRIENTS- glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, glycerol are required for energy and heat

GASES- oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen are required for cellular respiration

ANTIBODIES & ANTITOXINS- protect against infection and neutralise some toxins that may enter the
body

HORMONES

ENZYMES- produce chemical reactions in other substances

 Composition of
blood
ERYTHROCYTES
(red blood cells)

Produced in the bone marrow of spongy

bone

5 million cells to a drop of blood

Contains the protein haemoglobin which attracts

oxygen

They only live for 120 days, then they die

Bright red in colour

Carries oxygen to the tissues from the lungs and carries carbon-dioxide away

The kidneys check how many red blood cells we have, and if we need more, send an
instruction to the bone marrow to produce them
 Composition of blood
LEUCOCYTES (white blood cells)

Larger then red blood cells & less numerous

White due to the lack of haemoglobin

Three types
GRANULOCYTES 75% goes to site of infection
LYMPHOCYTES 20% made in the lymph nodes
MONOCYTES 5% fights infection

Concerned with immunity

Ingest bacterias and produce antibodies

Protect the body against infection by engulfing pathogens (swallowing them)

This is know as phagocytosis

 Composition of blood
THROMBOCYTES (platelets)

Made in the bone marrow and smaller then red blood cells

Concerned with the clotting in the blood (haemostasis)

Blood clotting happens by a complicated cascade reaction. We

dont want clotting to occur where it shouldnt (this could be fatal!)

The clotting cascade involves many chemicals, which need to be

activated by enzymes in turn - to produce a solid structure

Vitamin K (produced in the intestines and stored by the liver) and

Calcium are required
 The heart
The heart is a hollow, muscular cone shaped organ located behind the sternum between the lungs slightly to
the left side of the body

Within a protective bag called the pericardial sac

The heart is about 12cm long or the size of the owners (closed) fist & is composed of CARDIAC MUSCLE

Unlike skeletal muscle, this type of muscle cannot work anaerobically (without oxygen)

If this happens we then experience a heart attack because lack of oxygen causes cell death, eventually this
damage is too great for the heart to function

It consists of four chambers, two upper chambers called the left & right atriums
Two lower chambers called the left & right ventricles

The heart also contains four valves which are mechanisms to prevent blood from flowing in the wrong
direction

The heart consists of three layers

The endocardium
The myocardium
The pericardium

Words associated with the heart Cardio"

 Because if cells do not receive a constant supply of the essentials
for life
Oxygen
Glucose
Water ....They will die

This has serious consequences for all the systems of the body
but the most serious is the cells in the brain

If these are starved of oxygen, then they die and may not
regenerate: A stroke can be fatal or can lead to permanent damage

The heart provides a constant supply of blood to all the cells of the
body
 The heart
The ENDOCARDIUM is the inner layer of the heart wall and made
up of epithelial tissue

The MYOCARDIUM (muscular layer) is in the middle Striated

(stripy) like skeletal muscle
But - unlike skeletal muscle - Not under voluntary control and cant
work anaerobically
Contracts to pump the blood

The PERICARDIUM is the outer layer of the heart and is made up

of connective tissue

Between the wall of the thoracic cavity and the heart is the
PERICARDIAL cavity - a space filed with serous fluid : to prevent
friction as the heart beats
 The heart
The heart is split into 2 sections by a vertical wall -
the septum

This septum keeps blood on either side of the heart

separate

Oxygenated blood on the left and

Deoxygenated blood on the right

Each half of the heart contains an upper and lower

chamber & an Atrium and Ventricle
 RIGHT ATRIUM LEFT ATRIUM
de-oxygenated oxygenated
blood from the blood from the
body lungs

RIGHT VENTRICLE LEFT VENTRICLE

de-oxygenated oxygenated blood
blood going to going to body
the lungs
 Structure of heart

Blood never crosses from left to right side of the

heart

De-oxygenated Blood always travels INTO the

heart in a VEIN and enters into an right atrium

Oxygenated blood travels away from the heart in

an ARTERY and leaves the left ventricle
 Internally the heart contains 4 valves, these are present to ensure there is no backflow of blood
and that the blood flows in one direction only

The Left & Right Atrium are located in the upper chambers & receive blood flowing towards the
heart
Oxygenated blood from lungs
De-oxygenate blood from body

The Left & Right Ventricle are located in the lower chambers & direct blood away from heart
Oxygenated blood to the body
De-oxygenated blood to the lungs

The TRICUSPID VALVE is located between the right atrium & right ventricle and prevents back
flow of blood into the right atrium during contraction of the right ventricle

The MITRAL VALVE is located between the left atrium & left ventricle and prevents back flow of
blood into the left atrium during contraction of the left ventricle

The AORTIC VALVE is located between the AORTA (main artery of body) and left ventricle and
prevents back flow of blood into the left ventricle

The PULMONARY VALVE is located between the PULMONARY vein and right ventricle and
prevents back flow of blood into the right ventricle
 Circulation of blood
through the heart
The PULMONARY CIRCULATION is the circulation between the heart and the lungs
as the blood is sent to pick up oxygen
De-oxygenated blood travels through the veins called inferior VENA CAVA &
superior VENA CAVA into the right atrium
It flows from the right atrium though tricuspid valve into the right ventricle
From the right ventricle the blood passes through the pulmonary valve and goes into
the pulmonary arteries
From the pulmonary arteries the blood is carried to the lungs to pick up oxygen and
get rid of carbon dioxide
This new oxygenated blood is then returned to the left atrium of the heart by the
pulmonary veins
The only time the veins and arteries work to opposite sides
 Circulation of blood
through the heart
The SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION is the pathway of blood from the left side of the heart to the rest
of the bodys tissues via the AORTA
It is just between the heart and all other body systems

The oxygenated blood passes from the left atrium through the mitral valve into the left ventricle

It then gets pumped into the aorta, the main artery through the abdominal cavity

Under great pressure the blood is pumped all around the body, to give oxygen & nutrients to all
of the cells

Once the exchange in the cells has completed the blood is de-oxygenated and full of waste

So its journey begins with its return to the right atrium of the heart by the inferior and superior
vena cave

Both the Atrium and both the Ventricles contract together

So really, both the oxygenated and deoxygenated blood is forced into the Aorta and Pulmonary
Artery at the same time
 Circulation of blood
through the heart
SYSTOLE & DIASTOLE

The cycle of contraction and resting is divided into 2 phases:

Systole: Heart muscle tissue is contracting
Diastole: Heart muscle tissue is resting

Stimulation begins at the sino-atrial node and causes the atria to

contract (atrial systole)

The signal passes to the Atrio-ventricular node which causes

the ventricles to contract (ventrical systole)

This short delay allows the ventricles to fill before they then
contract again(Diastole)
 Atria & Ventricles
Both sides of the heart left and right pump at the same time

When the atria contract they force blood down into the
ventricles

When the ventricles contract, this forces the blood out into the
arteries

This means that the muscles of the ventricles, particularly the

left one which has to power the blood around the whole body,
have to be much thicker

The left ventricle has to pump the hardest so we hear the

heartbeat more on the left side
 When the AV (triscuspid & mitral) valves are open, gravity causes
the blood to drop down freely from the atria to the ventricle below

As the ventricles fill, the Pulmonary & Aortic valves are closed,
preventing the blood from entering the arteries

The Atria contract to push out the last of the blood. When the
ventricles are full, the AV valves close, preventing blood flowing
back into the atrium. The blood in the ventricle is now under high
pressure

When the ventricles contract, the valves to the arteries open and
the blood is forced at high pressure into the Pulmonary artery (R)
and the Aorta (L)

It is the valves slamming shut that give us the recognisable heart

beat sound Lub-Dub
 4 chambers L & R
Atrium & Ventricles

4 valves to prevent
back flow
Tricuspid
Mitral
Aortic
Pulmonary

De-oxygenated
blood enters through
superior and inferior
vena cava

The pulmonary arteries take

the de-oxygenated blood to
pick up oxygen from right ventricle

The oxygenated blood is sent to

the left atrium of the heart by the
pulmonary veins

This gets pumped through the mitral

valve into ventricle

It then gets pumped into the aorta

AROUND THE BODY

 Major vessels
The Aorta (artery) and Vena Cava (vein) are the largest
vessels. The Aorta feeds the whole body via 3
branches

The Vena Cava is supplied by the superior and inferior

branches (from above and below)

Cerebral circulation (Brain): Jugular vein, Carotid artery

Renal circ (Kidneys): Renal vein & artery

Portal circ (Liver) : hepatic vein, hepatic artery

 Other major vessels
Mesenteric artery / vein to and from intestines

Common iliac vein and artery to lower body

Femoral vein and artery in upper leg

Popliteal artery and vein behind knee

Saphenous vein and tibial vein & artery in lower leg

Subclavian vein and artery to upper chest, shoulders

Axillary, cephalic, basilic veins and brachial artery in upper arm

Cubital vein, radial and ulna artery in lower arm

Palmar arch (arteries in hand)

 Coronary circulation
The heart muscle itself needs
a lot of blood

Supplied by the Coronary

Arteries - Coronary artery
disease is associated with
reduced blood flow to these
vessels

The heart is NOT supplied by

the blood inside its chambers

The deoxygenated blood from the

myocardium drains into the coronary
veins, these join the Vena Cava at the
Coronary sinus to enter the right atrium
 Cerebral circulation
The brain comprises only
2% of the body's weight
but receives 20% of the
blood supply. Over 150,000
people have strokes each
year, largely resulting from
blockages in the arteries
and veins. Unimpeded
circulation of blood to and
from the brain is critical to health
RENAL CIRCULATION

Approximately 20% of blood

output from the heart goes to
the kidneys. The kidneys cleanse
and detoxify blood and also serve
an excretory function sending urine
to the bladder. Renal circulation
significantly contributes to overall
circulatory health
 HEPATIC PORTAL
CIRCULATION

Blood from the entire digestive

area including the intestines,
stomach, pancreas, and gall
bladder passes through the liver
for cleansing and storing of
nutrients, removal and
detoxification of waste
 Blood Vessels

Arteries (& arterioles)

Veins (& venules)

Capillaries
Artery & Vein structure
Artery & Vein structure
Similarities:

Walls of vessels are made of 3 tissue types:

Inner lining: Epithelia (tunica intima)

Middle Lining: Muscle (tunica media)

Outer layer: Connective (tunica external)

 Arteries & veins
Differences

Arteries have an extra elastic layer this makes them

stronger and stretchier

Veins have valves these prevent backflow

Backflow is not a problem in the arteries, because

the blood is under high pressure but the veins have a
lower pressure and so the blood would follow gravity
(and fall downwards) if the valves did not prevent it
 Arteries
Carry blood away from the heart under high pressure

As a result they have thick, strong, muscular walls to withstand pressure and
allow elasticity

All arteries carry oxygenated blood (except the pulmonary artery which carries
deoxygenated blood )

Oxygenated blood is bright red

Arteries are generally deep seated within the body and can only be felt in a few
places where they rise nearer to the surface and usually pass over a bone (this
is known as a pulse point )

As arteries move away from the heart they subdivide and become known as
arterioles which eventually become very small, joining up to the capillary
network
 Capillaries
The function of capillaries is to allow exchange of gases
and dissolved substances, providing nutrients and
removing waste products from the cells of a tissue

They must be on the same microscopic scale as the cells

they communicate with

The structure of the capillary wall is important: endothelial

tissue only 1 cell thick. This means they are permeable

The permeable wall allows the diffusion of gases (oxygen

& carbon dioxide) in and out
 Why do capillaries have
muscles?
To control how much blood is in the tissue

Remember one of the ways the body controls

temperature:

When you are too hot, lots of blood comes to the

surface to give off heat and cool you down When you
are too cold, the blood goes deeper into the body to
keep vital organs warm and your skin looks pale
(because it has less blood there)

This is called VASOCONTRICTION & VASODILATION

Capillaries Venules Veins

After the blood has passed through a tissue in the

capillaries, the network joins up with small veins
called venules, these are the smallest of veins

The Venous network carries blood back to organs

for the removal of toxins

and then back to the heart to be oxygenated, ready

to go around the system again
 Veins
Carry deoxygenated blood (except in the
pulmonary vein)

Due to the lower pressure involved, veins have

thinner, less elastic walls than arteries

Veins are situated much closer to the surface of the

skin than arteries (they can often be seen)

Deoxygenated blood is usually shown as blue in

diagrams but is actually dark red
 Venous return
Blood in the veins is not pumped by the heart so valves
are present to prevent backflow. In areas where gravity is
working against the flow (the legs), these valves come
under pressure and can become damaged (Varicose
veins)

Venous return to the heart is assisted by movement

skeletal muscles squeezes against the veins & pushes
blood along as we breathe & exercise

Massage can be very helpful, as the veins are often near

the surface, so venous return can be directly affected by
massage so always work in the right direction!
 Blood Pressure (BP)
Blood pressure is defined as the pressure of the blood on the
vessel walls

measured with 2 values: systolic (working) and diastolic (resting)

pressure. A normal BP for a healthy adult is 120 /80

Arterial blood is under greatest pressure

If the arteries become blocked by fatty deposits, BP increases

Stress also increases BP

The kidneys can change BP to a certain extent by changing blood

volume (by retaining water in the body or increasing urination to
lose more water)
Blood pressure changes
Due to Heart & Vessels
The faster the heart beats, the higher the pressure
(STRESS)
The tighter the arteries the higher pressure -e.g. if the
lumen is decreased because of build up of fatty deposits
- CHOLESTEROL

Due to composition of blood

The more VISCOSE (thicker) the blood, the higher the
pressure
The less blood volume (if more fluid is excreted in urine
by the kidney), the lower the pressure
Blood pressure problems
Continuous high blood pressure can damage the
kidneys, put extra pressure on the heart and cause
wear and tear damage to blood vessel walls

This can damage arteries, leading to aneurism (a

weakened, ballooning, part of the vessel wall)

Low blood pressure can lead to fainting

Sudden low blood pressure because of blood loss,

leading to lack of supply to the brain = shock
Thrombus & embolism
Damage to artery wall or vein wall can result in a blood clot forming (to
repair the damage). This is a thrombus

If this thrombus comes away and travels in the vessels it is called an

embolism

An embolism can lodge in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) or in the

brain. This can disrupt oxygenated blood supply to the brain = a stroke

An embolism can lodge in the coronary circulation preventing blood

supply to the heart = a heart attack

This is why we do not want blood clots forming by mistake (so thats why
the chain of events leading to a clot due to injury is so complicated)
 An average healthy adults data:

Blood volume 5-6 litres

Pulse rate:

70 bpm male

75 bpm female

Blood pressure 80/120

 Pathologies
Angina

Angina describes chest pain or discomfort that

happens when the blood supply to the muscles in your
heart is limited

Angina is usually a symptom of coronary heart disease.

Youre more likely to get angina as you get older, and
men are more likely to get it than women. Angina
usually starts with chest pain, tightness or feeling short
of breath when youre doing physical activity.
 Pathologies
Leukaemia

Leukemia is a cancer of the early blood-forming cells.

Most often, leukemia is a cancer of the white blood

cells, but some leukemias start in other blood cell
types.

Leukemia is often described as being either acute

(fast growing) or chronic (slow growing).

Attacks the immune system

 Pathologies
Anaemia

People with anaemia don't have enough red blood cells in the blood to carry oxygen throughout the body

This can cause serious problems, if left untreated. There are several types of anaemia, each characterised by what causes it

The most common type is due to diet and quite often either an iron rich diet or iron supplements

Sickle cell anaemia is a serious inherited blood disorder where the red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body, develop
abnormally

Fatigue

Pale skin

Fast or irregular heartbeat

Shortness of breath

Chest pain

Dizziness

Cognitive problems

Cold hands and feet

Headache
 Pathologies
Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition where a

blood clot forms in one of your deep veins, usually
in your leg

DVT can cause pain and swelling and may lead to

complications, such as pulmonary embolism if the
blood clot dislodges and travels to your lungs