PBS 4.1 Study Guide

In most of the body, arteries carry oxygenated blood & veins carry deoxygenated blood. The exception to this pattern is the heart. Explain how & why specific arteries & veins of the heart are different from the pattern seen in the rest of the body

With exception of the heart, pulmonary veins transport oxygenated blood from lungs to the heart. This is different from the rest of the body because the veins are supposed to carry deoxygenated blood & arteries are supposed to carry oxygenated blood

What is the pathway that blood takes as it passes through the heart?

After R atrium, deoxygenated blood passes through tricuspid valve into R ventricle. It will pass through pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery through which it will travel & end up in capillaries surrounding alveoli of the lung. Oxygen diffuses through the wads of the alveoli. The oxygenated blood will then travel through the pulmonary valve & enter the L atrium. Pass through mitral valve into L ventricle & pass through aortic valve into the aorta. Then travels to deoxygenated cells in body where oxygen will leave in order to enter deoxygenated cells. Deoxygenated blood travels to superior vena cava or inferior vena cava back to R atrium

Describe how the structure of the aorta relates to its function in the heart

Aorta is thicker because aorta receives most of the pressure when it contracts so the pressure increases. The l-ventricle contracts & forces the blood up the aorta really quickly. Aorta is a tube that transports oxygenated blood to the rest of the body & that's why it needs to be big

How does the structure of arteries & veins relate to their function?

Arteries are thick & muscular, walls that transport blood away from heart. Pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs. Veins are thin walls w/low blood pressure flow. Pulmonary veins carries blood to the whole body. Deliver oxygenated blood from lungs to heart via left atrium

What structural differences did you notice between arteries and veins? Relate these differences to the function of the vessels

Arteries: Bigger/have thicker walls. Go to the rest of the body & withstand a higher amount of pressure. Veins: Thinner & have valves in them to prevent backflow of blood. Have wider inner diameters, meaning they can hold more blood

Now that you have seen a heart up close, explain how the actual structure differs from your heart box study tool

In the actual structure, the arteries & veins are different sizes. The ventricles & atria are different sizes/thickness to comply to the needs of the right/left parts of the heart

What are two differences you see when comparing the four chambers of the heart? Relate these differences to the function of each chamber

L is larger/thicker. R-atrium/ventricles job is to transport deoxygenated blood. L-atrium/ventricles job is to transport oxygenated blood. L pumps blood to body & R pumps blood to lungs

How do the heart & lungs work together to pick up & deliver oxygen to the cells?

Left side(systemic pump) pumps oxygenated blood to the body. Right side(pulmonary system) pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs to get oxygenated

Which chamber of the heart is most muscular & why

Left ventricle because its in charge of pumping blood through aorta. This job is what gives the rest of blood to the body, so it needs the most muscle to pump the blood through the rest of the body. Pumps blood the furthest

Anna's autopsy report noted mitral valve prolapse. This means that the mitral valve does not close properly. Explain why this could be a problem

Mitral valve is in between l-atrium/v. If it doesn't close properly, then the blood goes back into l-atrium which decreases pressure so there would be less blood going through the body. This explains the lack of blood on report. Valves are supposed to pump blood in proper direction, so if valves are not working right, blood will move in wrong direction & body will not get the oxygenated blood it need

What is the function of the valves in the heart?

Mitral, tricuspid, aortic & pulmonary allow blood flow in 1 direction, determine pathway of blood, valves are either open or closed & they help to prevent the back flow of blood

What are the structures that make up the human heart & how are they organized?

Structures of the heart are chambers, valves, arteries & veins. Chambers:4 parts called right/left atrium, & right/left ventricle Valves: tricuspid, mitral(bicuspid), aortic, pulmonary Arteries: pulmonary & aorta(biggest) Veins: superior/inferior vena cava

Explain what happens to tissues, such as heart, or the brain, if oxygenated blood is not delivered in a timely matter

Tissues start to die because it can't produce energy to function & if oxygenated blood is not delivered. If tissues die, organs will fail. If organs fail then the body will not be able to operate especially in the brain. Brain tissues rely on oxygen & without major brain damage can occur.

Describe the mechanisms in place to prevent the blood from flowing in the wrong direction through the heart

Valves prevent the blood flowing in the wrong direction. There are valves on connecting arteries & keep the blood moving in the right direction. Tricuspid valve closes when heart contracts & it opens in 1 direction

Using what you have learned about the structure and function of the heart, explain why left ventricular hypertrophy can be fatal if left untreated

Ventricular hypertrophy is the enlargement of the walls of the l-ventricle causing it work harder. As workload increases, muscle tissue in chamber wall thickens & sometimes size of chamber increases. Enlargement of the muscle loses elasticity & eventually may fail to pump w/as much force as needed. Muscle compresses its own blood vessels, coronary arteries, & may restrict its own supply of blood. Muscle weakens & can wear out.

A growing fetus has a vessel, the ductus arteriosus, in the heart that connects the pulmonary artery w/the aorta & conducts blood directly from the right ventricle to the aorta. Why do you think this vessel closes soon after birth?

Vessel closes in order to have full separation between oxygenated/deoxygenated blood. R-atrium/ventricle are supposed to transport deoxygenated blood & the L atrium & ventricle are supposed to transport oxygenated blood & then transfer to aorta where the blood will go to the rest of the body