Heart & Mediastinum Flashcards

1
Q

What are the boundaries of the mediastinum?

A

superior: thoracic inlet
inferior: diaphragm
anterior: sternum and costal cartilages
posterior: thoracic vertebrae
lateral: pleura

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2
Q

What are the contents of the superior mediastinum?

A

great vessels of heart, thoracic duct (left), parts of azygos system, R&L vagus nerves, pulmonary plexus, esophageal plexus, cardiac plexus, thymus, parts of trachea & esophagus

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3
Q

What are the contents of the inferior, anterior mediastinum?

A

fat, lymph tissue, and vessels

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4
Q

What are the contents of the inferior, middle mediastinum?

A

the heart and its pericardial tissues

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5
Q

What are the contents of the inferior, posterior mediastinum?

A

thoracic aorta, esophagus, pulmonary arteries & veins, azygos system, thoracic duct, sympathetic trunk & thoracic splanchnic nerves

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6
Q

What side does the brachiocephalic trunk go to in the mediastinum?

A

right

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7
Q

What is special about the left recurrent laryngeal nerve in the mediastinum?

A

it wraps around the aortic arch and then ascends

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8
Q

Describe the thoracic sympathetic trunk in the mediastinum

A

bilateral; continuous with cervical and lumbar parts of sympathetic trunk; paravertebral ganglia along its course; it is lateral to the vertebral bodies

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9
Q

Describe the thoracic splanchnic nerves

A

bilateral; emerge from thoracic sympathetic trunks; there is a greater, lesser and least nerve; all three are part of the abdominopelvic sphlanchnic nerves and are all presynaptic fibers that will synapse with pre vertebral ganglia in abdomen

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10
Q

What type of innervation do the thoracic sphlanchnic nerves provide?

A

sympathetic innervation to viscera inferior to the diaphragm

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11
Q

What are the three locations in the mediastinum that are areas of constriction where swallowed foreign objects are most likely to lodge and where a stricture may develop after drinking caustic liquid

A

arch of aorta; left main bronchus; diaphragm

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12
Q

What is the esophageal hiatus?

A

location where the esophagus opens up and meets the stomach

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13
Q

What are the functions of the heart?

A

center of the cardiovascular system, connects to blood vessels that transports blood between the heart and other body tissues

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14
Q

What is the main difference between arteries and veins?

A

arteries carry blood away from the heart

veins carry blood back to the heart

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15
Q

True or False?

Arteries carry blood high in oxygen and veins carry blood low in oxygen.

A

True; except for the pulmonary arteries/veins

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16
Q

What are the arteries and veins entering and leaving the heart called?

A

the great vessels

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17
Q

What type of blood flow occurs through both the heart and blood vessels?

A

unidirectional flow

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18
Q

Backflow of blood is prevented by ___ within the heart

A

valves

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19
Q

True or False

The two side-by-side pumps of the heart work independently but at the same rate.

A

true

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20
Q

How is blood pressure in the heart developed?

A

through alternate cycles of heart wall contraction and relaxation

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21
Q

What does the pulmonary circuit consist of?

A

the right atrium and ventricle of the heart as well as the pulmonary arteries and veins

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22
Q

When blood returns to the left side of the heart it enters the ___ circuit

A

systemic

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23
Q

What does the systemic circuit consist of?

A

left atrium and left ventricle along with the other named blood vessels

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24
Q

Gas exchange in tissues occurs from what?

A

capillaries

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25
Q

Most veins merge and drain into the superior and inferior ____ _____, which drain blood into the right atrium

A

venae cave

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26
Q

How much does the heart weigh?

A

250 to 350 grams

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27
Q

Where in the chest is the heart located?

A

left of the body midline posterior to the sternum in the middle mediastinum

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28
Q

How is the heart rotated in the chest?

A

rotated such that its right side or border is located more anteriorly, while its left side or border is located more posteriorly

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29
Q

The posterosuperior surface of the heart, formed primarily by the left atrium, is called the ___

A

base

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30
Q

The inferior, conical end of the heart is called the ___

A

apex

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31
Q

The heart projects slightly anteroinferiorly toward the ___ side of the body

A

left

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32
Q

What is the pericardium?

A

fibrous, serous sac that contains the heart. It is held within the mediastinum by connective tissue that supports the great vessels’ external walls superior to the heart and the diaphragm inferior to it

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33
Q

True or False?
The pericardium restricts heart movements so that it doesn’t bounce and move about in the thoracic cavity, and prevents the heart from overfilling with blood

A

true

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34
Q

What is the outer portion of tough, dense connective tissue layer of the pericardium called?

A

fibrous pericardium

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35
Q

What two things is the fibrous pericardium attached to?

A

sternum and the diaphragm

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36
Q

What is the inner portion of the pericardium - thin, double-layered serous membrane called?

A

the serous pericardium

  • parietal layer
  • visceral layer
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37
Q

What are the three distinctive layers of the heart wall called?

A

external epicardium
middle myocardium
internal endocardium

38
Q

What is the epicardium?

A

the outermost heart layer and is also known as the visceral layer of serous pericardium

39
Q

What happens to the epicardium as we age?

A

this layer becomes thicker and more fatty

40
Q

Are atria thin-walled or thick-walled?

A

thin-walled

41
Q

What is the wrinkled, flaplike extension of the atria called?

A

auricle

42
Q

Left atrium receives blood from what circuit?

A

pulmonary circuit

43
Q

Right atrium receives blood from what circuit?

A

systemic circuit

44
Q

What surface do the two large arteries (the pulmonary trunk and aorta) exit the heart?

A

basal surface

45
Q

The pulmonary trunk carries blood from the ___ ___ into the ____ ___

A

right ventricle; pulmonary circuit

46
Q

The aorta conducts blood from the ___ ___ into the ___ ___

A

left ventricle; systemic circuit

47
Q

What separates the atria from the ventricles externally?

A

a deep coronary sulcus (atrioventricular sulcus) that extends around the circumference of the heart

48
Q

The anterior interventricular sulcus and the posterior interventricular sulcus are located between what?

A

the left and right ventricles

49
Q

The anterior interventricular sulcus and the posterior inter ventricular sulcus extend inferiorly from what?

A

extend inferiorly from the coronary sulcus toward the heart apex

50
Q

The fibrous heart skeleton is located between what? And what is it formed from?

A

located between the atria and the ventricles; formed from dense irregular connective tissue

51
Q

How does the fibrous skeleton of the heart anchor heart valves?

A

by forming supportive rings at their attachment points

52
Q

What does the electrical insulation that the fibrous skeleton of the heart provides, ensure?

A

that muscle impulses are not spread randomly throughout the heart, and thus prevents all of the heart chambers from beating at the same time

53
Q

The fibrous skeleton of the heart provides rigid framework for the attachment of what?

A

cardiac muscle tissue

54
Q

The right atrium receives blood from the what?

A

the systemic circuit and the heart muscle itself

55
Q

What three major vessels empty into the right atrium?

A

superior vena cava: drains blood from the head, upper limbs, and superior regions of the trunk
inferior vena cava: drains blood from the lower limbs and trunk
coronary sinus: drains blood from the heart wall

56
Q

What muscle is located in the right atrium?

A

pectinate muscle

57
Q

What does the right atrioventricular valve (AV) aka the tricuspid valve separate?

A

separates right atrium from the right ventricle

58
Q

When is the tricuspid valve forced closed?

A

when the right ventricle begins to contract, preventing blood back flow into the right atrium

59
Q

The right ventricle receives oxygenated or deoxygenated blood from the right atrium?

A

deoxygenated

60
Q

The internal wall surface of each ventricle muscular projections called what?

A

papillary muscles

61
Q

What do papillary muscles anchor?

A

chordae tendinae; attach to the cusp of the right AV valve and prevent everting and flipping into the atrium when contracting

62
Q

The superior end of the pulmonary trunk narrows into a smooth-walled, conical region called what?

A

conus arteriosus

63
Q

The pulmonary semilunar valve marks the end and beginning of what?

A

end of the right ventricle; entrance into the pulmonary trunk

64
Q

The pulmonary trunk divides shortly into what?

A

right and left pulmonary arteries

65
Q

Where are semilunar valves located?

A

within the walls of both ventricles immediately before the connection of the ventricle to the pulmonary trunk and aorta

66
Q

Each of the semilunar valves is composed of three what?

A

thin, pocket-like semilunar cusps

67
Q

As blood is pumped into the arterial trunks it pushes against the cusps of the semilunar valves which does what?

A

forces the valves open

68
Q

When do the semilunar valves close?

A

when ventricular contraction ceases

69
Q

The left AV valve separates what two chambers of the heart?

A

separates the left atrium from the left ventricle

70
Q

Another name for the left AV valve is what?

A

the bicuspid valve

71
Q

What is the largest of the four heart chambers?

A

left ventricle

72
Q

The wall of the left ventricle is typically how much thicker than the right ventricular wall

A

3X thicker

73
Q

Why does the left ventricle need thick walls?

A

in order to generate enough pressure to force the oxygenated blood from the lungs into the aorta and then through the entire systemic circuit

74
Q

True or False?

trabeculae carnae in the left ventricle are more prominent

A

true

75
Q

At the superior end of the ventricular cavity, the aortic semilunar valve marks the end of what?

A

end of left ventricle and the entrance into the aorta

76
Q

True or False?

external nerves are responsible for causing the heart to beat

A

false; the heart itself exhibits autorhythmiticity

77
Q

The heartbeat is initiated by the cardiac muscle fibers of which node?

A

Sinoatrial (SA) node

78
Q

The SA node is nicknamed what?

A

the pacemaker

79
Q

What is the normal amount of heartbeats per minute?

A

70-80

80
Q

Impulse travels to both atria, stimulating what?

A

atrial systole

81
Q

Where is the AV node located?

A

in the floor of the right atrium between the right AV valve and the coronary sinus

82
Q

Cardiac impulse travels from the AV node to the what?

A

Atrioventricular bundle (bundle of His)

83
Q

The bundle of His conducts the impulse to what?

A

purkinje fibers

84
Q

True or False?

The heart is innervated by both sympathetic and parasympathetic components

A

true

85
Q

Left and right coronary arteries travel where?

A

in the coronary sulcus of the heart to supply the heart wall

86
Q

Where are openings for the coronary arteries?

A

immediately superior to the aortic semilunar valve

87
Q

The right coronary artery typically branches into what?

A

marginal artery; posterior interventricular artery

88
Q

The left coronary artery typically branches into what?

A

the anterior interventricular artery and the circumflex artery

89
Q

What is cardiomyopathy?

A

condition where a ventricle has become enlarged, thickened, or stiffened. As a result the heart’s ability to pump is reduced.

90
Q

What is angioplasty?

A

a procedure in which a catheter is inserted with a tiny balloon that presses the plaque blockage against the artery so that blood may flow more freely through the vessel. A stent is then inserted.

91
Q

Where is the SA node found?

A

Posterior wall of the right atrium, adjacent to the entrance of the superior vena cava