Heart Anatomy
Why do heart valves need to close tightly after each heartbeat?
To prevent blood from backflow
What is physiology?
Describe heart valve regurgitation?
The heart valve does no close all the way, so blood leaks backwards
Name three symptoms of heart disease
Fatigue, shortness of breathe, palpitations, edema, weakness, weight gain, chest pain
Approximately how many times does the average heart beat in one day? A) 10,000 B) 50,000 C) 100,000 D) 500,000
C) 100,000
Which chamber of the heart has the thickest wall, and why?
Left ventricle, because it pumps blood to the entire body (generates the highest pressure)
The three types of blood vessels are...
Arteries, capillaries, veins
If the papillary muscles or chordae tendineae rupture, which valve problem is most likely to occur?
Valve regurgitation
What are three risk factors for heart disease?
Use of tobacco products, not enough exercise, diabetes, high blood pressure, radiation treatment, cancer, having a pacemaker, aging, etc.
Which animal has the slowest heartbeat? A) Mouse B) Blue whale C) Hummingbird D) Dog
B) Blue whale (around 2–10 beats per minute)
A patient has damage to the valve between the left ventricle and the aorta. Which valve is affected?
Aortic valve
Veins transport blood _____ to/from the heart. Arteries transport blood _____ to/from the heart.
Veins transport blood to the heart, arteries transport blood away from the heart
What is the valvular condition where the valve is stiffened?
Stenosis
What are three complications of untreated heart valvular conditions?
Heart failure, stroke, arrhythmia, blood clots, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac arrest, death
Why might someone with severe valve disease eventually develop heart failure?
The heart becomes overworked over time and loses its ability to pump effectively
Which side of the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to where, and which side pumps oxygen-poor blood to where?
Left side pumps oxygen-rich blood to the body; right side pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs
During exercise, why does your heart rate increase?
To pump more oxygen-rich blood to the muscles
Name the four heart valves?
Mitral, tricuspid, aortic, pulmonary
A patient has chest pain, faints while exercising, and has a narrowed valve leaving the left ventricle. What's the diagnosis?
Aortic stenosis
A patient has severe aortic stenosis and faints while exercising. Why might this happen?
The narrowed valve limits blood flow from the heart, so the brain doesn't receive enough oxygen-rich blood during exercise
A red blood cell starts in the superior vena cava. List all four chambers and all four valves it passes through before reaching the aorta.
Superior vena cava → Right atrium → Tricuspid valve → Right ventricle → Pulmonary valve → Lungs → Left atrium → Mitral valve → Left ventricle → Aortic valve → Aorta
Why can't the heart stay in systole all the time?
Because it must relax (diastole) to fill with blood before it can pump again
Why don't the semilunar valves need chordae tendineae like the AV valves do?
Blood pressure naturally pushes them closed after ventricular contraction, so they don't need supporting cords
Is heart valve disease curable, and if so, how?
No (:
Which would you expect to make a louder heart murmur, a healthy valve or a narrowed/leaky valve? Why?
A narrowed or leaky valve because turbulent blood flow creates abnormal sounds