The downward slope - The cardiac cycle - Pressure curves

6 important questions on The downward slope - The cardiac cycle - Pressure curves

What is the c wave?

Produced partly by the backflow of blood from the ventricle into the atria.
Produced mainly by the bulging of the AV valve backwards into the atria- due to the increased pressure in the ventricles.
Produced during ventricular contraction.

Describe the ventricular pressure curve

- increased pressure in the atria forces the AV valve to open.
- first third of ventricular diastole: rapid filling of ventricles with blood.
- middle third of ventricular diastole: slow filling of ventricles with blood.
- final third of ventricular diastole: atrial systole which forces the final 20% of blood from the atria into the ventricles.  
- Ventricular systole causes a rapid rise in the pressure within the ventricles= eventually forces the aortic valve to open.
- Ventricular pressure increases less rapidly, as the blood is ejected into the aorta.

Describe the aortic pressure curve.

- blood enters the aorta and causes the pressure to increase.
- at the end of ventricular systole, the aortic valve closes- causes a small rise in the aortic pressure due to back flow of blood.
- pressure in the aorta continues to decrease as blood is ejected out of the heart- throughout diastole.
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What is the physiology behind the Frank-Starling mechanism?

- The force of contraction is dependent on the length of the sarcomeres that make up the cardiac muscle fibres.
- 2.2nm length provides the greatest force of contraction.
- The greater the stretch of the sarcomeres, the greater the sensitivity of the cardiac muscle fibres to Ca2+. This is because more cross-bridges between the actin and myosin can form.
- also, the greater the load on the muscle fibres.

How are the signals transmitted to the heart?

Vagi and sympathetic nerve fibres

What factors affect preload/afterload?

preload:
- Venous blood pressure
- rate of venous return
- EDV: greater EDV= greater preload

afterload:   
- pressure within the aorta/pulmonary arteries e.g. stenosis= increases the pressure and therefore increases the afterload.

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