Cardiovascular system, kidneys & blood pressure

21 important questions on Cardiovascular system, kidneys & blood pressure

Give an overview of the heart from the cardiovascular system

Heart
  • weighs ± 300g
  • 2 pumps of 4 chambers
    • left heart (LA, LV) or main pump
    • Right heart (RA, RV) or boost pump
  • CO = HR*SV
  • output of each pump is ±5 L/min
    • x5 during exercise
    • 75-yr lifetime: 400 million L of blood

Give an overview of the the two circuits from the cardiovascular system


  • The pulmonary circuit
  • The systemic circuit


Blue = oxygen-poor blood
Red = oxygen-rich blood

What are the layers of the heart: (internal anatomy of the heart)

See the image

  1. Endocardium
    1. endothelium tissue
    2. areolar connective tissue
  2. Myocardium
    1. cardiac muscle tissue
  3. Epicardium (visceral pericardium)
    1. mesothelium tissue
    2. areolar connective tissue


It has 3 layers and the biggest is myocardium

  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

How works the conduction system and ECG

Afbeelding

sinoatrial (SA) node
Atrioventricular (AV) node

  • P wave: depolarisation of arterial myocardium
  • QRS-complex: depolarisation of ventricular myocardium
  • T wave: depolarisation of ventricular myocardium

3 different types of action potential

  • Nerve cell
  • Atrial pacemaker
  • Ventricular Myocyte


The duration between hart cells and nerve cells is different, nerve cells is very short.

The resting potential of atrial pacemaker is higher than the from ventricular myocyte

Ventricular myocyte has an immediately  increase.

Vessels and its circulation -->

What is the function?
Are there different types?
How many vessels are there?

Function of the circulation: to carry substances all over the body

Arteries = distribution system
Micro-circulation = diffusion and filtration system
Veins = collection system

number of vessels at a particular level of arborisation increase enormously from
  • 1 aorta
  • 10^4 small arteries
  • 10^7 arterioles
  • 4 x 10^10 capillaries

What are the functional consequences of the increase in area? (3)

Exchange of O2 and CO2, so more surface for exchange.


  1. larger surface (more options for transfer)
  2. Slower speed (more time for transfer)
  3. Lower pressure (capillaries are fragile)

Plasma proteins vs serum proteins

  • Albumin, fibrinogen and gamma-globulins (immunoglobulins) are the most abundant plasma proteins
  • serum = residual fluid after clotting (plasma minus clotting factors, especially fibrinogen)

What are the primary and secondary roles of the function of the cardiovascular system?

Primary function
  • Distribution system for gasses and nutrients for energy production

Secondary roles
  • signalling by hormones and neurotransmitters
  • mediation of inflammation and host defence processes

What are the characteristics of RBC (Erythrocyte)

  • Life span of 120 days
  • Produced in bone marrow by a process called erythropoiesis (± 7 days)
  • No nucleus or other organelles
  • discoid shape provides large surface to volume ratio
  • most abundant protein is hemoglobin
  • ATP exclusively by glycolysis


Main tasks
  • carrying O2 from the lungs to the systemic tissues
  • Carrying CO2 from tissues to the lungs
  • Assisting in the buffering of acids and bases

Erythropoiesis -->

Why are mitochondria removed?

HSC: hematopoietic stem cells
EPO: erythropoietin, hormone synthesised by the kidney

They are removed because, otherwise the mitochondria are using the O2. Other cells also need the O2...

How can hemoglobin transport oxygen?


  • Hemoglobin contains heme
  • Heme contains iron
  • Iron can bind oxygen, because it easily shifts between Fe2+ (ferrous iron) <--> Fe3+ (ferric iron)

The Bohr effect (how can hemoglobin transport oxygen)

Hemoglobin contains heme
Heme contains iron
Iron can bind oxygen

  • Heme-iron binds oxygen in blood vessels in the lung
    • pCO2 is low, pH is high
  • Heme-iron releases oxygen in blood vessels in tissue
    • pCO2 is high, pH is low (dissolved CO2 is acidic)

= Bohr effect

Mechanism: A histidine residue in global, proximal to the heme group, becomes positively charged under acid (low pH) conditions, releasing oxygen from the heme group

Cardiovascular disease has 4 type of failures

  • Failure of the heart as a pump
    • heart failure, arrhythmia
  • Failure of the blood as an effective liquid organ
    • thrombosis and embolism
  • Failure of the vasculature
    • as a competent container
      • haemorrhage (bleeding)
    • as an efficient distribution system
      • atherosclerosis
  • Failure of the heart and vasculature
    • coronary heart disease (CHD)/ ischemic heart disease

Name 6 consequences of high blood pressure

  1. Stroke
  2. Heart failure
  3. Sexual dysfunction
  4. Vision loss
  5. Heart attack
  6. Kidney disease/failure

Usually, blood pressure refer to blood pressure of:
  1. large arteries in the systemic circuit
  2. large veins in the systemic circuit
  3. large arteries in the pulmonary circuit
  4. average pressure of large arteries in the systemic and pulmonary circuit


  1. large arteries in the systemic circuit

There are two responses on the regulation of blood pressure

Immediate response
  • Baroreceptors and the autonomic nervous system

Short to longer term response
  • Hormonal regulation (the RAAS system)

What is the function os baroreceptors?

Arterial baroreceptors sense blood pressure

baroreceptor -> nerve -> midbrain (autonomic nervous system) -->1 CO -->2 SVR

MAP = CO * SVR

What happens when the baroreceptors detects low blood pressure? And when the baroreceptors detects high blood pressure?

(rapid homeostatic regulation)

zie de afbeelding

What are the functions of the kidney?

  • Filter plasma and excrete waste
  • keep water balance
  • hormone secretion: blood pressure regulation


Functional unit = nephron

RAAS (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system)

Kidney
triggers (for low blood pressure) --> juxtaglomerular cells --> renin

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo