Cardiovascular (3)

• Resistance


  Can be changed through vasodilation or vasoconstriction
• Ways to measure cardiovascular function

  • Pulse rate (palpation or pulse rate meters)
  • Heart sounds (auscultation)
  • Arterial blood pressure (Sphygmomanometry, manual or automatic)
  • Heart function (Electrocardiogram, echocardiography)
  • Peripheral blood flow (Doppler ultrasound)
• Heart position


  • Left side of the chest beside the left lung
• Heart chambers


  • Right atrium
  • Right ventricle (Blood to lungs)
  • Left atrium
  • Left ventricle (Blood to body)
• Blood flow through the heart

  1. Right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from superior and inferior vena cava

  2. Blood passes from right atrium to right ventricle through tricuspid valve

  3. Blood exits right ventricle into pulmonary artery via pulmonary valve

  4. Left atrium receives oxygenated blood from lungs via pulmonary vein

  5. Blood passes from left atrium through mitral valve into left ventricle

  6. Blood passes from left ventricle into aorta via aortic valve and is pumped to body
• Heart valves


  • Tricuspid and pulmonary (on the right)
  • Bicuspid (mitral) and aortic (on the left)