Cardiac Physiology and Blood Circulation

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The Heart, a Vital Organ

The heart is an almost indefatigable muscular organ. It is located in the center of the thorax.

From the 14th day of fetal life, the heart begins its work. From then on, it is the central engine of blood circulation throughout the body.

Anatomy of the Heart

The heart is made up of a fibrous structure, valves, and an electrical network

Inside the heart, there are 2 upper chambers called atria and 2 lower, more muscular chambers, called ventricles. A wall between the chambers defines the existence of a right heart and a left heart, each with an atrium and a ventricle.

Large Blood Vessels Are Connected to the Heart

Large blood vessels, arteries, and veins are connected to the heart and provide blood circulation throughout the body.

The coronary arteries

The blood network supplying the heart is made up of 2 coronary arteries, one on the right and the other on the left.

The right coronary artery feeds the lower part of the heart.

The left coronary artery divides into 2 branches: the anterior interventricular artery, which supplies the anterior surface of the heart, and the circumflex artery, which likewise supplies the posterior surface of the heart.

The Right Chambers

The right chambers, which define the right heart, receive the venous blood that has collected the body’s waste products or carbon dioxide (CO2). They send this blood to the lungs where it is cleansed of carbon dioxide and recharged with the oxygen the body needs. The CO2 is ultimately expelled from the body through exhalation.

The right atrium is located above the tricuspid valve, while the right ventricle is below it.

The Left Chambers

The left chambers, which define the left heart, receive blood from the lungs. This blood, known as arterial, was cleansed of carbon dioxide (CO2) by the lungs and recharged with oxygen. Arterial blood is propelled throughout the body by the main artery, the aorta.

The left atrium is placed above the mitral valve and the left ventricle is found in the bottom left part of the heart, below the left atrium.

Veins are the vessels that carry blood to the heart. The reverse circulation, from the heart to the whole body, is ensured by blood vessels called arteries.

The 4 Cardiac Valves

The function of the 4 cardiac valves is to ensure that blood flow is always going forward. There is no turning back. These valves separate the heart chambers, namely the atria and ventricles, as well as the large vessels that go in and out of the heart.

The right atrium is separated from the right ventricle by the tricuspid valve. The pulmonary valve isolates the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery. The left atrium is distanced from the left ventricle by the mitral valve, while the aortic valve diverts the left ventricle from the aorta.

A Muscular Pump in Charge of Blood Circulation

The “used” blood is full of CO2 and has a bluish tint; it reaches the heart through 2 large veins. Blood from the upper body arrives by way of the superior vena cava. Blood from the lower body comes from the inferior vena cava.

The blood first fills the atrium, then the pressure of the liquid causes the tricuspid valve to open. Blood can then rush into the right ventricle.

Next, the right ventricle contracts and expels blood through the pulmonary valve. From here, the blood flows first to the pulmonary artery, then to the lungs where it rids itself of CO2 and fills with oxygen. The CO2 is expelled from the body through exhalation.

The oxygenated blood returns to the left atrium through the 4 pulmonary veins.

The mitral valve, for its part, opens under the pressure of oxygenated blood, allowing it to enter the left ventricle.

The latter contracts and expels the blood, first through the aortic valve to the aorta, then from there throughout the body to feed it. In this way, oxygen is delivered to the cells, and carbon dioxide is evacuated.

And the cardiac cycle starts again.

It takes a red blood cell 60 heartbeats to cover the entire pulmonary circuit and the rest of the body.

The Large and the Small Blood Circulation

It is said that the right heart looks after the small circulation and the left heart attends to the large one.

This differentiation is reflected in the very structure of the ventricles. The muscle of the right ventricle is thinner than that of the left ventricle, which is called upon to make a greater effort to circulate blood throughout the body.

A Perfect Architecture for Its Function

The heart is a perfect device thanks to its ingeniously integrated anatomy.

Its electrical system determines that the contraction of the ventricles proceeds from bottom to top, where the valves controlling access to the lungs and aorta are located.

Moreover, the position of the right ventricle, right next to the anterior part of the left ventricle, facilitates its work, as it collapses onto the latter.

A Bear Is Trailing You Closely!

The heart is sensitive to the body’s needs.

For instance, if a ferocious beast targets you as prey, your muscles will need more oxygen.

No need to panic!

The heart is capable of quintupling (x 5) blood flow in a matter of seconds. How is this achieved? By tripling the basic heart rate and doubling the force of contraction.

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