2. Functions of the Heart
1. Generating blood pressure
• Required for blood flow through the blood
vessels
2. Routing blood
• Two pumps, moving blood through the
pulmonary and systemic circulations
3. Regulating blood supply
• Adjusts blood flow by changing the rate and
force of heart contractions as needed
3. Systemic and Pulmonary Circulation
• Pulmonary circulation
– The flow of blood from
the heart through the
lungs back to the heart
– Picks up oxygen and
releases carbon dioxide
in the lungs
• System circulation
– The flow of blood from
the heart through the
body back to the heart
– Delivers oxygen and
picks up carbon dioxide
in the body’s tissues
Fig. 17.1
4. Location, Shape, and Size of the Heart
• Location
– Anterior to the vertebral column, posterior to
the sternum
– Left of the midline
– Deep to the second to fifth intercostal spaces
– Superior surface of diaphragm
• Shaped like a blunt cone, with an apex
and a base
• Approximately the size of your fist
6. Anatomy of the Heart
• The heart consists of two atria and two
ventricles
• Pericardium: a double-walled sac around
the heart composed of
– A superficial fibrous pericardium
– A deep two-layer serous pericardium
• The parietal layer lines the internal surface of the
fibrous pericardium
• The visceral layer lines the surface of the heart
• They are separated by the fluid-filled (pericardial
fluid) pericardial cavity
7. Anatomy of the Heart
• The pericardium
– Fibrous pericardium
• Protects and anchors the heart
• Prevents overfilling of the heart with blood
– Serous pericardium
• Allows for the heart to work in a relatively friction-
free environment
9. Anatomy of the Heart
• The heart wall has three layers
– Epicardium
• Visceral layer of the serous pericardium (visceral pericardium)
• Provides protection against the friction of rubbing organs
– Myocardium
• Cardiac muscle layer forming the bulk of the heart
• Responsible for contraction
– Endocardium
• Endothelial layer over crisscrossing, interlacing layer of
connective tissue
• Inner endocardium reduces the friction resulting from the
passage of blood through the heart
• Ventricles have ridges called trabeculae carneae
• The inner surfaces of the atria are mainly smooth
– Auricles have raised areas called musculi pectinati
11. Anatomy of the Heart
• Atria
– Receiving chambers of the heart
– Each atrium has a protruding auricle
– Pectinate muscles mark atrial walls
– Veins entering the right atrium carry blood to the heart
from the systemic circulation
• Inferior vena cava
• Superior vena cava
• Coronary sinus
– Veins entering the left atrium carry blood to the heart
from the pulmonary circulation
• Four pulmonary veins
12. Anatomy of the Heart
• Ventricles
– Discharging chambers of the heart
– Papillary muscles and trabeculae carneae
muscles mark ventricular walls
– Arteries carrying blood away from the heart
• Pulmonary trunk exits the right ventricle carrying
blood to the pulmonary circulation
• Aorta exits the left ventricle carrying blood to the
systemic circulation
13. Anatomy of the Heart
• External Anatomy
– Each atrium has a flap called an auricle
– The coronary sulcus separates the atria from the
ventricles
– The interventricular grooves separate the right and left
ventricles
• Heart Chambers
– The interatrial septum separates the atria from each
other
– The fossa ovalis is the former location of the foramen
ovalis through which blood bypassed the lungs in the
fetus
– The interventricular septum separates the ventricles
16. Anatomy of the Heart
• Heart valves
– Ensure unidirectional blood flow through the heart
– Atrioventricular (AV) valves lie between the atria and
the ventricles
– AV valves prevent backflow into the atria when
ventricles contract
– Chordae tendineae anchor AV valves to papillary
muscles
– Tricuspid valve: separates the right atrium and
ventricle
– Bicuspid valve: separates the left atrium and ventricle
17. Anatomy of the Heart
• Heart valves (cont.)
– Semilunar valves prevent backflow of blood
into the ventricles
– Aortic semilunar valve: lies between the left
ventricle and the aorta
– Pulmonary semilunar valve: lies between the
right ventricle and pulmonary trunk
21. Route of Blood Flow Through the Heart
• Blood from the body flows through the
right atrium into the right ventricle and then
to the lungs
• Blood returns from the lungs to the left
atrium, enters the left ventricle, and is
pumped back to the body
23. Blood Supply to the Heart
• Coronary arteries branch off the aorta to supply
the heart
• Blood returns from the heart tissues to the right
atrium through coronary sinus and cardiac veins
Fig. 17.10
25. Histology of the Heart
• Fibrous Skeleton of the Heart
– Consists of a plate of fibrous connective
tissue
– Forms fibrous rings around the AV and SL
valves for support
– Provides a point of attachment for heart
muscle
– Electrically insulates the atria from the
ventricles
26. Histology of the Heart
• Cardiac Muscle Cells
– Are branched and have a centrally located nucleus
– Actin and myosin are organized to form sarcomeres
(striated)
– T tubules and sarcoplasmic reticulum are not as
organized as in skeletal muscle
– Normal contraction depends on extracellular Ca2+
– Rely on aerobic respiration for ATP production
• They have many mitochondria and are well supplied with blood
vessels
– Joined by intercalated disks
• Allow action potentials to move from one cell to the next, thus
cardiac muscle cells function as a unit
29. Electrical Activity of the Heart
• Action Potentials
1. After depolarization and partial repolarization, a
plateau phase is reached, during which the
membrane potential only slowly repolarizes
2. The opening and closing of voltage-gated ion
channels produce the action potential
• The movement of Na+ through Na+ channels causes
depolarization
• During depolarization, K+ channels close and Ca2+ channels
begin to open
• Early repolarization results from closure of the Na+ channels
and the opening of some K+ channels
• The plateau exists because Ca2+ channels remain open
• The rapid phase of repolarization results from the closure of
the Ca2+ channels and the opening of many K+ channels
30. Electrical Activity of the Heart
• Refractory Periods
– Absolute refractory period
• Cardiac muscle cells are insensitive to further stimulation
– Relative refractory period
• Stronger than normal stimulation can produce an action
potential
– Cardiac muscle has a prolonged depolarization and
thus a prolonged absolute refractory period, which
allows time for the cardiac muscle to relax before the
next action potential causes a contraction
33. Electrical Activity of the Heart
• Autorhythmicity of Cardiac Muscle
– Some cardiac muscle cells are autorhythmic because
of the spontaneous development of a prepotential
• Prepotential: slowly developing local action potential
– The sinoatrial (SA) node is the pacemaker of the
heart
• Collection of cardiac muscle cells capable of spontaneously
generating action potentials
– The prepotential results from the movement of Na+
and Ca2+ into the SA node cells
– The duration of the prepotential determines heart rate
34. Electrical Activity of the Heart
• Conducting System of the Heart
– The sinoatrial (SA) node and the
atrioventricular (AV) node are in the right
atrium
– The AV node is connected to the bundle
branches in the interventricular septum by the
AV bundle
– The bundle branches give rise to Purkinje
fibers, which supply the ventricles
35. Electrical Activity of the Heart
• Conducting System of the Heart
– The SA node initiates action potentials, which spread
across the atria and cause them to contract
• SA node generates impulses about 75 times/minute
– Action potentials are slowed in the AV node, allowing
the atria to contract and blood to move into the
ventricles
• AV node delays the impulse approximately 0.11 seconds
– Then the action potentials passes from atria to
ventricles via the atrioventricular bundle
37. Electrical Activity of the Heart
• Conducting System of the Heart
– AV bundle splits into two pathways in the
interventricular septum (bundle branches)
– Bundle branches carry the impulse toward the
apex of the heart
– Purkinje fibers carry the impulse to the heart
apex and ventricular walls
40. Electrical Activity of the Heart
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
– Records only the electrical activities of the heart
– P wave corresponds to depolarization of the atria (SA
node)
– QRS complex corresponds to ventricular
depolarization
– T wave corresponds to ventricular repolarization
– Atrial repolarization record is masked by the larger
QRS complex
• Based on the magnitude of the ECG waves and
the time between waves, ECGs can be used to
diagnose heart abnormalities
42. Cardiac Cycle
• Repetitive contraction and relaxation of the
heart chambers
• Overview of Systole and Diastole
• Atrial systole is contraction of the atria
• Systole is contraction of the ventricles
• Atrial diastole is relaxation of the atria
• Diastole is relaxation of the ventricles
43. Cardiac Cycle
• Overview of Systole and Diastole (cont.)
– During systole
• AV valves close
• Pressure increases in the ventricles
• Semilunar valves are forced to open
• Blood flows into the aorta and pulmonary trunk
– At the beginning of diastole
• Pressure in the ventricles decreases
• Semilunar valves close to prevent backflow of blood from the
aorta and pulmonary trunk into the ventricles
– When the pressure in the ventricles is lower than in
the atria, the AV valves open and blood flows from the
atria into the ventricles
– During atrial systole, the atria contract and complete
the filling of the ventricles
45. Cardiac Cycle
• Events Occurring During Ventricular Systole
– Ventricular depolarization
• Produces the QRS complex
• Initiates contraction of the ventricles, which increases
ventricular pressure
– The AV valves close
– Semilunar valves open
– Blood is ejected from the heart
– The volume of blood in a ventricle just before it
contracts is the end- diastolic volume
– The volume of blood after contraction is the end-
systolic volume
46. Cardiac Cycle
• Events Occurring During Ventricular
Diastole
– Ventricular repolarization
• Produces the T wave
• Ventricles relax
– Blood flowing back toward the relaxed ventricles closes the
semilunar valves
– The AV valves open and blood flows into the ventricles
• Approximately 70% of ventricular filling occurs when blood
flows from the higher pressure in the veins and atria to the
lower pressure in the relaxed ventricles
• Atrial depolarization produces the P wave
• The atria contract and complete ventricular filling
47. Cardiac Cycle
• Aortic Pressure Curve
– Contraction of the ventricles forces blood into
the aorta
• The maximum pressure in the aorta is the systolic
pressure
– Elastic recoil of the aorta maintains pressure
in the aorta and produces the dicrotic notch
– Blood pressure in the aorta falls as blood
flows out of the aorta
• The minimum pressure in the aorta is the diastolic
pressure
48. Cardiac Cycle
• Heart sounds (lub-dup) are associated
with closing of heart valves
– First sound occurs as AV valves close and
signifies beginning of systole
– Second sound occurs when SL valves close
at the beginning of ventricular diastole
54. Mean Arterial Blood Pressure
• Mean arterial pressure is the average
blood pressure in the aorta
– Adequate blood pressure is necessary to
ensure delivery of blood to the tissues
– Proportional to cardiac output (amount of
blood pumped by the heart per minute) times
peripheral resistance (total resistance to
blood flow through blood vessels)
– CO X PR
55. Mean Arterial Blood Pressure
• CO is the product of heart rate (HR) and stroke
volume (SV)
– HR is the number of heart beats per minute
– SV is the amount of blood pumped out by a ventricle
with each beat
• SV = end-diastolic volume (EDV) minus end-systolic
volume (ESV)
– EDV = amount of blood collected in a ventricle during diastole
– ESV = amount of blood remaining in a ventricle after
contraction
– CO (ml/min) = HR (72 beats/min) x SV (70 ml/beat)
– CO = 5040 ml/min (~5 L/min)
• Cardiac reserve is the difference between
resting and maximal CO
56. Mean Arterial Blood Pressure
• Venous return is the amount of blood
returning to the heart
– Increased venous return increases stroke
volume by increasing end-diastolic volume
• Increased force of contraction increases
stroke volume by decreasing end-systolic
volume
57. Regulation of the Heart
• Intrinsic Regulation
– Modifies stroke volume through the functional
characteristics of cardiac muscle cells
– Starling’s law of the heart describes the
relationship between preload and the stroke
volume of the heart
• An increased preload causes the cardiac muscle
fibers to contract with a greater force and produce
a greater stroke volume
– Afterload is the pressure against which the
ventricles must pump blood.
58. Regulation of the Heart
• Extrinsic Regulation
– Modifies heart rate and stroke volume through
nervous and hormonal mechanisms
• The cardioregulatory center in the medulla
oblongata regulates the parasympathetic and
sympathetic nervous control of the heart
• Epinephrine and norepinephrine are released into
the blood from the adrenal medulla as a result of
sympathetic stimulation. They increase the rate
and force of heart contraction
59. Regulation of the Heart
• Parasympathetic stimulation is supplied by the
vagus nerve
– Decreases heart rate.
– Postganglionic neurons secrete acetylcholine, which
increases membrane permeability to K.
Hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane increases
the duration of the prepotential
• Sympathetic stimulation is supplied by the
cardiac nerves
– Increases heart rate and the force of contraction
(stroke volume)
– Postganglionic neurons secrete norepinephrine,
which increases membrane permeability to Ca2+.
Depolarization of the plasma membrane decreases
the duration of the prepotential
60. The Heart and Homeostasis
• Effect of Blood Pressure
– Baroreceptors monitor blood pressure and the
cardioregulatory center modifies heart rate
and stroke volume
– In response to a decrease in blood pressure,
the baroreceptor reflexes increase heart rate
and stroke volume
– When blood pressure increases, the
baroreceptor reflexes decrease heart rate and
stroke volume
63. The Heart and Homeostasis
• Effect of pH, Carbon Dioxide, and
Oxygen
– Carotid body and aortic chemoreceptor
receptors monitor blood oxygen levels
– Medullary chemoreceptors monitor blood pH
and carbon dioxide levels
– Chemoreceptors are not important for the
normal regulation of the heart, but are
important in the regulation of respiration and
blood vessel constriction
66. The Heart and Homeostasis
• Effect of Ions and Body Temperature
– Increased extracellular K+ decrease heart rate and
stroke volume
– Decreased extracellular K+ decrease heart rate
– Increased extracellular Ca2+ increase stroke volume
and decrease heap rate
– Decreased extracellular Ca2+ levels produce the
opposite effect
– Heart rate increases when body temperature
increases, and it decreases when body temperature
decreases
67. Effects of Aging on the Heart
• Aging results in gradual changes in the function of
the heart, which are minor under resting
conditions but are more significant during exercise
• Some age-related changes to the heart are the
following
– Decreased cardiac output and heart rate
– Increased cardiac arrhythmias
– Hypertrophy of the left ventricle
– Development of stenoses or incompetent valves
– Development of coronary artery disease and heart
failure
• Exercise improves the functional capacity of the
heart at all ages.