2.2 Structure and Function of the Cardiovascular System

Aim 7: There are numerous technologies used to facilitate direct measurement in cardiovascular research, for example, interfaced heart rate monitors, blood pressure monitors, ECG monitors.

• State the composition of blood.

  • Name the parts of the blood

  • What is the function of blood as a whole?

• Distinguish between the functions of erythrocytes, leucocytes and platelets.

  • What is function of each?

  • How can you differentiate between each type of cell?

• Describe the anatomy of the heart with reference to the heart chambers, valves and major blood vessels.

  • Name the 4 chambers of the heart

  • Name the 4 major heart valves

  • Name the 4 major blood vessels that branch off the heart

  • What is the name of the blood vessels that actually supply the heart with nutrients?

• Describe the intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of heart rate and the sequence of excitation of the heart muscle.

  • What is intrinsic regulation?

    • Pacemaker function?

    • Sinoatrial Node (SA node) send what kind of impulse?

    • Where does that impulse go?

    • What does it cause?

  • What is extrinsic regulation?

    • sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system?

    • adrenaline's role? (It should be recognized that adrenaline has wider metabolic actions, that is, increasing glycogen and lipid breakdown.)

• Outline the relationship between the pulmonary and systemic circulation.

  • Name the structures involved in pulmonary circulation

  • Name the structure involved in systemic circulation

  • What is the function of each circulation?

  • How do they work together?

• Describe the relationship between heart rate, cardiac output and stroke volume at rest and during exercise.

  • Define Heart Rate

  • Define Cardiac output

  • Define stroke volume

  • How are they related

  • How do they vary at rest and during exercise

• Analyse cardiac output, stroke volume and heart rate data for different populations at rest and during exercise.

  • How does heart data vary for:

    • Males vs Females

    • Trained vs Untrained

    • Young vs Old

• Explain cardiovascular drift.

  • what happens to blood volume when we exercise?

  • what happens to blood viscosity when we exercixe?

• Define the terms systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

  • Systolic pressure- how measured

  • Diastolic pressure- how measured

• Analyse systolic and diastolic blood pressure data at rest and during exercise.

  • How do these bp numbers change when we are at rest vs exercising

• Discuss how systolic and diastolic blood pressure respond to dynamic and static exercise.

  • What is dynamic exercise?

  • What is static exerise?

  • How do these bp numbers change when we do a dynamic exercise vs static exercise

• Compare the distribution of blood at rest and the redistribution of blood during exercise.

  • Can our blood flow everywhere always?

  • What happens to blood flow during rest?

    • when exercising?

    • when eating?

• Describe the cardiovascular adaptations resulting from endurance exercise training.

  • left ventricular volume/ stroke volume

  • resting and exercising heart rate

  • capillarization

  • arterio-venous oxygen difference.

• Explain maximal oxygen consumption.

  • also called maximal aerobic power or aerobic capacity

• Discuss the variability of maximal oxygen consumption in selected groups.

  • trained versus untrained

  • males versus females

  • young versus old

  • athlete versus non-athlete.

• Discuss the variability of maximal oxygen consumption with different modes of exercise.

  • Consider cycling versus running versus arm ergometry.

    • (What is arm ergometry?)

  • How do various exercises affect max oxygen consumption

Blood Pressure

Pulse / pulse oximeter

Pulse at rest vs exercising

Heart Dissection

Microscope slides-- Blood and blood vessels

Link to VO2 Max tables www.topendsports.com/testing/norms/vo2max.htm

Describe the functions of erythrocytes, platelets and leucocytes.

Distinguish between the function of the different types of blood cells.

List two chambers of a heart and two major blood vessels linked to systemic circulation and the same linked to pulmonary circulation.

Describe the intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of the heart.

Describe the sequence of excitation of the cardiac muscle that results in a heartbeat.

Distinguish between the pulmonary circulation and the systemic circulation.

Describe the relationship between heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output during rest, sub-maximal rowing and maximal rowing.

Compare the heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output of trained rowers versus untrained rowers during rest and exercise.

Distinguish how cardiac output, stroke volume and resting heart rate would differ between trained and untrained women during exercise.

Discuss cardiac output during jogging before and after an endurance training programme.

Describe how cardiovascular drift takes place.

Describe how cardiovascular drift occurs during a marathon.

Outline cardiovascular drift.

Outline cardiovascular drift and the implications of using heart rate as a measure for training intensity during prolonged sub-maximal running.

Explain cardiovascular drift.

Compare systolic and diastolic blood pressure response between a flexed arm hang and a chin-up.

Discuss expected changes to systolic and diastolic blood pressure between rest and during prolonged cycling.

Discuss how systolic and diastolic blood pressure respond to static exercise.

Explain how running versus static exercise (such as holding a plank position) affect systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels.

Analyse the systolic blood pressure response of an endurance runner.

Discuss the systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses to dynamic and static exercise.

Analyze the distribution of blood during maximal exercise.

Compare the distribution of blood at rest and the redistribution of blood during continuous sub-maximal exercise.

Compare the distribution of blood in a runner at rest and during a 10 000 m race.

Compare the distribution of blood at rest and the redistribution of blood during a long distance run.

Describe the cardiovascular adaptations resulting from endurance training.

Describe the cardiovascular adaptations from chronic endurance exercise training.

Explain maximal oxygen consumption.

Explain why a fitness trainer can expect maximal oxygen consumption to vary for a family of males and females, children and adults.

Discuss how maximal oxygen consumption data can vary with different modes of exercise in the same individual.

Describe the cardiovascular adaptations resulting from endurance training.

Describe how cardiovascular drift takes place.

Describe the path taken by blood from the right ventricle to the left ventricle.

Distinguish how cardiac output, stroke volume and resting heart rate would differ between trained and untrained women during exercise.

Describe long-term vascular adaptations to endurance training.

Describe the extrinsic regulation of the sino-atrial (SA) node as an athlete begins a warm-up.

Analyse the long-term effect of training on maximal oxygen consumption.

Explain VO2max in- trained vs untrained, young vs old, male vs female.

Outline six cardiovascular changes that you would expect as a result of an endurance cycling training programme.

Explain the physiological changes which contribute to a person experiencing cardiovascular drift during an endurance event.