Anatomy & Physiology — Cardiovascular flashcards
10 of 60 cards free to study here · 12 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys
Heart anatomy and the flow path, the conduction system, cardiac cycle, ECG waves and intervals, cardiac output and its determinants, blood pressure regulation, vessels and capillary exchange, blood, hemostasis, blood typing and the fetal shunts.
Learn deck · part of Anatomy & Physiology I/II · written against: Standard two-semester A&P sequence; OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied. Updated 2026-10-10.
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Trace the path of a red blood cell from the superior vena cava to the pulmonary trunk, naming each chamber and valve in order.Right atrium → tricuspid valve → right ventricle → pulmonary semilunar valve → pulmonary trunk. The right side of the heart receives deoxygenated systemic blood and sends it to the lungs.Heart Anatomy
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Where does a normal heartbeat originate, and roughly what rate would that structure fire at without any nervous input?The sinoatrial (SA) node in the wall of the right atrium near the entrance of the superior vena cava. On its own it fires around 100 times per minute (typical); parasympathetic (vagal) tone holds the resting rate near 70–75.Conduction System
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During which phase of the cardiac cycle are all four valves closed while ventricular pressure rises sharply and ventricular volume stays constant?Isovolumetric contraction — the ventricles contract after the AV valves have shut but before ventricular pressure exceeds aortic and pulmonary pressure enough to open the semilunar valves.Cardiac Cycle
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Write the equation for cardiac output and give typical resting values for each term.. At rest, about 75 beats per minute × 70 mL ≈ 5.25 L/min, roughly the entire blood volume every minute.Cardiac Output
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Where are the arterial baroreceptors, and how does the baroreceptor reflex respond when blood pressure drops suddenly, as when standing up quickly?In the carotid sinuses and aortic arch. When pressure falls they fire less, so the medullary cardiovascular center raises sympathetic and lowers parasympathetic output: heart rate, contractility, and vasoconstriction increase and pressure recovers within seconds.Blood Pressure Regulation
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Name the three tunics of a blood vessel wall from the lumen outward, and state which is thickest in arteries.Tunica intima (endothelium), tunica media (smooth muscle and elastic fibers), and tunica externa (connective tissue). The media is thickest in arteries; veins have a thin media and a relatively thicker externa.Blood Vessels
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Which two Starling forces dominate fluid exchange across a capillary wall, and in which direction does each push fluid?Capillary hydrostatic pressure pushes fluid out of the capillary (filtration), while blood colloid osmotic (oncotic) pressure, created by plasma proteins such as albumin, pulls fluid in (reabsorption).Capillary Exchange
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Name the three phases of hemostasis in order.Vascular spasm (vasoconstriction), platelet plug formation, and coagulation (fibrin clot formation). Clot retraction and later fibrinolysis follow once the bleeding has stopped.Hemostasis
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A person has type B blood. Which antigens are on their erythrocytes, and which antibodies are in their plasma?B antigens on the red cells and anti-A antibodies in the plasma. ABO antibodies appear in infancy without any prior transfusion.Blood Typing
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What is the foramen ovale, what does it bypass, and what does it become after birth?An opening in the interatrial septum that shunts blood from the right atrium to the left atrium, bypassing the non-functional fetal lungs. After birth it closes and becomes the fossa ovalis.Fetal Circulation
Why: The first breaths lower pulmonary resistance, so left atrial pressure rises above right and presses the flap shut.
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About these cards
Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, chapters on the cardiovascular system and blood, consulted as a reference; no text copied.
- Typical normal values follow standard introductory A&P textbooks; all wording is original.
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