Anatomy and Basic Physiology
Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the student should be able to:
- Label the structures of the heart visible from an anterior view. (p 6)
- Identify the structures on the interior of the heart. (pp 6–7)
- Discuss the flow of blood throughout the two circulatory systems. (p 7)
- Evaluate how defects/obstructions in the circulatory system will impact the patient by using the simplified pump function of the circulatory system diagram. (pp 7, 8)
- Indicate how blood flows through the somatic circulatory system by the use of the elastic properties of the muscular layer of the arterial walls. (pp 8–9)
- Demonstrate proficiency in using the equation for cardiac output in various clinical scenarios. (pp 9–10)
- Describe the concept of atrial overfilling of the ventricles and explain how it relates to increasing ventricular contractility. (pp 10–11)
- Analyze the effects of rapid tachycardias on the rapid filling phase of ventricular filling. (p 11)
- Describe the role of the electrical conduction system in the production of synchronized cardiac contractions. (pp 11–19)
- Discuss the need for the atrioventricular septum and its role in causing synchronized contractions of the heart. (pp 12, 13)
- Defend the efficiency of the atrioventricular node and the physiologic block’s role as a cardioprotective mechanism to prevent the transmission of very rapid atrial rates from reaching and depolarizing the ventricles. (pp 12, 13)
- Draw and label the electrical conduction system of the heart. (p 14)
- Explain the pacemaker system and the pacemaker hierarchy. (pp 14–15)
- List the four arrhythmogenic zones. (p 20)
