Medical

Terminology
Lecture 3: CVS

Dr.MahmoudOtoom
DOCADEMY
• The cardiovascular system (also, called circulatory system) is a series of tubes and a
muscular pump that provides a one-way traffic for blood, oxygen, and nutrients
through blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries).
• Terminology related to the heart (cardium) is often presented as “cardi” or “cardio”
o Cardiology → the science of heart
o Electrocardiogram → recording cardiac electricity
o Tachycardia→ fast heartbeat, opposite
bradycardia
o Pericardium

• Functions of cardiovascular (CV) system

1. Maintain distribution of blood
throughout body.
2. Delivery of oxygen and nutrients like
glucose and amino acids to cells.
3. Disposal of wastes from body (carbon
dioxide and other waste products)
through lungs, liver, and kidneys.
• Cardiovascular system components: -
o It is composed of heart and blood vessels (arteries-arterioles-capillaries -
venules-veins).
• Divided into:
1. Systemic circulation (between heart and body cells).
➢ Carries oxygenated blood away from left side of heart to body and
deoxygenated blood from body to right side of heart.
2. Pulmonary circulation (between heart and lungs).
➢ Carries deoxygenated blood away from right side of heart to lungs and
oxygenated blood from lungs to left side of heart.

Heart
• Muscular pump, made up of cardiac muscle fibers (called a muscle instead of an
organ).
• It beats 60-80 beats/minute.
• Located in the mediastinum, more to left side of
chest.
• About size of a fist.
• Tip of heart at lower edge (called the apex).
The three distinct layers of heart wall
1- Endocardium (deepest layer), thin layer lines the heart
chambers and covers its valves
2- Myocardium (the heart thick muscle) (middle layer)
3- Epicardium (outermost layer, it is the visceral layer of the
pericardium).(not the same as pericardium)

Heart chambers
• Divided into four chambers, two atria and two ventricles.
• Heart is divided into right and left sides by a wall called the septum.
• Atria (single atrium)
o Left and right upper chambers (receiving chambers).
o Blood returns to atria in veins (superior, inferior vena cava and pulmonary veins).
• Ventricles
o Left and right lower chambers (pumping
chambers).
o Thick myocardium
o Blood exits ventricles into arteries (aorta and
pulmonary artery).

Heart valves
• Four valves in heart (tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral and aortic).
• Found at entrance and exit to ventricles.
• Allow blood to flow only in forward direction by blocking it from returning back.

1-Tricuspid valve
• An atrioventricular valve which has 3
leaflets or cusps.
• Between right atrium and right ventricle
to prevent blood in ventricle from flowing
back into atrium.
2-Pulmonary valve (looks like half moon)
• A semilunar valve between right ventricle
and pulmonary artery to prevent blood in
artery from flowing back into ventricle.
3-Mitral valve (has two cusps) (bicuspid)
• An atrioventricular valve between left atrium and ventricle to prevent blood in
ventricle from flowing back into atrium.

4- Aortic Valve
• A semilunar valve between left ventricle and aorta to prevent blood in aorta from
flowing back into ventricle

Heart contraction (Systole and diastole )

• Heart chambers alternate between:
- Relaxing to fill and contracting to push blood forward.
• Relaxation phase is diastole and contraction phase is systole.

The pacemaker and the conduction system of the heart

• Autonomic nervous system controls heart rate, therefore, no voluntary control over
heart.
• Special heart tissue conducts electrical impulses to stimulate different chambers to
contract in correct order.
• The conduction system pathway:
1- Sinoatrial (SA) node, or pacemaker, where electrical impulse begins where a wave of
electricity travels through atria causing them to contract (go into systole).
2- Next, atrioventricular node (AV) is stimulated to transfer stimulation wave to bundle
of His
3- Electrical wave travels down right and left bundle branches within interventricular
septum
4- Finally, purkinje fibers in ventricular myocardium are stimulated resulting in
ventricular systole.
Blood Vessels –
• Pipes that circulate blood through body.
• Three types:
1- Arteries
2- Capillaries
3- Veins
• Lumen is the channel within blood vessels.
1-Arteries
• Large thick-walled vessels.
• Wall contains smooth muscle and can dilate or constrict
• As arteries travel through body they branch into progressively smaller vessels called
arterioles.
• Carry blood away from heart towards either lungs or cells
of the body.
➢ Pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood to
lungs.
➢ Aorta carries oxygenated blood to body.
• Coronary arteries supply myocardium.
2-Capillaries
• Network of tiny, thin-walled blood vessels.
• Connecting unit between arteries and veins.
• Arterial blood flows into capillary bed and venous blood flows out of capillary bed.
• Location for:
o Oxygen and nutrients to diffuse out.
o Carbon dioxide and wastes to diffuse in.

3- Veins
• Much thinner walls than arteries.
• Much lower pressure system than in arteries.
• Have valves to insure blood flows only towards heart.
• Squeezing by skeletal muscles also assists blood return to heart
• Smallest veins are called venules
• Carry blood towards the heart from either the lungs or the cells and tissues of body.
• Pulmonary veins carry oxygenated blood from lungs
• Superior and inferior vena cava carry deoxygenated blood from body
 The blood’s path
• Superior, inferior vena cava and coronary
sinus→ Rt. atrium → Rt. ventricle → pulmonary
artery → pulmonary veins → Lt. atrium → Lt.
ventricle → aorta

Blood Pressure
• Measurement of force exerted by blood against walls of a vessel
• During ventricular systole, blood is under great pressure to give highest pressure:
systolic (top number of blood pressure reading).
• During ventricular diastole, blood isn’t being pushed from heart at all, so, blood
pressure drops to lowest point diastolic (bottom number of blood pressure reading).

Pulse pressure = difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure

- Measurement of blood pressure:
1- Sphygmomanometer (an instrument)
2- Stethoscope

Korotkoff’s sounds –
• they are five sounds can be heard during measurement of
blood pressure, the first sound is the snapping sound first
heard at the systolic pressure, while ,the fifth sound is silence is considered
diastolic blood pressure.
 Cardiovascular combining forms
angi/o vessel hemangi/o blood vessel
aort/o aorta phleb/o vein
arteri/o artery sphygm/o pulse
ather/o fatty substance steth/o chest
atri/o atrium thromb/o clot
cardi/o heart valv/o valve
coron/o heart valvul/o valve
vascul/o blood vessel ven/o vein
vas/o vessel, duct ventricul/o ventricle
–ole small –ule small
manometer instrument to measure pressure –tension pressure

Word building with angi/o

–gram angiogram record of a vessel

–itis angitis inflammation of a vessel

–plasty angioplasty surgical repair of vessel

–spasm angiospasm involuntary muscle contraction in a vessel

–stenosis angiostenosis narrowing of a vessel

Word building with aort/o & arteri/o

-al arterial pertaining to an artery
-ole arteriole small artery
-ic aortic pertaining to the aorta
Word building with ather/o & atri/o
-ectomy atherectomy surgical removal of fatty substance
-oma atheroma fatty substance tumor/growth
-al atrial pertaining to the atrium
Inter- -al interatrial pertaining to between the atrium

Word building with cardi/o

-ac cardiac pertaining to the heart

brady- -ia bradycardia state of slow heart

electr/o -gram electrocardiogram record of heart’s electricity

-megaly cardiomegaly enlarged heart

My/o -al myocardial pertaining to heart muscle
-ologist cardiologist heart specialist
-rrhexis cardiorrhexis ruptured heart
Tachy- -ia tachycardia state of fast heart

Word building with coron/o, phleb/o, and vascul/o

-ary coronary pertaining to the heart(coronary arteries
that supply the heart)
-itis phlebitis inflammation of a vein
-ar vascular pertaining to a blood vessel

Word building with valv/o & valvul/o

-plasy valvoplasty surgical repair of valve
-itis valvulitis inflammation of a valve
-ar valvular pertaining to a valve
Word building with ven/o & ventricul/o
-ous venous pertaining to veins
-ul venule small vein
-gram venogram record of a vein
-ar ventricular pertaining to ventricles
Inter- -ar interventricular pertaining to between ventricles

Cardiovascular vocabulary
auscultation listening to sounds within body using a stethoscope
cardiology branch of medicine for diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular
disease; physician is a cardiologist
catheter flexible tube inserted in body to move fluids into or out of body;
may be used to place dye into a vein to view blood vessels
infarct area of necrotic tissue due to loss of blood supply
ischemia local and temporary deficiency of blood supply due to a
circulatory obstruction
murmur abnormal heart sound such as soft blowing sound or a harsh
click; also called a bruit
orthostatic hypotension sudden drop in blood pressure when standing up suddenly

palpitation pounding, racing heart beats

plaque yellow, fatty deposit of lipids in an artery; hallmark of

atherosclerosis
regurgitation to flow backwards; in CV system refers to backflow of blood
through a valve

sphygmomanometer blood pressure cuff; measures blood pressure

stent stainless steel tube placed within blood vessel to widen the
lumen
stethoscope instrument for listening to body sounds
cyanosis bluish discoloration

pallor paleness or absence of color in the skin

diaphoresis perfused perspiration; as with fever, physical exertion, and mental

or emotional stress.

Heart pathology
angina pectoris severe pain and sensation of constriction around heart; caused
by myocardial ischemia
Arrhythmia irregularity in heartbeat; some are mild and others are life
rhythm means regular threatening

Bundle branch block electrical impulse is blocked from traveling down bundle
branches; results in ventricles beating at different rate than
(BBB)
atria; also called heart block
coronary artery bypass using a portion of a vein to bypass an occluded coronary artery
graft (CABG)
Heart transplantation the replacement of the diseased heart with the healthy heart of
a brain-dead donor

Cardiovascular pharmacology
Antianginal for the cases of angina pectoris
ACE inhibitors for treatment of hypertension
Adrenergic for cases of hypotension
Statins (stat :to stop) used to ↓ cholesterol production in the liver
Thrombolytic therapy used to dissolve clots
Nitrates for treating angina and given sublingually