Chapter 9. The Cardiovascular System: The Heart
9.0 Introduction
Chapter Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
- describe the internal and external features of the heart;
- explain how blood flows through the heart, systemic circulation, pulmonary circulation, and coronary circulation;
- describe the anatomy of cardiac muscle and explain how the cardiac conduction system controls cardiac muscle contraction;
- summarize and explain the cardiac cycle;
- calculate cardiac output (CO) and describe how heart rate, stroke volume, contractility, and the Frank-Starling mechanism affect cardiac output; and
- identify and describe the cardiovascular centers and cardiac reflexes that regulate heart function.
In this chapter, you will explore the remarkable pump that propels the blood into blood vessels and throughout the body. There is no single better word to describe the function of the heart other than “pump,” since its contraction develops the pressure that ejects blood into the major vessels: the aorta and pulmonary trunk. From these vessels, blood is distributed throughout the body. Although the connotation of the term “pump” suggests a mechanical device made of steel and plastic, this anatomical structure is a living, sophisticated muscle. As you read this chapter, try to keep these twin concepts in mind: pump and muscle.
Although the term “heart” is an English word, cardiac (heart-related) terminology can be traced back to the Latin term “kardia.” Cardiology is the study of the heart, and cardiologists are the physicians who deal primarily with the heart.
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