How does the cardiovascular system work?
Blood goes round and round, air goes in and out. Get it, got it, good.In paramedic school we were required to learn the ’21 steps of circulation’ - I believe this is about as much detail as anyone needs but anyone who has taken a college-level human physiology course knows it can get a lot more in depth.Here are the ’21 steps’:Inferior/Superior Vena CavaRight AtriumTricuspid ValveRight VentriclePulmonary ValvePulmonary ArteryPulmonary ArteriolesPulmonary CapillariesPulmonary VenulesPulmonary VeinsLeft AtriumMitral ValveLeft VentricleAortic ValveCoronary ArteriesAortaSystemic ArteriesSystemic ArteriolesSystemic CapillariesSystemic VenulesSystemic VeinsFurthermore, we had to be able to identify if the blood was oxygenated or deoxygenated at each step.While this is nice-to-know information (essential for understanding cardiology).. I am a much better visual learner and feel an image is easier to understand.Red = Oxygenated bloodBlue = Deoxygenated bloodOxygenation is an essential process to understand when talking about the cardiovascular system. It is the process by which your blood receives oxygen in the lungs and is able to perfuse organs and tissues, including the heart.Most respiratory diseases like COPD and emphysema affect the alveolus and their ability to function properly (i.e exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide).You start to get more ‘in the weeds’ when you look at acid-base physiology, which is the ways in which the body balances blood chemistry. Furthermore, hemodynamics deals with the ways in which the body controls the blood flow.
Effect of nicotine and carbon monoxide on the cardiovascular system?
nicotine: causes vasoconstriction, which leads to hypertension, which plays a role in many heart conditions carbon monoxide (CO): has an enormous affinity for hemoglobin (about 200x greater than oxygen). this means that CO will bond with your hemoglobin. so if your hemoglobin is all used up by CO, theres no room for oxygen, which leads to hypoxia
What are the effects of nicotine and carbon monoxide on the cardiovascular system?
I have a biology test I need to hand in next week but I can't seem to find the answers to the last two questions, which are: 1- Describe the effects of nicotine and carbon monoxide on the cardiovascular system with reference to atherosclerosis, coronary, heart disease and stroke. 2- What are the problems of cardiovascular disease and the ways in which smoking may affect the risk of developing cardiovascular disease?
What is the impact of smoking on the human cardiovascular system?
CV/Pulmonary physiology and pathology are very closely related. Whenever there is a disease of the heart, the lung will often follow suit and vice versa. A few examples:Left ventricular dysfunction (can be due to myocardial infarction, systemic hypertension, dilated cardiomyopathy, aortic valve stenosis, etc...) will lead to pulmonary congestion and edema. This happens because the left heart can't pump to the systemic circulation as well, and therefore all that blood will back up into the lungs. An increased pressure in the lung vessels will cause fluid to leak into the alveoli, thus leading to difficulty breathing and coughing up of sputum.A pulmonary embolism (can be secondary to a deep vein thrombosis) will lead to an acute finding of right ventricular dilation since everything before the lungs will back up.The Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure is often determined using cardiac catheterization to serve as a proxy of left atrial pressure (can be used to diagnose LV insufficiency).ACE inhibitors inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme, an enzyme in the lungs that convert angiotensin I to angiotensin II, a potent vasoconstrictor. ACE inhibitors (i.e. enalapril) are used to treat systemic hypertension; however, it has a aside effect of inducing dyspnea (difficulty breathing).Many congenital defects of the heart also affect the lungs. For example, transposition of the great vessels cause the systemic circuit to completely bypass the lungs. A patent foramen ovale or ductus arteriosus allows left to right shunting of blood.Chronic bronchitis can cause cor pulmonale which is an enlargement and subsequent hypertrophy of the right heart, again due to "backup in the plumping". Sufficient hypertrophy of the right heart can lead to congestive heart failure (and with co–morbidities, a significant risk for a myocardial infarction).I think of cardiology as glorified plumbing. Sorry Drew :)
Why is the cardiovascular system important for overall health?
All systems within our body are necessary to our health. But failures of the cardiovascular system are among the leading causes of death - more than a third of all deaths in some countries.Our more sedentary lifestyle (being less physically active), and evolutions of our eating habbits (excess of processed foods, salt, sugar, fats, meat…) also contribute to the degradation of our cardiovascular health.The cardiovascular system manages a flow through our body, allowing oxygen, nutrients, cells, signaling chemicals, waste products, and even heat, to circulate throughout our body.This allows specialized organs in our body to work together: lungs bring in oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide, our digestive system brings in nutrients, our brain and muscles get what they need for us to be active, the liver and kidneys eliminate waste products, and so on.When this circulation stops (cardiac arrest), our brain stops functioning normally within seconds, and severe damage occurs within minutes. The clogging of vessels, or bleeding due to vessel rupture, can also cause death.
How important is the cardiovascular system in relations to other system of the body?
It's extremely important. Your cardiovascular (circulatory) system is what transports nutrients and oxygen through the body while picking up waste and carbon dioxide. Every system in your body is dependent on the circulatory system. in my opinion it is just as important as the brain. Without your heart you would die within minutes. Without your heart all your other organs would fail. Without your heart your brain would not function. The cardiovascular system is the keystone of your body
Carbon Monoxide and homeostasis?
Hemoglobin transports oxygen and carbon dioxide back and forth. Depending on the concentration in each environment, CO2 or O2 will break away from hemoglobin and diffuse into the cells or into lungs. But if a certain molecule is bound to hemoglobin very tightly, they will not break away easily to diffuse into cells or into the lung. And Carbon monoxide is a molecule that will bind hemoglobin and leave no space for the much needed CO2 and O2 molecules to bind to hemoglobin. Thus all hemoglobin when bound by Carbon monoxide will not leave any space for CO2 or O2 to bind. Thus there will be no cellular respiration occuring. Thus a person will die. Carbon monoxide is a significantly toxic gas and has no odor or color. It is the most common type of fatal poisoning in many countries. Exposures can lead to significant toxicity of the central nervous system and heart. Following poisoning, long-term sequelae often occurs. Carbon monoxide can also have severe effects on the foetus of a pregnant woman. Symptoms of mild poisoning include headaches and dizziness at concentrations less than 100 ppm. Concentrations as low as 667 ppm can cause up to 50% of the body's haemoglobin to be converted to carboxy-haemoglobin (HbCO). Carboxy-haemoglobin is quite stable but this change is reversible. Carboxy-haemoglobin is ineffective for delivering oxygen, resulting in some body parts not receiving oxygen needed. As a result, exposures of this level can be life-threatening. In the United States, OSHA limits long-term workplace exposure levels to 50 ppm. The mechanisms by which carbon monoxide produces toxic effects are not yet fully understood, but haemoglobin, myoglobin, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase are thought to be compromised. Treatment largely consists of administering 100% oxygen or hyperbaric oxygen therapy, although the optimum treatment remains controversial. Domestic carbon monoxide poisoning can be prevented by the use of household carbon monoxide detectors.
How does the smoking effect the respiratory System?
Smoking affects the respiratory system because it stops the small little hairs in your throat from working as well these small little hairs are called Cilia and are used to push dirt and mucus out of your throat so it can be breathed out or swallowed when reaches top of throat. The tar also sticks to the lining of your throat and lungs (this is the stuff which makes fingers yellow etc.).Smoking is also known to make alveoli in the lungs a more round shape than small cauliflower shape. This decreases the surface area and results in less oxygen filling lungs again leaving you of breath. It also affects your respiratory system and circulatory system because it contains a lot of carbon monoxide which sticks to the haemoglobin in the blood instead of oxygen this means that many organs don't get enough oxygen as they should do so it increases blood pressure so any small amount of oxygen can reach organs anyway. This also means that less oxygen is swapped over in the gas exchange at the lungs which can often leave those who smoke out of breath quickly. Mucus which would also be removed through cilia goes in to blood stream and is deposited in arteries making them very fatty also increasing heart rate. All in all it also increases chances of lung diseases, strokes and heart failure etc.