Contents Chapter B

This chapter contains:
27 pages
133 images
3 animations
many MCQ's
many Glossaries

... a short intro in the cardiovascular system and the its major organs.

but... before we study the physiology of the CVS, we first need to know something about the structure (=anatomy) of the major organ in the CVS:
The Heart!

3. The Electrical Heart:

It is essential to know and understand the electrical system of the heart! Without this, you won't understand how the whole system works.

   B.3.1. Cardiac Conduction System

   B.3.2. Cardiac Excitation

   B.3.3. Basic Stuff about the ECG

   B.3.4. The Electrocardiogram

   B.3.5. The 12-leads ECG

B.4. The Contracting Heart:

Once you know how the heart works electrically, it is not too difficult to understand how the heart contracts and how it pumps the blood through the whole body.

   B.4.1. The Contracting Heart

   B.4.2. The Cardiac Systole

   B.4.3. The Cardiac Diastole

   B.4.4. Cardiac Output

   B.4.5. Cardiac Sounds and Murmurs

B.5. The Vascular System:

Now that you know how the heart functions, it is high time to discuss the blood vessels.

   B.5.1. The Arteries

   B.5.2. The Arterioles

   B.5.3. The Capillaries

   B.5.4. The Veins

   B.5.5. The Lymph Circulation

   B.5.6. Special Circulations

   B.5.7. Blood Flow

B.6. Cardiac Regulation:

Of course, both the heart and the blood vessels need to be regulated by the demands of the body.

   B.6.1. Regulation of the Heart

   B.6.2. Short Term Regulation

   B.6.3. Long Term Regulation

B.7. CVS Pathophysiology:

Unfortunately, both in heart and in the blood vessels, things can go wrong. Here is a short summary of some major diseases of the CVS.

   B.7.1. Cardiac Shock

   B.7.2. Hypertension

   B.7.3.1. Mechanisms of Cardiac Arrhythmias

   B.7.3.2. Supraventricular Arrhythmias

   B.7.3.3. Ventricular Arrhythmias