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PY5.1-16 | Introduction to Cardiovascular Physiology
Learning Objectives
- Describe the functional anatomy of the heart as a pump, including the properties of cardiac muscle and the cardiac cycle (PY5.1)
- Describe the events of the cardiac cycle — atrial, ventricular systole and diastole — and correlate with heart sounds, pressure changes, volume changes, and ECG (PY5.2)
- Describe and discuss the origin, conduction, and spread of cardiac impulse through the heart's conduction system (PY5.3)
- Describe the normal electrocardiogram (ECG) — the genesis of each wave, normal values, and the standard leads (PY5.4)
- Describe the properties of cardiac muscle — automaticity, rhythmicity, conductivity, excitability, and contractility (PY5.5)
- Describe and discuss cardiac output, its regulation, and measurement methods including Fick's principle (PY5.6)
- Describe the factors affecting heart rate — neural, hormonal, and intrinsic (PY5.7)
- Describe the regulation of blood pressure — short-term (baroreceptors) and long-term (renal) mechanisms (PY5.8)
- Describe arterial blood pressure — systolic, diastolic, mean, pulse pressure — and the factors affecting them (PY5.9)
- Describe the arterial pulse — its genesis, characteristics, and clinical examination (PY5.10)
- Describe venous blood pressure, JVP waveform, and factors aiding venous return (PY5.11)
- Describe the microcirculation — capillary exchange, Starling forces, and oedema formation (PY5.12)
- Describe the regional circulation — coronary, cerebral, and splanchnic circulations (PY5.13)
- Describe the cardiovascular responses to exercise and changes in posture (PY5.14)
- Describe the pathophysiology of shock — types, compensatory mechanisms, and stages (PY5.15)
- Describe the pathophysiology of heart failure — causes, compensatory mechanisms, and clinical features (PY5.16)
INSTRUCTIONS
This module covers cardiovascular physiology — how the heart pumps blood, how blood pressure is regulated, what the ECG tells you, and what happens when the system fails. You will learn why the heart beats without being told to, how a 300-gram muscle pumps 7,000 litres of blood every day, and why a fall in blood pressure triggers an immediate rescue response.
Parallel connections: In Anatomy, you have just studied the heart and pericardium (AN22) — the chambers, valves, and coronary arteries. Now we see that structure in ACTION. In Biochemistry, lipid metabolism (BI4) explains how atherosclerosis blocks the coronary arteries — the number one killer worldwide.
References
- Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology, 14th ed., Unit IV: The Circulation (textbook)
- Ganong's Review of Medical Physiology, 26th ed., Section V: Cardiovascular Physiology (textbook)
- OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, Chapter 19-20: Cardiovascular System (CC BY 4.0) (textbook (CC BY 4.0))
- B.D. Chaurasia's Human Anatomy, Vol. 1 — Heart and Pericardium (for structural reference) (atlas)
Version 2.0 | NMC CBUC 2024, Adapted from OpenStax A&P 2e (CC BY 4.0)