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Cardiac Anatomy and Physiology Flashcards

7 cards from real CMT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Cardiac Anatomy and Physiology flashcards as text

  1. What is the Frank-Starling law of the heart?

    Answer: The greater the ventricular filling (preload), the stronger the subsequent contraction

    The Frank-Starling law states that increased ventricular filling stretches myocardial fibers, which respond with a stronger contraction and greater stroke volume.

  2. Which electrolyte is most critical for maintaining the resting membrane potential of cardiac cells?

    Answer: Potassium

    Potassium is the primary electrolyte that establishes the negative resting membrane potential in cardiac cells; abnormal K+ levels profoundly affect cardiac rhythm.

  3. What is the role of calcium in cardiac muscle contraction?

    Answer: It binds to troponin to expose actin-myosin binding sites, enabling contraction

    Calcium released during the plateau phase binds to troponin C on the thin filaments, causing a conformational change that exposes myosin-binding sites on actin and initiates contraction.

  4. The foramen ovale is an opening present in fetal circulation that connects which structures?

    Answer: Right atrium to the left atrium

    The foramen ovale is a fetal interatrial opening that allows oxygenated blood to bypass the non-functional fetal lungs by flowing from the right atrium directly to the left atrium.

  5. Which valves are open during ventricular filling (diastole)?

    Answer: Mitral and tricuspid valves

    During diastole, the mitral (left AV) and tricuspid (right AV) valves are open, allowing blood to flow from the atria into the ventricles.

  6. What is 'stroke volume'?

    Answer: The volume of blood ejected by one ventricle per heartbeat

    Stroke volume is the amount of blood (typically 60–100 mL) ejected by a ventricle with each contraction, and it equals end-diastolic volume minus end-systolic volume.

  7. Where does gas exchange (oxygen uptake and CO2 release) occur within the circulatory system?

    Answer: At the capillary level throughout the body and in the pulmonary capillaries

    Gas exchange occurs at the capillary level — systemic capillaries deliver O2 to tissues and pick up CO2, while pulmonary capillaries release CO2 into alveoli and absorb O2.