Unit 3 Reflection

In Unit 3, the whole idea was focused on the cardiovascular system and cardiovascular health. The cardiovascular system not only includes the circulatory system, but other systems such as the endocrine system and the respiratory system. The cardiovascular system works by receiving blood from the body. Through the superior and inferior vena cavas, the heart pumps into the right atria, through the tricuspid valve, and into the right ventricle. Blood then leaves into the veins to be oxygenized, and return through the pulmonary arteries into the left atrium, through the bicuspid valve, and into the left ventricle. The blood will then be pumped out the aorta and back into the body, where it will restart the whole process. 

Cardiovascular health is a whole new topic that requires much attention, especially for us Americans. Cardiovascular health is when the heart is rid of plaque and other diseases so that it can pump blood regularly without any problems. Often, the top cardiovascular diseases include atherosclerosis, stroke,  heart disease, and many more. Such diseases are often caused due to poor diet habits and lack of exercise. If we do not work our heart hard enough, it will become lazy and slow, and we will be suspect to a heart disease. Diets high in fat and cholesterol can also cause heart diseases, since plaque caused by items such as LDL cholesterol can clog vessels and slow the circulation of blood. What I want to learn more about is if it's possible to feel the symptoms of heart disease at such a young age? Recently, my right foot has felt tight, and the vessel in my foot always feels like it's thinning out, which was a cause of concern for me. 

One of the successes of this unit was participating in the sheep heart dissection, which I much enjoyed since I love dissection labs. However, one of the setbacks for this unit was not having a temp check, which left me to ponder what areas am I strong in and what areas am I weak in? It all ties back to my Unit 2 Reflection, where I promised myself to finish the notes early and complete the study guide to help prepare for future unit tests. However, I have yet to complete those, simply due to extracurricular activities such as football. For the remainder of the year, I would like to maintain my grade or possibly improve it, and study more of anatomy and physiology outside the classroom to see how it connects to the real world.

   

Sheep Heart Dissection Lab

1. The role of the pericardium is to lubricate the heart so that there is little to no friction when the heart pumps blood.

2. Arteries differ from veins since arteries are smaller than veins, have thicker walls, and are elastic. However, veins have thinner walls and are larger compared to veins.

3. The auricle's purpose is to increase the blood holding capacity inside the atria when the heart pumps blood.

4.  The left side of the heart is larger compared to that of the right side of the heart. The atria is also larger compared to the ventricles too. Lastly, the auricles of the atria are more easily visible than that of the ventricles.

5. a. When exiting from the coronary sinus, you will notice that it is inferior to the fat and anterior to   the heart. You can also notice a line of fat tracing around the back of the heart, which is also the coronary sinus.

    b. When exiting from the inferior vena cava, you will notice it is inferior to the right ventricle and on the right side of the heart. The inferior vena cava has already been cut off the heart, but you can notice where the cut is and where it's original location was.

    c. The tricuspid valve is a firm muscle-like substance that is connected to thick muscle known as the papillary muscles. It is connected through the chord tendinae, which are stringy, light fibers that bound the valve to the muscle.

6.

7. The anchoring of the heart valves is important to prevent blood back flow from occurring. It also helps open and close the valves, and prevents the valve from opening upwards.

8.

9. The purpose of the semilunar valves is to prevent blood back flow of arterial blood to re-enter the heart.

10. a. If valve disease occurs on the right side of the heart, there would be blood back flow into the body, and gravity would pull the blood down rather than have it circulate regularly. This results in swelling around the feet and ankles.

      b. If valve disease occurred on the left side of the heart, it would result in an abundance of deoxygenated blood in the body, since the left side receives oxygenated blood from the lungs. Since the blood would not be oxygenated enough to nurture the body, this may result in breathing complications.

11.

12. The left side of the heart is bigger than that of the right side. Since the left side pumps blood throughout the whole body, it works harder and therefore is more bigger. Since the right side only pumps blood to the lungs only and does less work, it would be smaller than the right side.

13.

See videos below:

Sheep Heart Dissection

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K1KRKKvoVIM

Cardiac Cycle Explanation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t3ia_AIazI