Cardiovascular physiology is the study of the

cardiovascular system In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of the heart a ...

, specifically addressing the

physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

of the

heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...

("cardio") and

blood vessel Blood vessels are the tubular structures of a circulatory system that transport blood throughout many Animal, animals’ bodies. Blood vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to most of the Tissue (biology), tissues of a Body (bi ...

s ("vascular"). These subjects are sometimes addressed separately, under the names cardiac physiology and circulatory physiology. Although the different aspects of cardiovascular physiology are closely interrelated, the subject is still usually divided into several subtopics.

Heart

* Cardiac output (= heart rate * stroke volume. Can also be calculated with Fick principle, palpating method.) ** Stroke volume (= end-diastolic volume − end-systolic volume) ** Ejection fraction (= stroke volume / end-diastolic volume) ** Cardiac output is mathematically ` to

systole Systole ( ) is the part of the cardiac cycle during which some chambers of the heart contract after refilling with blood. Its contrasting phase is diastole, the relaxed phase of the cardiac cycle when the chambers of the heart are refilling ...

** Inotropic,

chronotropic Chronotropic effects (from ''chrono-'', meaning time, and ''tropos'', "a turn") are those that change the heart rate. Chronotropic drugs may change the heart rate and cardiac cycle, rhythm by affecting the electrical conduction system of the hea ...

, and dromotropic states ** Cardiac input (= heart rate * suction volume Can be calculated by inverting terms in Fick principle) ** Suction volume (= end-systolic volume + end-diastolic volume) ** Injection fraction (=suction volume / end-systolic volume) ** Cardiac input is mathematically ` to diastole *

Electrical conduction system of the heart The cardiac conduction system (CCS, also called the electrical conduction system of the heart) transmits the Cardiac action potential, signals generated by the sinoatrial node – the heart's Cardiac pacemaker, pacemaker, to cause the heart musc ...

** Electrocardiogram ** Cardiac marker ** Cardiac action potential * Frank–Starling law of the heart * Wiggers diagram * Pressure volume diagram

Regulation of blood pressure

* Baroreceptor * Baroreflex *

Renin–angiotensin system The renin–angiotensin system (RAS), or renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), is a hormone system that regulates blood pressure, fluid, and electrolyte balance, and systemic vascular resistance. When renal blood flow is reduced, ...

** Renin ** Angiotensin * Juxtaglomerular apparatus * Aortic body and carotid body * Autoregulation ** Cerebral Autoregulation

Hemodynamics

Under most circumstances, the body attempts to maintain a steady mean arterial pressure. When there is a major and immediate decrease (such as that due to

hemorrhage Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, ...

or standing up), the body can increase the following: * Heart rate * Total peripheral resistance (primarily due to vasoconstriction of arteries) * Inotropic state In turn, this can have a significant impact upon several other variables: * Stroke volume * Cardiac output * Pressure ** Pulse pressure ( systolic pressure - diastolic pressure) ** Mean arterial pressure (usually approximated with diastolic pressure + 1/3 pulse pressure) ** Central venous pressure

Regional circulation

References

External links