Cardiovascular Physiology: the heart

Multiple-choice exercise

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1 The cardiac muscle of the heart...

does not contract unless stimulated by the nervous system.

commonly undergoes prolonged tetanic contractions.

ans never undergoes tetanic contractions.

is made of the same type of tissue as the smooth muscle of the arteries.

2 The P wave of a normal electrocardiogram indicates...

sino-atrial depolarisation.

ans atrial depolarisation.

ventricular repolarisation.

atrial repolarisation.

ventricular depolarisation.

3 What controls the actions of the heart valves?

contraction of the papillary muscles.

contraction of the chordae tendinae.

alternate contraction and relaxation of the cusps of the valves.

ans pressure changes within the chambers of the heart.

contraction of cardiac muscle.

the valves are forced open by ventricular diastole.

the actions are initiated by depolarization of the AV node.

the right atrium and right ventricle contract together.

ans the two atria relax when the ventricles are in systole.

atrial diastole follows ventricular diastole.

5 Which of the following is true with regard to atrial systole?

Atrial systole is responsible for moving over 70 percent of atrial blood

Atrioventricular valves remain closed until atrial systole.

ans About 70 percent of atrial blood goes into the ventricles before atrial
systole.

Atrial filling can only occur during atrial systole.

Blood is forced through the venae cavae by atrial systole.

6 Which of the following is a correctly matched pair of terms?

ventricular diastole--QRS wave on ECG.

atrial systole--first heart sound.

ans ventricular systole--closed semilunar valves.

ventricular systole--closed atrioventricular valves.

ventricular diastole--depolarized myocardium

ans Blood pressure in the aorta and pulmonary trunk greater than
ventricular pressure.

Ventricular systole.

Ventricular pressure greater than arterial pressure.

Backflow of blood from the coronary sinus.

Atrial systole.

8 If a cardiac cycle is completed in 0.8 second, it means that...

the ventricles require eight times the contraction period of the atria.

it takes this long for the heart to fill with blood for expulsion.

it takes this long for the whole heart to contract.

Ans both atria and both ventricles are in diastole for at least half this time.

the heart valves open and close twice during this time.

9 Which of the following is THE BEST definition or a determination of cardiac output?

Difference between the amount of blood moving through the heart at rest and
at maximum activity.

Cardiac minute output times beats per minute.

Amount of blood ejected from both ventricles in each systole.

Amount of blood ejected from the left ventricle in each systole.

ans Amount of blood moving into the aorta each minute

constriction of veins only.

vasoconstriction of brain arterioles only.

ans heart rate and strength of myocardial contraction only.

strength of myocardial contraction only.

heart rate only.

11 Which of the following decreases the rate of contraction of the heart?

Release of norepinephrine from sympathetic neurons.

Stimulation of baroreceptors in certain arteries and veins.

Stretching of myocardial fibers of the ventricles.

Sympathetic impulses from the cardiac control center.

ans Parasympathetic stimulation.

12 Following is a list of factors that influence the rate of heart beat. Which are those that
cause the heart rate to decrease ?

1. exposure to cold

2. fear

3. old age

4. fever

5. emotional depression

6. youth

7. circulatory shock
 8. stimulation of cardioinhibitory center

ans 1, 3, 8, 5

1, 2, 3, 8

2, 8, 4, 6

2, 4, 5, 7

1, 3, 4, 7

13 The tricuspid valve is closed...

ans when the ventricle is in systole.

only in cardiac arrest.

by the movement of blood from atrium to ventricle.

while the atrium is contracting.

while the ventricle is in diastole.

14 A small mass of specialized neuromuscular tissue embedded in the wall of the right atrium close
to the point of entry of the superior vena cava receives nervous impulses via the autonomic nervous
system. The tissue referred to is called the...

bundle of His.

ans sinoatrial node.

AV bundle.

atrioventricular node.

Purkinje network.
16 In the heart...

the cardiac muscle itself receives nourishment by way of the carotid sinus.

ans there is a pacemaker that controls the heart rate.

the right ventricle forces blood out of the superior vena cava.

blood flows from the aorta to the right ventricle.

17 In normal heart action...

the right atrium and ventricle contract, followed by contraction of the left
atrium and ventricle.

ans the two atria contract together, then the two ventricles contract.

all four chambers of the heart are in systole together, followed by diastole.

none of these options is correct.

these structures contract in sequence: right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium,
left ventricle.

18 The term "systole"...

means relaxation of the heart's atria.

means the heart's ventricles are contracting.

refers to the time interval between cardiac contraction and relaxation.

refers to closure of the heart valves.

ans refers to contraction of cardiac muscle.

19 With each ventricular systole...

the blood pressure decreases.

the cardiac output decreases.

the ventricles become filled with blood.

there is no change in blood pressure.

20 When the heart is beating at a rate of 75 times per minute, the duration of one cardiac cycle is...

0.1 second.

1.0 second.

5.0 seconds.

0.5 second.

ans 0.8 second.

21 During each cardiac cycle...

ans the sounds heard with a stethoscope are the closing of the heart valves.

the blood flowing through the heart chambers supplies the heart muscle with
nutrition and oxygen.

blood is forced all around the body and back to the heart again.

the sounds heard with a stethoscope are those of the muscular contractions of
the heart walls.

impulses spread from the pacemaker to the ventricles, then up to the atria, to
complete the cycle.
22 The first heart sound (the "lubb" of "lubb-dupp") is caused by the...

contraction of the two atria.

closure of the two semilunar valves.

contraction of both ventricles.

contraction of the right ventricle.

ans closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves.

23 The heart is caused to speed up by...

stimulation of the vasomotor center.

impulses received by the SA node, travelling over vagus nerve fibers.

ans impulses received by the SA node, over cervical sympathetic fibers.

a decrease in carbon dioxide content in blood through the carotid sinus.

24 Stimulation of the vagus nerve...

increases conductivity of the heart tissue.

increases heart rate.

ans decreases excitability of the heart.

has no effect on the heart.

decreases the inhibitory mechanisms of the heart.

25 The heart is innervated by the...

sympathetic nerves only.

ans vagus and sympathetic nerves.

greater and lesser splanchnic nerves.

vagus nerves only.

26 The presence of acetylcholine in the heart...

has an effect opposite to that of histamine.

relaxes the heart muscle.

retards the passage of the nervous impulse.

ans decreases the rate of heartbeat.

27 The fact that the left ventricular wall is thicker than the right reveals that it...

expands the thoracic cage.

all of these options.

pumps blood through a smaller valve.

ans pumps blood against a greater resistance.

pumps a greater volume of blood.

28 In the heart:

1) action potentials are conducted from cell to cell across the myocardium via gap junctions.

2) the SA node sets the pace for the heart as a whole.

3) spontaneous depolarisation of the cardiac cells can occur in the absence of nerve stimulation.

4) cardiac muscle can continue to contract for long periods of time in the absence of oxygen.
Which of these options is correct?

2 and 3.

1, 3, and 4.

2 only.

ans 1, 2, and 3.

30 If the valve opening at the beginning of the pulmonary artery were too narrow, blood would
first back up in the...

pulmonary veins.

aorta.

coronary arteries.

ans right side of the heart.

left side of the heart.

31 The P wave is due to which of the following electrical events within the heart?

ventricular repolarisation.

ventricular depolarisation.

atrial repolarisation.

ans atrial depolarisation.

32 The QRS wave is due to which of the following electrical events within the heart?

ventricular repolarisation.

atrial depolarisation.

atrial repolarisation.
 ans ventricular depolarisation.

33 The T wave is due to which of the following electrical events within the heart?

atrial depolarisation.

ventricular depolarisation.

atrial repolarisation.

ans ventricular repolarisation.