Question

How is the cardiomyocyte structure important in heart structure and function? How are the anatomical fetures of the heart involved in the essential function of the heart pumping blood? What can specific defects in the anatomy of the heart affect its function?

Answer 1

Cardiomyocytes:

Structure: These are the muscle cells that make up the heart muscle. Each myocardial cell formed by myofibrils. Cardiomyocytes have some similarities with skeletal muscle cells in terms of striations.

Function: These cells have a high mitochondrialdensity which supports them to produce ATP on and when required. These cells are able to shorten and lengthen their fibers which results in flexibility of muscle.

Heart anatomical features:

The heart consists of two upper chambers and two lower chambers. The upper chambers are known as atria and the lower two chambers are called as ventricles.

Atria: The atria are the receiving chambers for blood from the body and the lungs. These two chambers has a separating wall between to chambers called as atrial septum.

Ventricles:The ventricles are main chambers responsible for pumping blood from heart to different body parts. The wall between the two ventricles is called as ventricular septum.

Valves: Heart contains 4 valves. Those are tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve, mitral valve, and aortic valve. These valves regulates forward and backward blood movement. Heart also caries many veins and arteries for blood circulation.

Arteries: The pulmonary artery connects the right ventricle to the lungs. The aorta connects the left ventricle to the body.

Veins: The superior and inferior venacava connect to the right atrium. The pulmonary veins connect to the left atrium.

Normally impure blood (blue blood) goes from the upper portion of the body by superior vena cava and from the lower portion of the body by inferior venacava. That blood is collected over right atrium and atrium passes that collected impure blood to the right ventricle. The right ventricle then pumps the blue blood out to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. In the lungs, gas exchange takes place. Then the blood collects oxygen and turns into red color i.e. pure blood. Red blood goes back from the lungs via pulmonary veins to left atrium. Then that blood passes into the left ventricle and from there it is pumped to the total body via aorta.

Any defects such as hole in valves of heart veins, arteries, embolism issues etc may cause disturbances in heart functioning.