Pulmonary Circulation Lecture Notes

Overview

• Pulmonary Circulation Function
  • Transports blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs.
  • Allows lungs to oxygenate the blood.
  • Removes CO2 from blood, expels it through lungs.
  • Returns oxygenated blood to the left side of the heart.

Detailed Circuit

1. Right Ventricle

   • Starting point of pulmonary circulation.
   • Acts as the pump driving the circuit.

2. Pulmonary Semilunar Valve

   • Blood moves from the right ventricle through this valve.

3. Pulmonary Trunk

   • Receives blood from the pulmonary semilunar valve.
   • Bifurcates into pulmonary arteries.

4. Pulmonary Arteries

   • Right and left pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
   • Unique as they carry deoxygenated blood (typically arteries carry oxygenated blood).

5. Pulmonary Arterioles

   • Smaller arteries branching from pulmonary arteries.
   • High resistance vessels controlling blood flow via constriction/dilation.

6. Pulmonary Capillaries

   • Site of gas exchange.
   • Oxygen is picked up, CO2 is dropped off.
   • Occurs in the alveoli of the lungs.

7. Pulmonary Venules

   • Small veins receiving blood from capillaries.

8. Pulmonary Veins

   • Carry oxygenated blood from lungs to the heart.
   • Unique as they carry oxygenated blood (typically veins carry deoxygenated blood).

9. Left Atrium

   • Receives oxygenated blood from pulmonary veins.

10. Mitral Valve (Bicuspid Valve)

    • Blood moves from left atrium through this valve.

11. Left Ventricle

    • End of pulmonary circuit.
    • Begins systemic or coronary circulation.

Key Concepts

• Arteries vs. Veins: Arteries carry blood away from the heart, veins bring it back. Exclude pulmonary circulation.
• Alveoli: Small lung units where gas exchange occurs.

Summary

• Right Ventricle: Start of pulmonary circuit.
• Left Ventricle: End of pulmonary circuit, start of systemic/coronary circulation.

Remember to reinforce knowledge through repetition as much of this is memorization-based.

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