Anatomy and Physiology II Task 1
Western Governors
Anatomy and Physiology II Task 1
Describe the similarities and differences between the
... [Show More] fetal pig heart and the sheep heart.
The fetal pig heart and sheep heart both have four chambers, two upper chambers called atria, and two lower chambers called ventricles. The fetal pig heart and sheep heart were both shaped very similarly with the ventricle forming the lower part of the heart called the apex. The main differences noted was the size; the sheep heart was nearly three times as large. The sheep heart had a much thicker left ventricular wall than the fetal pig heart. The fetal pig heart also had a patent foramen ovale, an opening between the right and left atria as well as a patent ductus arteriosis, an opening between the right and left ventricle. This circulation is not noted in the sheep heart, as this opening should close shortly after the birth of the fetus.
Describe the four valves of the heart, including their name, location, and function.
Two valves sit between the atria and the ventricles, one on each side of the heart. The valve on the right side of the heart, sitting between the right atrium and the right ventricle is called the tricuspid valve. This valve has three cusps or flaps and prevents blood from flowing backward into the atrium during ventricular contraction. The valve on the left side of the heart that sits between the left atrium and left ventricle is referred to as the mitral valve. There are two cusps or flaps in the mitral valve, making this a bicuspid valve. The mitral valve prevents backflow of blood from the left ventricle into the left atrium during ventricular contraction.
Two valves sit between the ventricles and the large arteries leaving the heart. The pulmonary valve is a semilunar valve; it sits between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary artery opens when the pressure in the right ventricle exceeds pulmonary [Show Less]