1. Circulation

main branches and vessels (basic anatomy)

distribution of blood and blood flow in organs;

transport of oxygen, nutrients and heat

anatomy and properties of arterial and venular walls and the law of Laplace

2. Hemodynamics

relationships between pressure, flow, resistance, cross section and velocity

flow and effective resistance in elements connected in parallel and/or in series

laminar and turbulent flow, radius and resistance: Poiseuille’s law

non-ideal fluid properties of blood

3. Heart

general anatomy: position, chambers, valves, inlets/outlets

cardiac cycle: timing, valve function, pressure and volume in chambers, correlation with ECG (Wigger’s diagram)

heart muscle: contractile properties, E-C coupling mechanism,

action potential and the mechanism of AP propagation

pacemaker mechanism: ionic currents and properties of channels

nodes and conduction pathways, role of gap junctions,

electrical activity during contraction cycle, causes of arrhythmias and fibrillation, ECG as a diagnostic tool

heart innervation, sympathetic and parasympathetic control of heart activity

4. Systemic circulation and microcirculation

pressure profile across the systemic circuit

colloid-osmotic properties of the blood, capillary filtration and absorption,

causes of edema

flow redistribution in tissue microcirculation: sphincters and anastamoses

neural, hormonal and metabolic control of hydrodynamic resistance and flow

coronary circulation and disease

5. Cardiovascular function and regulation

Balance between systemic and pulmonary blood flows, Starlings’ law

Venous return: heart rate, systemic filling pressure, total blood volume,

vascular tone and compliance, TPR

Arterial pressure and compliance, atherosclerosis and hypertension

BP regulation: baroreceptor reflex and hormonal regulation of blood volume

cardiovascular pharmacology

cardiovascular function during exercise