4.3 Glossary
Module 4 Glossary
From Pharmacology for Nurses, OpenStax Chapter 16 and 18
action potential
- rapid depolarization of the cell (i.e., the cell membrane potential increasing or becoming more positive as compared to its surroundings) followed by repolarization (i.e., the cell membrane potential decreasing back to the resting voltage)
- afterload
- the amount of systemic pressure that the heart must overcome to eject blood during systole
- arteries
- blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart and to the tissues for perfusion; singular, artery
- atria
- the two upper chambers of the heart; singular, atrium
- automaticity
- a process by which a spontaneous action potential forms, allowing a tissue to act as the pacemaker of the heart
- bundle of His
- part of the electrical system of the heart
- capillaries
- small blood vessels that run between arteries and veins and allow oxygen perfusion and nutrient exchange; singular, capillary
- cardiac output
- the amount of blood pumped from the left ventricle per unit of time
- contractility
- the strength of the force of left ventricular contraction
- depolarization
- a process by which a cell’s negative baseline resting membrane potential increases and becomes positive
- diastole
- the phase of the cardiac cycle in which a chamber is relaxing or filling
- dysrhythmias
- irregularities in the heart rate or rhythm; singular, dysrhythmia
- electrocardiography (EKG, ECG)
- a common diagnostic tool that allows health care professionals to monitor various aspects of a client’s heart including rate, rhythm, or the presence of ischemia.
- membrane potential
- the voltage (i.e., ionic charge) of a cell as compared to its surroundings
- preload
- the volume of blood that fills the left ventricle at the end of diastole
- pulmonary arteries
- the blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs for gas exchange; singular, artery
- pulmonary veins
- blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart; singular, vein
- Purkinje fibers
- special muscle cells that allow coordinated contraction of the heart
- systemic vascular resistance
- the resistance to blood flow within the artery, determined by the arterial diameter
- systole
- the phase of the cardiac cycle in which a chamber is contracting or pumping
- veins
- blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart
- ventricle
- one of the two lower chambers of the heart
- waveforms
- the upward and downward deflection on an electrocardiogram
- aldosterone
- a hormone made in the adrenal cortex that helps to control the balance of water and salts in the kidneys, retaining sodium and releasing potassium from the body
- angina
- chest discomfort in the front of the chest, neck, shoulders, jaw, or arms that is precipitated by physical exertions and relieved by rest or sublingual nitrates
- angiotensin I
- a protein in blood that promotes aldosterone secretion and raises blood pressure
- angiotensin II
- a protein in the blood that causes the muscular walls of the arterioles to constrict and narrow, thereby increasing blood pressure
- angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB)
- a classification of drug that binds to and inhibits angiotensin II type I receptors
- angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor
- a classification of drug that blocks the body’s production of angiotensin II; the protein that causes vasoconstriction and inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine, which stimulates catecholamine release
- antianginal drugs
- drugs used in the treatment of angina
- antihypertensive drugs
- drugs used in the treatment of hypertension
- beta-adrenergic blocker
- a classification of drug that inhibits chronotropic, inotropic, and vasoconstrictor response to catecholamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine by exerting effects on adrenergic receptors beta 1, beta 2, and alpha.
- calcium channel blocker
- a classification of drug that blocks calcium from entering cells by binding to long-acting voltage-gated calcium channels in the heart, smooth muscle, and pancreas
- cardiac output
- the product of the heart rate and stroke volume; the volume of blood pumped by the heart per unit of time, usually measured in liters per minute
- diastolic blood pressure
- indicates how much pressure the blood is exerting against artery walls while the heart is resting between beats; the second number of a blood pressure reading
- diuretic
- a classification of drug that induces sodium loss and increases urine flow; typically used to treat hypertension, heart failure, and volume overload states
- heart rate
- the number of times each minute the heart beats
- hypertension
- when an individual’s blood pressure is above the normal limits for a sustained period of time
- hypotension
- when an individual’s blood pressure is below the normal limits for a sustained period of time
- nitrate
- a classification of drug that causes vasodilation of blood vessels by imparting nitric oxide, which relaxes smooth muscles
- peripheral vascular resistance
- determined by blood flow in the body and the level of constriction or dilatation within the vessels
- renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS)
- a compensatory mechanism the body activates during hypotension (when the blood pressure is low)
- stroke volume
- the volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle of the heart during each systolic cardiac contraction
- systolic blood pressure
- indicates how much pressure the blood is exerting against the artery walls when the heart beats; the first number of a blood pressure reading
- vasopressin
- an antidiuretic hormone that regulates blood pressure, blood osmolality, and blood volume
Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/pharmacology/pages/1-introduction
Barbour-Taylor, T., Mueller (Sabato), L., Paris, D., & Weaver, D. (2024). Pharmacology for Nurses. OpenStax.
by OpenStax is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License v4.
