Changes

The oxygen carrying capacity is at its maximum when reptiles are within their POTZ. This has obvious implications for husbandry practices. The haemoglobin molecule is responsible for oxygen uptake.

The oxygen carrying capacity is at its maximum when reptiles are within their POTZ. This has obvious implications for husbandry practices. The haemoglobin molecule is responsible for oxygen uptake.

'''Blood flow in the heart''' - Oxygenated blood enters the heart in the left atrium and deoxygenated blood enters in the right. The atria contract shortly after one another. Thus part of the heart is filled with oxygenated blood, the greater part with mixed blood and the other part with deoxygenated blood.  During the ventricular systole, the blood is directed into the large arteries, at the base of the heart, so that oxygenated blood is directed to the brain; mixed blood is directed to the body and deoxygenated blood to the lungs. The atrioventricular valve prevents backflow of blood from the heart and three semilunar valves prevent this from the arteries to the heart.   

'''Blood flow in the heart''' - Oxygenated blood enters the heart in the left atrium and deoxygenated blood enters in the right. The atria contract shortly after one another. Thus part of the heart is filled with oxygenated blood, the greater part with mixed blood and the other part with deoxygenated blood.  During the ventricular systole, the blood is directed into the large arteries, at the base of the heart, so that oxygenated blood is directed to the brain; mixed blood is directed to the body and deoxygenated blood to the lungs. The atrioventricular valve prevents backflow of blood from the heart and three semilunar valves prevent this from the arteries to the heart.   

'''Control''' - The heart is under neuroendocrine control, with the vagal parasympathetic (cholinergic) innervation being the principle mode of neural modulation of chronotopy and inotropy in reptiles. The sympathetic nervous system exerts mild excitatory adrenergic control but non-adrenergic non-cholinergic systems (NANC) may also contribute to cardiovascular control.

'''Control''' - The heart is under neuroendocrine control, with the vagal parasympathetic (cholinergic) innervation being the principle mode of neural modulation of chronotopy and inotropy in reptiles. The sympathetic nervous system exerts mild excitatory adrenergic control but non-adrenergic non-cholinergic systems (NANC) may also contribute to cardiovascular control.

 

* The renin-angiotensin system and counter-regulatory natriuretic peptides appear to play a part in cardiovascular physiology of reptiles (Uva and Vallarino, 1982; Chiu ''et al''., 1986; Breno ''et al''., 2001).

The renin-angiotensin system and counter-regulatory natriuretic peptides appear to play a part in cardiovascular physiology of reptiles (Uva and Vallarino, 1982; Chiu ''et al''., 1986; Breno ''et al''., 2001).