3.2 Flashcards
(10 cards)
- How is the adult cardiovascular (circulatory) system defined?
The adult cardiovascular system is a closed-loop network made up of the heart and blood vessels—which include arteries, veins, and capillaries—that transports blood throughout the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients while removing waste products.
- What are the primary functions of the adult cardiovascular system?
It functions to pump blood (via the heart), carry oxygenated blood to tissues through arteries, return deoxygenated blood via veins, and facilitate gas and nutrient exchange at the capillary level.
- What are the main components of the adult cardiovascular system?
The system comprises the heart (the pump), arteries (which carry blood away from the heart), veins (which return blood to the heart), and the capillaries (the site of exchange between blood and tissues).
- What is vasculogenesis in the context of vascular development?
Vasculogenesis is the process by which endothelial progenitor cells coalesce to form the initial blood vessels, such as the heart tube and dorsal aortae, in early embryonic development.
- What is angiogenesis and why is it important during vascular development?
Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting ones. It expands and refines the initial vascular network formed by vasculogenesis, eventually leading to the mature pattern of arteries, veins, and capillaries.
- How do the dorsal aortae contribute to the adult vascular system?
The dorsal aortae are initially formed through vasculogenesis and later remodel via angiogenesis to form the major arterial trunks, including the adult aorta, which distributes blood systemically.
- Which embryonic structures give rise to the major arteries of the head, neck, and thorax?
The aortic arches—derived from the initial truncus arteriosus and aortic sac—differentiate into several major arteries such as the common carotid arteries, the aortic arch, and the right subclavian artery.
- What embryonic veins contribute to the formation of the adult venous system?
The major venous components arise from the cardinal veins, vitelline veins, and umbilical veins; these structures contribute respectively to the development of veins such as the superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, portal vein, and others.
- How do the vitelline arteries influence the blood supply to the digestive system?
Vitelline arteries, which originate from the dorsal aortae, remodel during development to form the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and inferior mesenteric artery, thereby supplying blood to the foregut, midgut, and hindgut respectively.
- Summarize how embryonic processes transition into the mature vascular network.
Initially, vessels form de novo by vasculogenesis (e.g., the heart tube and dorsal aortae). Subsequently, angiogenesis expands these vessels into a complex network, with remodeling of the aortic arches, cardinal veins, vitelline and umbilical vessels ultimately establishing the adult arterial and venous systems.
