Blood Pressure

Question 1

What is blood pressure

Answer 1

• driving force propelling blood to tissues
• a gentle balance between organ perfusion and vascular damage
• also closely autoregulated

Question 2

Which way does blood flow?

Answer 2

Where there is a pressure difference to drive flow, the heart generates this pressure difference via the arterial system

Question 3

What is mean systemic arterial pressure

Answer 3

Cardiac output (L/min) * total peripheral resistance

Question 4

What is cardiac output

Answer 4

Stroke volume (L) * heart rate (BPM)

Question 5

What happens if there is a drop in mean systemic arterial pressure?

Answer 5

• decreases carotid and aortic baroreceptor firing
• increases SYMPATHETIC tone
• decreases PARAsympathetic tone

Question 6

What does increased sympathetic tone do in regards to raising systematic arterial pressure?

Answer 6

• ADRENALINE release binding to BETA receptors which increases CARDIAC OUTPUT
• NORADRENALINE release which binds to ALPHA RECEPTORS which increases TOTAL PHERIPHERAL RESISTANCE

Question 7

What does decreases parasympathetic tone do in regards to increasing arterial pressure?

Answer 7

Parasympathetic nervous system stimulates Vagus nerve to release Ach at the

SAN and AVN