Blood Vessels Flashcards
(83 cards)
arteries/arterioles
conduct blood away from the ventricles of heart to capillaries
venules/veins
return blood from capillaries to atria of heart
arteries
- strong, elastic vessels that carry blood away from heart under high pressure
- subdivide and branch into arterioles
structure of arterial wall
- 3 distinct layers
1. tunica internal (intima)- layer of simple squamous epithelium, elastic
2. tunica media- bulk of wall, smooth muscle fibers, tough elasticity
3. tunica external (adventitia)- thin layer of connective tissue with irregular elastic and collagenous fibers
what changes the diameter of arteries and arterioles and what does it affect
- greatly impacts BP
- sympathetic brances of autonomic nervous system innervate smooth muscle in artery and arteriole walls which cause vasoconstriction and vasodilation
arterioles details
- microscopic continuations of arteries
- branch into smaller metarterioles that join with capillaries
- muscle fibers of wall of arterioles and metarterioles adapted for vasodilation/vasoconstruction to help control blood flow in capillaries
endothelium
- barrier between vessel lumen and surround tissue allows blood cells and platelets to flow through blood vessels
- helps proper hemostatic balance
- prevents blood clotting
- regulates blood flow by secreting substances that can dilate or constrict vessel
- endothelium damage can play a big role in cardiovascular disease
substance secreted by endothelium that can dilate vessel
- nitric oxide
- prostacyclin
substance secreted by endothelium that can constrict vessel
- endothelin
- thromboxane A2
- angiotensin II
- superoxide
details of capillaries
- smallest diameter
- intercellular channels in walls determine permeability and vary from tissue to tissue
what is the arrangement of capillaries
- high tissues rate of metabolism = denser capillary network
- low metabolism = lack of capillaries
what is the regulation of blood flow of capillaries
- precarpillary sphincters are smooth muscles that surround the entrances of capillary networks and control distribution of blood flow
- sphincters respond to demands of cells that capillary supplies and if the cell is in low oxygen and nutrients, it relaxes and blood flow increases
exchange in capillaries
-occurs through diffusion, filtration, osmosis, reabsorption
diffusion in capillaries
- blood rich oxygen and nutrients within systemic capillaries enters tissue fluid
- CO2 and other wastes enter capillary blood from tissue
- substances that diffuse easily are dependent upon solubility in lipids
- proteins that are too large to diffuse through membrane pores or slitlike openings within endothelial cells remain in blood, which helps maintain osmotic oncotic pressure
filtration in capillaries
- hydrostatic pressure forces molecules through a membrane
- occurs primarily at arteriolar ends of capillaries
- blood pressure higher and opposes the action of plasma colloid osmotic pressure
reabsorption in capillaries
- colloid osmotic pressure pulls fluid into capillaries and/or prevents fluid from leaving
- occurs at venular end
- colloid osmotic pressure unchanged, blood pressure decreased due to resistance through capillary
venules
-microscopic vessels that continue from capillaries and merge to form veins
veins
- carry blood back to the atria
- there are semilunar valves that project inward from interior lining of vessel that aid in returning blood to heart
- function as blood reservoirs in times of blood loss
blood pressure
-most commonly refers to pressure in arteries
systolic pressure
max pressure achieved in arteries during ventricular contraction
diastolic pressure
lowest pressure achieved in arteries before next ventricular contraction
what is a pulse
expanding and recoiling of arterial wall
-used to determine heart rate
what is the order that blood pressure is greatest in
arteries > arterioles > arteriolar end of capillary > venular end of capillary
what are the factors that influence blood pressure
- heart action
- blood volume
- resistance to flow
- blood viscosity: great viscosity, greater resistance to flow