drive - structure and function of blood vessels Flashcards
What types of fibres do arteries mainly contain?
Elastic, collagen and smooth muscle
What is the intima composed of?
Inner surface lining of endothelial cells and a very small amount of collagen
What is the adventitia composed of?
Mainly collagenous connective tissue
Where are the elastic laminae located?
External = interface between media and adventitia Internal = interface between the intima and the media
From the inside out what are the layers that arteries are comprised of?
Endothelium Intima Internal elastic lamina Media External elastic lamina Adventitia
What, if any, structural differences are there between that of an artery and arteriole?
Arteriole has (potentially) all the same structural layers (in the same order) but these may be thin and poorly defined.
What is endothelium? (5 points)
A single layer of cells
Tight adhesions between adjacent cells.
They have little cytoplasm.
Prominent gap junctions
Specially adapted to the area where they are found.
What special feature do endothelium found in liver, kidney glomeruli and endocrine tissues have?
They are fenestrated (have pores in them) as this allows rapid diffusion
What special feature do endothelium in the lungs have?
They are very thin to enable rapid fluid and gas transfer
What is the structure of capillaries?
Tubes of endothelial cells bound to a basement membrane with co-existing pericytes
What are pericytes made up of and what is their function?
Have muscle fibres and regulate blood flow
What are the layers of veins (from the inside out)
Valves +lumen Endothelium Intima Internal elastic lamina Media Adventitia
(note they do not have an external elastic lamina)
What is meant when using the term pulmonary circulation?
The process of the blood leaving the right ventricle passing through the lungs and returning to the left atrium.
What is meant when using the term systemic circulation?
The process of blood leaving the left ventricle passing through the entire body (except the lungs) and returning to the right atrium
How many pulmonary arteries are there?
2 (form from the pulmonary trunk)
