19 9-14 Flashcards
Blood pressure
Force per unit area exerted by the blood against a vessel wall.
Expressed in mmHg.
Pressure is a result when BF is opposed by resistance.
Blood pressure gradient
The change in blood pressure from one end of a vessel to the other end; it is the driving force for moving blood.
Blood Flow
Volume of blood flowing through a vessel, organ or the entire circulation in a given period.
May be expressed as ml/min.
Pumping action of the heart generates BF.
Resistance
A measure of friction between blood and the vessel wall.
4 sources of resistance?
Blood viscosity, blood vessel length, blood vessel diameter, obstructions
(Level of resistance can be regulated neurally/hormonally/by local influence. physical dimensions of the vessel and properties of the fluid.
Total peripheral resistance
Adding up the combined resistance of all the blood vessels in a particular circuit.
What is the most important factor influencing local blood flow?
Peripheral resistance - because vasoconstriction/dilation can alter local blood flow while systemic BP remains unchanged.
Relationship between flow/pressure/resistance?
If the difference in BP between two points (the gradient) is large, then BF ↑
Small difference, slow flow
Example: when arterioles serving a particular tissue dilate, their pressure drops increasing the difference in pressure and therefore increasing blood flow.
If peripheral resistance ↑, BF ↓
Most important factor!
Pulse pressure
The difference between systolic and diastolic pressure. A measure of elasticity and recoil of arteries.
Calculate MAP
MAP = diastolic pressure + 1/3 pulse pressure.
Map is a good indication of how tissues and organs are perfused.
(70-110mmHg = good perfusion; lower than 60 may mean insufficient blood flow.)
When does diastolic pressure occur?
When blood is prevented from flowing back into the ventricles by the closed semilunar valve and the aorta recoils
When does systolic pressure occur?
When the L ventricle contracts and blood is forced into the aorta producing a peak in pressure.
What does arterial BP reflect?
How much the arteries close to the heart can be stretched (compliance/distensibility), and the volume forced into them at a given time.
Explain the mechanisms that help overcome the small pressure gradient in veins to return blood to the heart.
Structural: 1. large diameter 2. valves.
Functional: 1. Skeletal muscle pump (skel musc contraction milks blood toward heart)
- Respiratory pump (shifting pressure between ab cavity and thoracic cavity)
- Sympathetic venoconstriction (veins can be constricted)
What variables affect BP and what are house variables determined by?
Variables: blood volume, CO, R
These are determined primarily by venous return, neural and hormonal controls.
Formula to determine bp
BP = HRSVR
pumping action of the heart generates BF (=CO which =HR*SV), pressure results when flow is opposed by resistance
How does short term vs long term regulation late BP? (Mechanisms)
Short term regulation (NS and hormones) alters blood pressure by changing peripheral resistance and CO.
Long term regualtion alters blood volume via the kidneys.
Short term neural controls alter what?
What is the goal of short term goal?
How is it done
Alter both cardiac output and peripheral resistance.
Goals:
- Maintain adequate MAP by altering vessel diameter on a moment to moment basis (vessel diameter) and
- alter blood distribution to respond to specific demands of various organs (peripheral resistance).
Short term regulation occurs via ANS reflexes involving nuclei in the medulla oblongata.
What are the short term neural controls?
baroreceptor relexes,
chemoreceptor reflexes,
higher brain centers.
Role of the cardiovascular center (cardiac and vasomotor centers) in maintaining BP
Cardiac center:
- Cardioaccelatory center - symp stimulation to SA and AV nodes and ventricles ↑ HR and ↑ force of contraction.
- Cardioinhibitory center - parasym to SA and AV ↓ HR.
Vasomotor center
1. Regulation of resistance via degree of vasoconstiction
How is cardiovascular center activity modified?
Input from baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, and higher brain centers.
What type of receptors does the vasomotor center receive info from?
Alpha receptors: vasoconstriction upon stimulation (most vessels).
Beta receptors: Vasodilation in response to epinephrine from adrenal medulla (vessels in skeletal muscle and coronary vessels)