4.1 Anatomy of the Heart and Vessels Part 3 Flashcards
What is the detailed description of an artery?
elastic, thick walled vessels that can expand and contract
What is the function of large arteries?
expand and recoil to help the heart pump blood through systemic circulation
What are small arteries called?
arterioles
What is the function of arterioles?
muscles will constrict and dilate them to control blood pressure
Which nervous systems control arterioles?
sympathetic
parasympathetic
What does contraction of an arteriole cause?
increase in blood pressure
What does relaxation of arterioles cause?
decrease in blood pressure
What are responsible for peripheral resistance?
arterioles
What is peripheral resistance?
varying blood pressure
What is the detailed description of a vein?
thinner walled vessels that do not have pulses
Which blood vessels have palpable pulses?
arteries
What do veins contain?
internal valves that open toward the heart and close at the end of a heartbeat
What is the purpose of the internal valves of veins?
to prevent backflow of blood as blood is returned to the heart
What does vein compliance mean?
means they stretch with little recoil
What results due to vein compliance?
veins have the largest amount of blood in the cardiovascular system
What is the opening in the center of a blood vessel called?
lumen
What are the three layers of arteries and veins?
tunica externa
tunica media
tunica intima
What does the thickness of the layers of veins and arteries depend on?
location in the body
What is the tunica externa also known as?
adventitia
What is the function of the tunica externa?
anchor the vessel to the surrounding structures
