5 Blood Vessels and Blood Flow Flashcards
Q: When the blood first the leaves the heart in systemic circulation, what carries it? They act as? Then the blood moves into? (2)
A: large, thick-walled, elastic arteries which act as dampening vessels
smaller arteries and arterioles
Q: What do arterioles and arteries contain? regulates? produces?
A: extensive smooth muscle in their walls which regulates their diameter and produces a resistance to blood flow
Q: Where does a lot of the pressure drop in arteries take place? (2)
A: small arteries and arterioles
Q: What’s the role of veins in systemic circulation? Why is this considered its role? What properties allow them to do this? (2)
A: veins are very stretchy and highly compliant so they act as a reservoir for blood volume
Much of the blood at any one point rests in the veins and venules hence they’re considered resevoirs
Q: What makes up the largest cross sectional area in the CVS? because?
A: capillaries
it has an exchange function
Q: What happens as a result of shifting the blood from the reservoir to the heart? (2) When does this occur? how?
A: produce more venous return and more cardiac output
if you need to exercise you get venoconstriction meaning that you decrease the amount of stored blood and move more blood back to the heart
Q: How is the fluid circuit of systemic circulation similar to an electric circuit? Laws? (2)
A: electrical circuit (Ohm’s law)
V= I x R
fluid circuit (Darcy's law) /\P = Q x R
(pressure difference= flow/CO x total peripheral resistance resistance)
Q: What can pressure difference be estimated as in /\P=QxR?
A: mean arterial blood pressure
Q: What is R in /\P=QxR? Considered? why? (3)
A: the resistance of all the vessels - also called peripheral vascular resistance
this is an approximation because it assumes a steady flow and assumed that the vessels are rigid and that right atrial pressure is negligible
Q: Physiologically how is the regulation of blood flow achieved? (2) Relies on? How can blood be directed to specific vascular beds? (2)
A: variation in resistance while blood pressure remains relatively constant (relies on mechanisms to detect blood pressure and feedback to keep it constant)
specific contraction and relaxation of the blood vessels that serve the particular vascular bed
Q: How does pressure change across circulation? due to? mostly? (2) On the right side?
A: Pressure falls across the circuit due to viscous (frictional) pressure losses
Small arteries and arterioles present most resistance to flow
pulmonary artery presents a resistance to flow as well
Q: What 3 variables does resistance to blood flow depend on? What is the main determinant of resistance and why?
A: 1. fluid viscosity (eta) = not fixed but in most physiological conditions is constant
- length of tubule (L) = fixed and remains constant
- inner radius of tube (r) = variable **
Q: What does the power function mean in terms of resistance? Example?
A: relatively small change in radius produces a large change in blood flow
Halving the radius would decrease blood flow 16 times
Q: When exercising, how much can we boost our CO by? What else can we do in terms of direction of blood flow? (2)
A: up to 25L/min
changing the radius of various vessels we can increase the blood flow to the working skeletal muscle - by constricting some vessels and dilating others to direct the blood to the place that needs it most
Q: What sort of flow occurs in vessels? Sounds?
A: Blood generally flows in stream lines which don’t tend to interfere with one another - it is laminated flow and hence laminar flow
You CAN NOT HEAR laminar flow
Q: How do you usually measure blood pressure with an inflation cuff? (4) continuation of deflation?
A: pump the cuff up on upper arm to obstruct blood flow = pressure exceeds arterial pressure
place stethoscope distal to the cuff (no sounds as blood flow is occluded)
let the cuff down -> eventually get to a point where the pressure in the cuff is just overcome by the pressure in the artery
blood starts to squirt through the occlusion and sets up turbulent flow - you hear a LIGHT TAPPING SOUND
(continue to reduce the pressure in the cuff, reach a point where you have no occlusion in the artery and so blood will start to flow in a laminar fashion = no sound)
Q: What characterises turbulent blood flow? Sounds? What can turbulent flow change? it can bring about?
A: whirlpool like regions and the velocity of the fluid is not constant
can hear (sounds of korotkoff) = soft tapping sound
the shear stress on the vessels
-pathophysiological changes
Q: Where is blood flow quickest in a vessel? slowest? Due to? Velocity increases as…?
A: quickest in the middle and slowest on the sides
This is because there are adhesive forces which attach the blood to the vessel walls
distance from wall increases
Q: What is shear rate?
A: velocity gradient that is established - the difference between the highest velocity blood in the middle of the lumen and the lowest velocity blood that adheres to the blood vessel walls
Q: How do you get shear stress? What does it do? (3) result? (2)
A: shear rate is MULTIPLIED by viscosity
disturbs endothelial function which is important for laminar flow and the production of various transmitter substances which give rise to vessel dilation and constriction
Q: Where is high shear stress found? promotes? result?
Where is low shear stress found? stimulates? cell behaviour? bearing on? (4)
Which is normal?
A: as found in laminar flow: promotes endothelial cell survival so the endothelial cells line up and produce substances normally**
(turbulent flow), ENDOTHELIAL PROLIFERATION is stimulated (cells are all mixed up and don’t behave in a normal way and don’t produce their substances normally)
has a bearing on vasoconstriction, coagulation, platelet aggregation and atheroma formation