A&P: Cardiovascular system; Blood Vessels Flashcards
Tunica intima
Innermost
Endothelium
Makes contact with blood
Tunica media
Middle
Smooth muscle
Elastin: allows arteries to recoil
Arteries have thicker tunica media than veins (arteries are higher pressure)
Tunia externa (adventitia)
Outermost Collagen fibers (reinforces blood vessel) Vaso vasorum: in larger vessels (nourishes external tissues of blood vessel wall)
Elastic (conducting) arteries
Thick-walled
Largest diameter/ closest to heart
Low resistance
Pressure reservoirs
Muscular (distributing) arteries
Majority
Thickest tunic media of all vessels
More active in vasoconstriction and less distensible
Arterioles
Smallest type of artery (feeds into capillary bed)
Capillary
Smallest blood vessel
Microcirculation: gas and hormone exchange between blood and interstitial fluid
Only has tunica intima
Pericytes: cells on outside of capillary that help anchor capillary to surrounding area and control permeability
Tight junctions
Continuous capillary
Most common
Tight junctions are very tight
Epithelial cells are continuous
Intercellular clefts: limited passage of fluids and small solutes
Skin, skeletal muscles
Fenestrated capillary
Holes/pores covered with diaphragm
Much more permeable to fluids and solutes
Found wherever active absorption or filtrate formation occurs
Kidneys (filtration), lower GI tract (esp. small intestine)
Sinusoids/ Sinusoidal capillary
Highly modified, leaky capillaries
Large, irregularly shaped lumens (fenestrated); discontinuous epithelium
Stellate macrophages
Found in tissues that have to clean blood
Liver, bone marrow, spleen, and adrenal medulla
Capillary bed
Area where oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood meet
Vascular shunt (metarteriole-thoroughfare channel): direct connection between arteriole and venule
True capillaries: surrounds vascular shunt; exchange vessels
-Pre-capillary sphincters: smooth muscle; contract/ relax to change flow of blood into capillary bed
Creates more direct route for blood flow
Venule
Small vein
Capillaries unite to form a venule
Vein
Blood to heart Venules join to form veins Thinner walls and larger lumens compared to arteries Blood reservoirs Low pressure Low resistance Venous valves: prevent backflow of blood Most abundant in veins of limbs
Blood flow
Volume of blood flowing through a vessel, organ, or entire circulation in a given period
Equivalent to CO
Dependent upon pumping action of heart
BP
Force blood exerts on vessel wall by blood
Systemic arterial bp is largest is arteries near the heart