ANATOMY - Blood Vessel Histology Flashcards
What are the three histological layers of a typical blood vessel?
Tunica adventitia
Tunica media
Tunica intima
What kind of tissue makes up the tunica adventitia?
Connective tissue
What is the functional significance of the connective tissue which makes up the tunica adventitia?
Protection and the prevention of over-extension of the blood vessel
What kind of tissue makes up the tunica media?
Fenestrated elastic fibres and smooth muscle
Which dye can be used to highlight the fenestrated elastic fibres in the tunica media?
Millers stain
What is the functional significance of the fenestrated elastic fibres and smooth muscle which make up the tunica media?
Fenestrated elastic fibres allow for shock absorption, the fenestrae allow for diffusion and smooth muscle allows for vasoconstriction and vasodilation
What kind of epithelium lines the tunica intima?
Endothelium (simple, squamous epithelium)
What is the functional significance of the endothelium which lines the tunica intima?
Endothelium provides low frictional resistance to allow for smooth blood flow
What are the three main anatomical classifications of arteries?
Elastic arteries
Muscular arteries
Arterioles
What is the function of elastic arteries?
Elastic arteries conduct blood at high pressures
How does the structure of elastic arteries accommodate their function?
Elastic arteries contain more elastic fibres within their tunica media which allows for extra shock absorption when conducting blood at such high pressure
Give two examples of elastic arteries
Aorta
Pulmonary trunk
What are vasa varosum?
Vasa varosum are small blood vessels within the tunica adventitia of large arteries which provide nutrients to the tunica adventitia and tunica media
What is the function of muscular arteries?
Muscular arteries regulate the blood flow to different tissues through vasodilation and vasoconstriction based on the body’s level of activity
How does the structure of muscular arteries accommodate their function?
Muscular arteries contain more smooth muscle in their tunica media for vasoconstriction and vasodilation to control blood flow to different tissues based on the body’s level of activity
What is the extra layer found between the tunica intima and tunica media in muscular arteries?
Internal elastic lamina
What classifies an artery as an arteriole?
An artery is classified as an arteriole if it has less than five layers of smooth muscle in its tunica media
What is the function of arterioles?
Arterioles provide resistance to blood flow to decrease the blood pressure in order to regulate the volume of blood entering the capillaries