arteries. capillaries and veins Flashcards
what do arteries do ?
- carry blood away from the heart
- regulates mean arterial pressure and blood flow distribution
how much blood volume and pressure do arteries contain ?
- 15% of total blood volume
- pressure of 100mmHg
describe anatomy of arteries
- each layer plays a functional role but not all layers present in arteries
what provides structure strength and tethers vessels in place? what is found in large vessels?
- adventitia
- in large vessels the adventitia contains small blood vessels, the vase vasorum
what does elastin do?
- gives vessels mechanical strength and their elastic properties allows expansion and recoil
what is the inner layer for? what does it do?
- endothelium
- filtering interface between blood and body
- secretes various vasoactive products
what does smooth muscles supply vessels with?
- contractile power
- regulates diameter of lumen
what controls blood flow to specific capillary bed?
- pre- capillary sphincter
what are arterioles responsible for?
- responsible with altering levels of resistance to blood flow in order to distribute available amount of blood to where it is needed without disturbing control of mean arterial pressure
what is active hyperaemia?
- increase in blood flow according to metabolic needs of tissue
- diameter changes in order to facilitate the blood flow
what happens when there is an increase in metabolic activity?
- less oxygen available and more metabolites in organ interstitial fluid
- arteriolar digestion in organ
- increased blood flow to organ
what is flow autoregulation concerned with?
- maintenance of blood flow rather than changing it
what happens when driving pressure drops?
- vessels dilate
what happens when driving pressure increases?
- vessels constrict
what does reduction in arterial pressure in a organ mean?
- less blood flow and hence less oxygen so metabolites accumulate
- decreased vessel wall stretch
what does arteriolar dilation in organs result in?
- restoration of blood towards normal in organ
what does increased arterial pressure cause a rise in?
- blood flow
- this removes vasodilators so vessels then constricts and flow is restored to its normal value
what is the intrinsic property of arterial smooth muscle that regulates arterial diameter known as?
- myogenic regulation
what does increase in pressure lead to?
- muscle stretch that is followed by constriction
what does regulation of arterial diameter involved?
- neural control, hormonal control and local controls
what are vasoconstrictors?
- sympathetic nerves that release norepinephrine
what are vasodilators?
- neurons that release nitric oxide
what state is arterial smooth muscle constantly in? explain this
- tonic state
- partially contracted so there is almost no involvement of parasympathetic system
how can relaxation occur in tonic state?
- withdrawal of sympathetic stimulation