Blood Pressure Flashcards
What is blood pressure?
It is the force exerted by blood on the inner walls of the blood vessels
What influences blood pressure?
Heart activity
Blood volume and viscosity
Blood vessels
What are the short and long term controllers of blood pressure?
Short term- nervous system
Long term- hormones and endocrine systme
How is heart rate regulated?
Parasympathetic nervous system slows the heart rate
Sympathetic nervous system increases the heart rate
How is peripheral resistance regulated?
Vasomotor centre which regulates the diameter of arterioles
How is blood volume regulated?
Through hormones which control fluid volume
How is cardiac output controlled (receptor, controller, effector)?
Baroreceptors
Cardiac Centre
SA node in heart
How is peripheral resistance controlled (receptor, controller, effector)?
Baroreceptors
Vasomotor centre
Arteriols and smooth muslce
What are baroreceptors?
Pressure sensitive receptors which detect changes in the stretch in artery walls due to blood pressure change
How is blood pressure increased?
Contractions of the smooth muscle in blood vessels known as vasoconstriction
How is blood pressure decreased?
Relaxation of the smooth muscle in blood vessels known as vasodilation
