Blood Vessel Structure and Function Flashcards
What are the 4 general layers of every blood vessel?
- Lumen
- Tunica intima
- Tunica media
- Tunica adventitia
What is the tunica intima layer made up of
Internal elastic lamina
what is the tunica layer media made up of
External elastic lamina
- What is found in the tunica intima
- Endothelial cells
- Basement membrane that supports connective tissue
- What is found in the tunica media
Smooth muscle and elastin
- What is found in the tunica adventitia
Supporting connective tissue that contains fibres with some vessels & nerves
- Describe the differences in structure of the layers of arteries and veins
- Arteries: smaller lumen, large tunica media
- Veins: thin walls, larger lumen
- What is the importance of veins having thinner walls?
allows for stretch to occur which allows for additional blood volume into the vessel
- What are arterioles?
Small resistance vessels with muscular walls
What are venules?
smallest vessels in the venous circulation
- Describe what happens when blood flow is reduced.
Reduced blood flow leads to improper perfusion of tissues and lack of nutrients (ischaemia). this can lead to cell death
- What does too much flow to arterioles do?
Too much flow damages delicate tissue structure.
- How do arterioles control reduced/ too much blood flow?
Arterioles control this by varying their diameter
What is raynaud’s disease?
When smaller arteries that supply blood to the skin become limited, causing vasospasms
Name 4 components of capillaries
- Endothelial cells (1 cell thick)
- Basement membrane
- Some collagen fibrils
- Occasional pericytes