blood vessels Flashcards
what is the circulatory system
the blood in the body is circulating while maintaining a constant volume
what is our circulatory system made up of
lungs, heart, arteries, veins and capillaries
the pathway of blood
- oxygenated blood leaves the heart through the aorta, 2. then the blood moves through arteries into smaller arteries called arterioles
pathway of blood (last steps)
- blood moves through the capillaries, then oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide. 4. deoxygenated blood moves through the 5. venule (smaller veins) into the veins, and back to the heart
what’s the cause of blood pressure
every artery and vein has pressure due to the flow of blood through it
what is a sphygmomanoeter
it is used to measure blood pressure (a blood pressure pump)
what is blood pressure dependent on
heart rate, blood vessel size, volume of blood in body, stroke volume of heart
what is high blood pressure a sign of
hypertension
what are causes of hypertension
hereditary, diet, stress, caffeine, drugs
what does low blood pressure lead to
difficulty moving blood to body (especially the head)
what does high blood pressure lead to
weakens arteries and ruptures blood vessels, can lead to heart attack or stroke.
where is blood pressure the highest
arteries
where is blood pressure lowest
capillaries (they drop the speed of blood)
why do arteries have thick walls
to deal with high bp leading away from the heart
why do veins have thinner walls
pressure in them is less, they also have one way valves to ensure blood only goes to the heart.
