blood vessels Flashcards
blood vessels
closed delivery system that begins and ends at the heart
types of blood vessles
arteries
capillaries
veins
3 layers forming the wall of a BV
tunica intima
tunica media
tunica externa
tunica intima
in imediate contact with blood in the lumen
simple squamous epi continous and lining the entire cardiovascular system
continuation from hearts lining
supported by a basement membrane in larger vessels
internal elastic CT lamina for stretch/recoil
tunica media
middle and bulkiest layer
smooth muscle with sheets of elastin
small ctrl by NS for vasoconstrict/dilate
bears the cheif responsibility for maintaining BP and continuous Blood circulation
tunica externa
tunica adventitia
outermost layer with elastin in large arteries
has loosely woven collagen to protect/reinforce/anchor the vessel to surrounding structures
vasa vasorum in larger vessels
a syst of tiny vessels (vessels of the vessels)
to nourish the more external tissues of the BV wall
vasoconstriction
the narrowing of BV resulting from the contraction of their tunica media to reduce blood flow and increase blood pressure
vasodilation
the widening of the BV from the relaxation of the smooth muscle cells in vessel walls
increases blood flow and decreases blood pressure
types of arteries
elastic
muscular
arterioles
elastic arteries
help propel blood even when ventricles are relaxed
accomodate a surge of blood and function as a pressure reservoir
elastic fibers recoil pushing blood forward
located very close to the heart
aorta- 2nd pump of blood
muscular arteries
distributing arteries that take blood to various parts of the body, located further from the heart (most of the named arteries)
more smooth musc than elastic fibers in tunica media
vasoconstrict/dilate to adjust rate of BF
has an elastic lamina on the face of the tunica media
internal diameter ranges .3mm-1cm (little finger to pencil lead)
arterioles
smallest of arteries
larger ones have all 3 layers
more smooth muscle; few elastic fibers in TM
close to the capillaries- have endothelial cells on smooth muscle
terminal arterioles
metarteriole- last one before capillary bed, emerges from an arteriole
vasoconstriction/dilation
capillary bed
exchange vessels
slow blood flow because total cross sectional area is the largest to give nutrients time to diffuse
has 1 cell layer of endothelial cells with a basement membrane
metarteriole has a precapillary sphincter
controls blood flow into capillary bed
endothelial cells can release chemicals such as nitrous oxide to cause vasodilation
thoroughfare channel
intermediate bt capillary/venule
capillaries
have endothelial cells with spider shaped pericytes scattered along the outside (smooth muscle like cells that stabilze the capillary wall)
have some traits of a stem cell that decrease chances of epithelial cells from dying
continuous capillaries
plasma membrane of endothelial cells forming a continuous tube with tight junctions interrupted by intercellular clefts (gaps bt neighboring cells)
cells usually have pinocytoticvessicles to ferry fluids accross the wall
examples: skeletal, smooth, lungs, gi, skin, brain
fenestrated capillaries
window
has small pores in plasma membrane and are covered by a delicate membrane, (more permeable)
has basement membrane and pericytes
examples: kidneys, endocrine glands, villi of SI
sinusoid capillaries
discontinuous
very wide lumen with spaces between endothelial cells and lacking a complete basement membrane
thin cell layer
large intercellular clefts and fenestrations-blood flows very slowly through these bc endothelium is not continuous
kupffer cells- large macrophages that form part of the lining
remove and destroy contained bacteria
examples: liver, spleen, parathyroid glands, red bone marrow
easy access
veins
have all 3 layers
larger lumen with thinner walls than artery
thinner tunica interna- just endothelium w basement membrane
valves-modified endothel layer to point towards heart like SL valves catch blood (most in limbs)
tunica media is almost gone few smooth muscle and elastin fibers
tunica externa is thickest
longitudinal bundles of collage fibers and elastic network
largest veins have longitidinal bands of smooth muscle
varicose veins
when valves in veins break down or are incomplete
caused by failure to properly close and standing alot
venules
formed by the merging of capillaries
consist of only endothelium tunica intima
post capillary venules are smallest and extremely porous so WBC can cross tissue lines
larger venules have one or two layers of smooth muscle cells
tunica externa is closer to veins
2 mechanisms veins use to pump blood to the heart
skeletal muscular
respiratory