Blood Vessels and Blood Flashcards
What is the largest artery in the body?
Aorta
What are the smaller blood vessels that connect the arteries and capillaries called?
Arterioles
What are capillaries?
Small tubes with the diameter of a single red blood cell that link arterioles and venules
What do blood vessels empty into after the venules?
Veins
What returns blood in the venous portion of the circulatory system to the heart?
Inferior and superior venae cavae
What substances easily pass from capillaries into the cells?
Oxygen and nutrients
What diffuses from the cells into the capillaries?
Waste and carbon dioxide
What components make up blood?
- Red cells
- White cells
- Platelets
- Plasma
What is the primary function of red blood cells?
Transport oxygen to the cells and carbon dioxide away from the cells
What is the role of platelets?
Formation of blood clots
What factors influence blood clot formation?
- Blood stasis
- Changes in the blood vessel wall
- Blood’s ability to clot
What occurs when tissues are injured in relation to blood clotting?
Platelets collect at the site of injury, causing red blood cells to become sticky and clump together
What helps to reinforce the developing clot?
A protein in plasma converts to a threadlike mesh
What is hypoperfusion?
A condition that results from significantly diminished blood volume, leading to shock
What system monitors the body’s needs and adjusts blood flow?
Autonomic nervous system
During an emergency, where does the autonomic nervous system redirect blood?
- Heart
- Brain
- Lungs
- Kidneys
True or False: Blood clots are an important response to control blood loss.
True
Fill in the blank: The _______ system adapts to changing conditions in the body to maintain homeostasis.
Cardiovascular
