Blood Vessels and Circulation Flashcards
5 classes of blood vessels
arteries
arterioles
capilleries
venules
veins
arteries
carry blood away from heart
high pressure
thicker tunica media than tunica externa
small lumen
arterioles
are smallest branches of arteries
little or no tunica
have thin or incomplete tunica media
regulate the distribution of flow of blood to capillary beds
capillaries
small blood vessels
location of exchange between blood and interstitial fluid
venules
collect blood from capillaries
veins
return blood to heart
lower pressure (works against gravity)
thinner: tunica externa thicker than tunica media
larger lumen
has valves
largest blood vessels
pulmonary trunk
aorta
smallest blood vessels
capillaries
tunica externa
outermost layer
elastin and collagen strengthens,
anchor contains nerves and tiny blood vessels

tunica media
middle layer
circular smooth
vaso-constriction/dilation

tunica intima
innermost layer
endothelium
minimize friction

lumen
interior opening of the vessel

capillary network
capillary bed or capillary plexus connect 1 arteriole and 1 venule
capillary sphincter
guards entrance to each capillary
opens and closes, causing capillary blood to flow in pulses
vasomotion
bloodflow in capillary beds constantly change routes

medium sized veins
thin tunica media and frew smooth muscle cells
tunica externa with longitudinal bundles of elastic fibers
large veins
have all 3 tunica layers
thick tunica externa
thin tunica media
vein valves
folds of tunica intima prevent blood from flowing backward
compression pushes blood toward heart

capillary bed:
at arterial end
fluid moves out of capillarie
into interstitial fluid
capillary bed:
at venous end
fluid moves into capillary
out of interstitial fliud
excess fluid in capillary bed goes in _________________
the lymphatic vessel
systolic pressure
peak arterial pressure during ventricular systole
diastolic pressure
minimum arterial pressure during diastole
pulse pressure
difference between systolic pressure and diastolic pressure
vasodilation
the relaxation of arterial smooth muscle enlarging the lumen