Cardiovascular Physiology Flashcards
structure of blood vessels walls
3 layers (except capillaries)
-tunica intima
-basal membrane; fenestrated., endothelial cells protrude to tunica media and provides communication
-tunica media- SMC, 2 proteins elastin and collagen to protect against over stretch
-adventitia - more collagen, fibroblasts for more SMC production
-vasa vasorum - blood supply for vessel and nerve inn.
Elastic Arteries
25mm
eg aorta to accommodate SV pushed out by heart
elastin in walls to be able to stretch, walls push against it in elastic recoil
low compliance
aortic valve
elasticity maintains diastolic pressure in arterial system and contributes to after load of CO
pressures generated on RHS lower than pulmonary
conduit arteries
more muscular, feed blood to smalle arteries of organs
thick wall prevent compression
dense noradrenergic innervation of sympathetic vasoconstrictor fibres that cause VC when active
small arteries/arterioles
0.2-1.0mm
-resistance vessels where pressure falls sharply from one end to the other
-dense symp. noradrenergic inn that can effectively close off blood flow
-terminal arterioles determine no.of capillaries
-withdrawl of symp activity->vasodilation to reduce resistance to BF anf incr perfusion to cap beds
-has own basal tone and symp inn - blood pressure
capillaries
4-7uM
single layer of endothelium
exchange eg solutes and gases
little resistance to flow
describe filtration across capillaries
-balance on hydrostatic pressure in the capillary, tissue pressure in cap and tissue pressure surrounding, colloid osmotic pressures and extracellular forces
can be leaky therefore water moves into tissue - edema
infection and capillary role
infection in tissues - chemotaxins released from damaged tissues
chemicals diffuse across the endo that attract and activate WBCs
when activated, neutrophils stick to endo and separate neighbouring endothelial cells
podocytes extend through gap, neutrophils squeeze through to get to site of infection
venules
-intima, thin media and adventitia
-semilunar valves
-more than arterioles
-low resistance
-2/3 of BV - vary as they are distensible and sympathetic noradrenergic innervation
-when active venoconstriction can route a greater volume of blue back to heart/RA
- aided by muscle pump
left ventricular pressures
systole: 120mmHg
diastole: 80mmHg
pre capillary pressure
50mmHg
pulse pressure =
difference between systolic and diastolic pressures
mean arterial pressure =
=diastolic pressure + 1/3 pulse pressure (93mmHg)
what is larger systemic or pulmonary pressures
systemic, as resistance to flow in the pulmonary circulation is much lower than the systemic
innervation of Blood Vessels
sympathetic vasoconstrictor innervation that releases noradrenaline to cause vasoconstriction
features of vascular SM
-myosin and actin cross bridge and tension
-no sarcomeres as no Z line
-individual cells small. long and thin
-interconnected by gap junctions (electrical conduction and contract in sync)
-underlying rhythmical contractions (pacemaker cells)
-forces generated smaller than skeletal and maintained for longer
contraction of smooth muscle
relies on an increase in the intracellular concentration of Ca2+
Poiseuille’s Law
flow of a liquid is directly proportional to the viscosity of blood and length of vessel, inversely proportional to the 4th power of the radius of the vessel
the radius of vessel and resistance
resistance to flow is acutely sensitive to changes in radius
eg small decrease in radius - large increase in resistance, consequent reduction in flow
nervous activity and resistance
-highly influenced by sympathetic nerve activity
-release of NA causes SM contraction, increasing resistance and decreasing bloodflow
-symp withdrawl causes vasodilation and increased flow
arterial pressure =
(SV x HR) x TPR
arterial pressure equation shows….
driver pressure for flow across vascular beds is influenced by the resistance offered by all the blood vessels, especially the terminal arterioles of all the different tissues in the systemic circulation
alterations of individual contributions of the different tissues will alter the TPR and flow
extrinsic vascular control concept
balance between dilator and constrictor influences acting on vascular SM that alters resistanced and dlow
balance = basal tone
what are extrinsic vascular control influences
nervous control and circulating hormones
intercellular Ca
where does increase in Ca concentration come from
2 sources in smooth muscle
influx from surrounding extracellular fluid through receptor-operated and voltag operated calcium channel or from release from the internal stores of the SR
what opens and closes Ca channels
membrane depolarisation - open
hyperpolarisation - close
sympathetic vasoconstrictor control
-most important element of BP control
-AP in postganglionic nerves can release NA along with other co-transmitters
describe the sympathetic neuroeffector junction
post ganglionic nerve branch as they reach the adventitia and varicosities are apparent that contain transmitter-filled vesicles
branches permeate outer layers of SM
no specialisations
adrenergic receptors are distributed all over SM so when transmitter is released it diffuses and interacts with receptors all around varicosities
sympathetic innervation
classic symp NTs - Ach @ symp ganglionic synapse and NA @ neuroeffector junction
-some act on PS synaptic memb of target tissue
-others act on symp nerve terminals they are released from
-2 main adrenergic receptor subtypes alpha and beta
adrenal medulla
releases adrenaline
circulation to an organ depends on:
intrinsic/local factors
autoregulation, mechanical compression
extrinsic/external factors - nervous and hormonal
autoregulation
ability of an organ to maintain blood flow despite changes in perfusion pressure
occurs in absence of extrinsic factors
intrinsic factors: myogenic, metabolic, endothelial