cardiovascular system Flashcards
what is the structure of elastic arteries
- large diameter
- thick wall
- close to heart (e.g aorta and pulmonary artery)
- tunica media has high elastin content in numerous concentric elastic laminae, , which can stretch and recoil to propel blood
- vasa vasorum for O2 and nutrient supply
what is the function of elastic arteries
conducting (ie they stretch in response to pulses to propel blood)
what is the structure of muscular arteries
- tunica media has more smooth muscle (for vasoconstriction and vasodilation)
- vasa vasorum in dense CT of tunica adventitia
- further from heart (e.g radial, femoral, brachial arteries)
what is the function of muscular arteries
distributing (ie they draw blood from the elastic arteries and branch into resistance vessels)
what is the function of venous valves
they prevent back flow by opposing and collapsing > unidirectional flow of blood
describe lymphatic vessels
- they start blind
- lymph drains into lymph nodes > transported back to heart
- have valves
what are the two types of circulation
pulmonary and systemic
what drives blood flow
pressure
what components does the systemic circulatory system consist of
aorta, muscular arteries, small arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, medium veins, large veins, IVC + SVC
what is the general wall plan of a blood vessel
tunica intima / tunica media / tunica adventitia
function of arteries
deliver blood from heart to tissue
function of veins
return blood from tissues to heart
tunica intima
- innermost
- endothelium (simple squamous epithelium, antithrombogenic)
- basement membrane
- CT
- IEL
tunica media
- middle layer (thickest in arteries)
- smooth muscle > luminal diameter
- elastic lamellae
tunica adventitia
- outermost (thickest in veins)
- fibrous CT (abundant collagen)
- EEL
- smooth muscle IN VEINS
- vasa vasorum (O2 supply and nutrients)
what are arterioles
resistance vessels
- thick wall relative to luminal diameter
- tunica media = most prominent > varies vessel diameter > regulates blood flow through capillaries
what are venules
collect blood from capillaries
- tunica intima reduced to only endothelium
- thin tunica media
- small venules have pericytes which are contractile cells that regulate blood flow through microvasculature
- large venules have smooth muscle and CT
what are medium veins
blood reservoir due to high capacitance
- thin wall and irregular lumen
- valves
- low muscle in tunica media
- tunica adventitia broadest
what are large veins
- no valves
- no IEL
- no EEL
- high collagen in prominent tunica adventitia prevents over distension
arteries VS veins
- high pressure VS low pressure
- pressure reservoir VS blood reservoir
- 100% blood capacity VS 30-70%
- no valves VS valves
- more muscle in media VS less muscle in media
- thinner adventitia VS thicker adventitia
- small lumen, thick wall VS large lumen, thin wall
what are capillaries
smallest vessels > site of exchange
what is the wall structure of capillaries
endothelium, basal lamina, pericytes
endothelial cells in capillaries
- thin to maximise exchange
- intercellular tight junctions
- pinocytotic vesicles (transport across endothelium)
what are the 3 types of capillaries
continuous, fenestrated, sinusoidal
describe continuous capillaries
no gaps between endothelial cells > slower exchange but more selective