Ch 19: Blood Vessels Flashcards
What does the cardiovascular system delivery system consist of?
- Arterties
- Capillaries
- Veins
What are arteries?
Carry blood away from the heart
When does the artery carry deoxygenated?
Pulmonary circulation and umbilical vessels of fetus
What are capillaries?
Contacts tissue cells
What are veins?
Carry blood toward heart
What is lumen?
Central blood containing space
What are the 3 wall layers of vessels?
- Tunica intima
- Tunica media
- Tunic externa (adventitia)
Where is the tunica intima comprised of?
Endothelium that lines lumen of all vessels
What is the purpose of the tunica intima?
- Continuous with endocardium
- Slick surface reduces friction
Where is the tunica media comprised of?
Smooth muscle and elastin
What is the purpose of the tunica media?
Sympathetic vasomotor nerve fibers control vasoconstriction and vasodilation of vessels that influence blood flow and pressure
Where is the tunica externa comprised of?
Nerve fibers and lymphatic vessels
What is the purpose of tunica externa?
- Collagen fibers protect and reinforce
- Anchors to surrounding structures
- Vasa vasorum of larger vessels nourishes external layer
Why are capillaries considered fragile?
Only has an endothelium
How do vessels vary?
- Length
- Diameter
- Wall thickness
What are the components of the arterial system?
- Elastic arteries
- Muscular arteries
- Arterioles
What are the elastic arteries?
Large thick walled arteries with elastin in all three tunics
When are elastic arteries inactive?
Vasoconstriction
What is the purpose for elastic arteries?
Act as pressure reservoirs the expand and recoil as blood ejected from heart
What are muscular arteries?
Distal to elastic arteries that deliver blood to body organs
When are muscular arteries active?
Vasoconstriction
What are muscular arteries comprised of?
Thick tunica media with more smooth muscle
What are arterioles?
Smallest arteries that lead to capillary beds
What is the purpose for arterioles?
Control flow into capillary beds via vasodilation and vasoconstriction
Describe the structure of capillaries
Microscopic blood vessels that has walls of thin tunica intima
What is the function of pericytes?
Help stabilize their walls and control permeability
Describe the diameter of the capillaries?
Allows only single RBC to pass at a time
What are functions of capillaries?
- Direct access to almost every cell
- Exchange of gases, nutrients, wastes, hormones between blood and interstitial fluid
What are the types of capillaries?
- Continuous
- Fenestrated
- Sinusoid
What are continuous capillaries comprised of?
- Tight junctions connecting endothelial cells
- Intercellular clefts allowing passage of fluids and small solutes
What is the function of continuous capillaries?
Complete tight junctions that form the blood brain barrier
What are fenestrated capillaries comprised of?
- Some endothelial cells contain pores (fenestrations)
- More permeable than continuous capillaries
What are the functions of fenestrated capillaries?
Absorption or filtrate formation
What are sinusoids comprised of?
- Fewer tight junctions; usually fenestrated; larger intercellular clefts; large lumens
- Blood flow sluggish – allows modification
Where are sinusoid capillaries found?
Liver, bone marrow, spleen, adrenal medulla
What lines the sinusoid capillaries to destroy bacteria?
Macrophages
What does a vascular shunt do?
Directly connects terminal arteriole and postcapillary venule
What are the qualities of true capillaries?
- 10 to 100 exchange vessels per capillary bed
- Branch off metarteriole or terminal arteriole
What is the purpose for precapillary sphincters?
Regulate blood flow into true capillaries
What regulates blood flow through the capillary beds?
Local chemical conditions and vasomotor nerves
How are venules formed?
When capillary beds unite
Describe the structure of venules?
Smallest postcapillary venules that are very porous allowing fluids and WBCs into tissues
What are veins?
Have thinner walls, larger lumens compared with corresponding arteries
What are capacitance vessels?
Blood reservoirs that contain 65% of blood supply
What are the structures of veins that cause them to have lower pressure than arteries?
Large diameter lumens offer little resistance
What are venous valves’ function?
Prevent backflow of blood
What are venous sinuses?
Flattened veins with extremely thin walls
What are vascular anastomoses?
Interconnections of blood vessels
What is the purpose for arterial anastomoses?
Provide alternate pathways (collateral channels) to given body regions
What is an example of arteriovenous anastomoses?
Vascular shunts
What is blood flow?
Volume of blood flowing through vessel, organ, or entire circulation in given period
How is blood flow measured?
- Measured as ml/min
- Equivalent to cardiac output (CO) for entire vascular system
- Relatively constant when at rest
- Varies widely through individual organs, based on needs
What is blood pressure?
Force per unit area exerted on wall of blood vessel by blood expressed in mm Hg
What is the purpose for pressure gradient?
Provides driving force that keeps blood moving from higher to lower pressure areas
What is resistance?
Measure of amount of friction blood encounters with vessel walls, generally in peripheral circulation
What are the sources of resistance?
- Blood viscosity
- Total blood vessel length
- Blood vessel diameter
What factors of resistance remain constant?
- Blood viscosity
- Blood vessel length
What factors of resistance frequently change?
Blood vessel diameter
How does blood viscosity effect resistance?
- The stickiness of blood due to formed elements and plasma proteins
- Increased vessel = increased resistance
How does blood vessel length effect resistance?
Longer vessel = greater resistance encountered
How does blood vessel diameter effect resistance?
- Greatest influence on resistance
- Varies inversely with fourth power of vessel radius
- Vasoconstriction increases resistance
Why is resistance crucial?
Disrupt laminar flow and cause turbulent flow causing irregular fluid motion
Describe the relationship between blood flow and the pressure gradient
If delta P increases, blood flow speeds up
Describe the relationship between blood flow and peripheral resistance
If R increases, blood flow decreases
What is the importance of R?
Influences local blood flow
What occurs during systemic pressure?
Pumping action of heart generating blood flow