Circulatory Flashcards
Name the types of Blood Vessels.
- Arteries
- Arterioles
- Capillaries
- Venules
- Veins
Common Structure of Arteries & Veins: 3 vessel Wall layers (External to Internal)
- Tunica Externa (Adventitia)
- Tunica Media
- Tunica Interna (Intima)
What is the Tunica Externa (Adventitia) composed of?
Elastic and Collagen Fibers (Connective Tissue)
What is contained within the Tunica Externa (Adventitia)
- Nerves of the vessels
- Vasa Vasorum
What is the Vasa Vasorum (found in the Tunica Externa)?
Small vessels that transport O2 and nutrients to cells of blood vessel walls
This layer of the vessel helps anchor it to the surrounding tissue.
Tunica Externa (Adventitia)
This layer within the Tunica Media is only found in Arteries.
External Elastic Lamina
What purpose does the External Elastic Lamina serve?
- Separates the tunica media from tunica externa
- Thin sheet of elastic fibers
- Variable number of window-like openings (facilitate diffusion of materials through tunica externa to tunica media)
This layer within the Tunica Media is found in Arteries and veins.
Smooth Muscle (some elastic fibers) Layer
What purpose and functions does the Smooth Muscle Layer of the Tunica Media have (Blood Vessels)?
- Regulates diameter of vessel lumen
- Innervated by sympathetic nerve fibers
- Contracts and relaxes for blood flow regulation as needed. (Vasoconstriction and Vasodilation)
- Contracts vessel when damaged to limit blood loss
This layer of the blood vessel has direct contact with blood as it flows through the lumen.
Tunica Interna (Intima)
What are the layers of the Tunica Interna (Intima)?
- Internal Elastic Lamina Layer (Arterial)
- Basement Membrane Layer (Arterial, Venous)
- Endothelial Cell Layer (Arterial, Venous)
This layer of the Tunica Interna is only found in arteries and not veins?
Internal Elastic Lamina Layer
Give the characteristics of the Internal Elastic Lamina Layer?
- Separates tunica interna from tunica media
- Thin sheet of elastic fibers
- Variable number of window-like openings (Facilitate diffusion through tunica interna to tunica media
The Basement Membrane of the Tunica Interna (Intima) is also called?
Subendothelial Layer
Give the characteristics of the Basement Membrane.
- Provides physical support for epithelia layer
- Network of collagen fibers
- Anchors endothelium to underlying connective tissue
- Helps regulate molecular movement
- Guides cell movement during tissue repair of blood vessels.
What is the purpose of the collagen fibers in the Basement Membrane of the Tunica Interna serve?
- Provides significant tensile strength
- Allows for some stretching and recoil
What is the inner most layer of the Tunica Interna (Intima)?
Endothelium
Name the characteristics of the Endothelium of the Tunica Interna.
- Lining of the lumen of the vessel
- Continuous with endocardial lining of the heart
- Reduces blood cell damage (smooth)
- Reduce Friction of blood flow (Increased efficiency)
- Secretes chemical mediators that influence contractile smooth muscle in tunica media
- Assists with capillary permeability
Name the layers and sublayers of each for arterial vessels. External to Internal
Tunica Externa (Adventitia) -1 layer- elastic and collagen fibers Tunica Media -External Elastic Lamina -Smooth Muscle Layer Tunica Interna -Internal elastic lamina layer -Basement Membrane Layer -Endothelial Cell Layer
Name the layers and the sublayers of each for venous vessels.
Tunica Externa (Adventitia)
-1 layer- elastic and collagen fibers
Tunica Media
-Smooth muscle and elastic fibers
Tunica Intima (Interna)
-Basement Membrane Layer
-Endothelial Cell Layer
Characteristics of Arteries?
- Transport blood from the heart to the tissues of the body
- Thicker Tunica Media layer than veins
- Elastic fibers lending to high compliance (Walls stretch and expand easily in response to pressure increases/decreases)
What are the two major types of arteries?
Elastic
Muscular
What type of artery has the largest diameter lumen?
Elastic arteries
Name the elastic arteries.
Aorta, Pulmonary Trunk, Brachiocephalic, Subclavian, Common Carotids, Common Iliac
How thick is the vessel wall on an elastic artery?
Thin (1/10th total diameter)
What is within the Tunica Externa (Adventitia) of Elastic Arteries?
Fibroblasts, Nerve Fibers, and Vasa Vasorum (Blood Vessel Network)
What differences are found in the Tunica Media Layer of Elastic Arteries when compared to other arteries?
- More Elastic Lamellae (elastic Fibers)
- More collagen fibers
- Minimal Smooth muscle
What differences are found in the Tunica Intima Layer of Elastic Arteries?
Endothelial and Myointimal Cells with supporting layer of elastin rich collagen
Elastic Arteries are the first place this develops.
Atherosclerosis
What purpose do Elastic Arteries serve?
- Propel blood onward while ventricles are in diastole (Walls expand accounting for surge of blood in the Aorta)
- Elastic fibers recoil and convert stred (potential) energy into kinetic energy propelling blood forward)
Expansion of Elastic Arteries creates a momentary storage of mechanical energy called?
Pressure Reservoir
Elastic Arteries are also know as?
Conducting Arteries (Conduct blood from the heart to medium sized muscular arteries
Give some examples of Muscular arteries?
Brachial, Femoral, Axillary
Muscular arteries are also known as?
Distributing Arteries
Size range for muscular arteries?
Pencil size (Femoral, Axillaries) to 0.5mm diameter
What difference is found in the Tunica Externa layer of muscular arteries when compared to elastic arteries?
Tunica Externa is thicker
-Contains fibroblasts, nerve fibers, some collagen and elastin
What differences are found in the Tunica Media Layer of Muscular Arteries?
- Contains much more smooth muscle and less elastic fibers
- Artery is capable of greater vasoconstriction and vasodilation
- Helps adjust rate of blood flow
The Tunica Intima consist of what in Muscular Arteries?
Basal Lamina and Endothelial Cells
Muscular Arteries have a reduced ability to what? Do to the reduced amount of elastic fibers
Propel Blood
What layer of Muscular arteries perform the majority of work?
Tunica Media- large amount of smooth muscle (maintains a state of partial contraction)
The state of partial contraction is called?
Vascular/Vasomotor Tone (Stiffens vessel walls and helps maintain vessel pressure and efficient blood flow)
Define: Anastomoses
Union of branches of two or more arteries supplying blood to the same region of body
What is the alternate route an anastomoses creates called?
Collateral Circulation
Where else might Anastomoses occur?
Veins, Arterioles, and venules
What are arteries that do not anastomose called?
End-Arteries
Obstruction of end arteries cause interruption of blood supply to tissue/organs and cause damage called?
End-Organ/Artery Damage
Give the characteristics of Arterioles.
- Microscopic
- Approx 400 million
- Diameters 15micron to 300micron
- Very rich in smooth muscle
- Wall thickness 1/2 of total vessel diameter
- 7.5micron to 150micron
In Arterioles the Tunica Externa consist of?
- Areolar Connective Tissue containing abundant unmyelinated sympathetic nerves
- Local chemical mediators
The unmyelinated sympathetic nerves and chemical mediators found in the Tunica Externa of Arterioles is responsible for what?
Altering the diameter of the arterioles. This will vary the blood rate and resistance through these vessels
Arteriole Tunica Media Layer characteristics.
Thin- 1-2 layers of muscle cells
Tunica Intima of Arterioles is?
Thin
Arterioles are also known as?
Resistance Vessels
Which vessels play a key role in resistance?
Arterioles
What causes the resistance within Arterioles?
Vasoconstriction (smaller diameter lumen) increases blood rubbing against vessel wall causing an increase of friction (greater resistance)
Arterioles regulate blood flow to what part of the Circulatory system?
Systemic Capillary beds and thus what comes out of capillary system
A high rate of firing from the sympathetic nerve fibers in arteries will cause?
Vasoconstriction
A low rate of firing from the sympathetic nerve fibers in arteries will cause?
Vasodilation
What “keeps pressure in the system”, by helping to stretch the walls of arteries during heart contractions?
The back pressure created by constricting arterioles
Vasoconstriction and Vasodilation of arterioles plays what role in regards to blood pressure?
Vasoconstriction- Increased BP
Vasodilation- Decreased BP
What connects arterioles to the capillary network?
Metarterioles
What are the characteristics of Metarterioles?
- Do not have a true tunica Media (Metarteriole-Capillary junction, single smooth muscle cell forms a ring)
- Encircling smooth muscle acts as pre-capillary sphincter
What is the Metarteriole-Capillary Junctions (Precapillary Sphincter) role in blood flow?
Regulates blood flow into capillaries that branch from Metarteriole and in response to stimuli contracts reducing the size of the lumen or closes it completely
What are the smallest blood vessels found in the body?
Capillaries
What diameter will capillaries have?
5-10 microns
The size of a capillary will force blood cells to do what?
- Blood cells are often 8microns, may fold over and pass “single file” through capillaries
- Allows time for nutrient exchange
How extensive is the capillary network within the body?
- Approx.. 20 billion
- Forms enormous surface area to make contact with cells of the body
Capillaries are the union between?
Arterial and Venous Blood
What do Capillaries consist of?
Single endothelial cell layer and basement membrane
This single endothelial cell layer and basement membrane in capillaries allows for what?
Nutrient, gas, and waste diffusion to and from tissue interstitial fluid/tissue cells
Capillaries lack what components typically found within blood vessels?
Tunica Media and Tunica Externa
What is Microcirculation?
Flow of blood from Metarteriole through capillaries and into postcapillary venules
Capillaries are also know as?
Exchange Vessels
These are found near almost every cell in the body?
Capillaries
What is significant about Muscles, The Brain, Liver, Kidneys, Nervous System in regards to capillaries?
The higher metabolic demand increase the capillary network
Where are capillaries absent?
Avascular Substances
- Cornea - Lens of eye - Cartilage
Define: Capillary Beds
Network of 10-100 capillaries that arise from a single metarteriole
What occurs in the Capillary Bed when tissues are at rest and when tissues are active?
- At Rest- small portion of capillary network receives blood because need for metabolic exchange is low
- Active- whole capillary bed opens in order to increase efficiency of metabolic exchange
What is Vasomotion?
Contraction and relaxation of pre-capillary sphincters
Contraction and relaxation of pre-capillary sphincters (Vasomotion) occurs how many times a minute?
5-10 times per minute
What importance does Vasomotion serve for the capillary beds?
- Regulates blood flow through capillary beds insuring all capillary beds receive blood flow during rest
- prevents tissue from becoming ischemic without vasomotion
Vasomotion is mostly due to release of what from where?
Chemicals released by endothelial cells such as nitric oxide
Metabolic Theory of Auto-regulation refers to?
Metarteriole Sphincters constrict to all capillaries except one creating a Thoroughfare Channel directly from arteriole to venule, bypassing majority of capillary bed.
Thoroughfare Channel of arterioles to venules due to metarteriole sphincter constriction may occur due to?
- Hemorrhage
- Increase Stroke Volume (Exercise)
Name the types of Capillaries.
- Continuous
- Fenestrated
- Sinusoids
Most capillaries are of which type?
Continuous
Characteristics of continuous capillary.
Plasma membranes of endothelial cells form continuous tube interrupted only by intercellular clefts (gaps between neighboring endothelial cells)
Continuous capillaries are found where in the body?
CNS, Lungs, Skin, Muscle Tissue
Characteristics of Fenestrated Capillaries.
Plasma membranes have many fenestrations allowing for easier diffusion
Fenestrated Capillaries are found where in the body?
Kidneys, Villi of Small Intestine, Choroid Plexuses of Ventricles of Brain, Ciliary Processes of the eyes, most Endocrine Glands
Characteristics of Sinusoids Capillaries.
- Wider and more winding than others
- Incomplete or absent basement membranes
- May have unusually large fenestrations
- Very Large intercellular clefts allowing some proteins and even blood cells to pass from tissue into blood
- Specialized lining cells adapted to function of the tissue
Give an example of Sinusoids Capillaries that allow blood cells to pass from tissue into blood.
New formed blood cells pass from bone marrow into blood stream
Give an example of Sinusoids Capillary that contain specialized lining cells.
Liver Sinusoids capillary contain phagocytes cells that remove bacteria and other debris
Sinusoids Capillaries can be found where in the body?
Spleen, Anterior Pituitary, Parathyroid, Bone Marrow, Adrenal Glands
When blood passes from one capillary network to another capillary network this is called?
Portal System
Give examples of where Portal Systems exist in the body?
- Hepatic Portal Circulation (liver)
- Hypophyseal Portal System (Pituitary)
What purpose does the Portal System serve?
- Transports products of one region into another in high concentrations
- Bypasses the heart and therefore systemic circulation
Give an example of the Portal System.
Hepatic Portal System- allows liver to filter blood from the stomach, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, and the mesenteric systems without sending that to the rest of the body
What are Venules?
Small veins that receive blood flow directly from capillary beds. (Post-capillary Venules)
What size are venules?
10-50 microns
What characteristics do the walls of the venules have?
- Smallest venules are very porous allowing phagocytic WBCs to pass through to inflamed or infected tissue
- Significant sites of exchange of nutrients and waste (last site of metabolic exchange)
At what site of the circulatory system does the immune response with WBC’s occur?
Venules
Post Capillary the venules transition into?
Muscular Venules
What differences are seen in Muscular Venules compared to Post-capillary venules?
- Gain 1-2 layers of smooth muscle
- 50-200 micron thickness
- no metabolic exchange
What element/s of the vascular system is most distensible?
Postcapillary and Muscular Venules
These serve as reservoirs for large amounts of blood if needed?
Postcapillary and Muscular Venules
Blood volume increase have been measured in postcapillary and muscular venules up to what amount?
360%
What is the average thickness of venous walls?
1/10th of vessel diameter
Venous wall diameter will range from?
5 micron (small venules) to 30mm (Venae Cavae)
Tunica Externa of the venous system consists of?
Thickest Layer, Collagen and elastic fibers