Circulatory System Flashcards
3 major components of the circulatory system
Divided into 3 major components:
- Blood vascular system
- Lymphatic system = returns tissue fluid back to the bloodstream
- Hemopoietic Organs/Tissues = blood cell producing structures
Circulation of blood in tetrapods
- Heart pumps blood to (a) lungs for oxygenation (pulmonary circulation - right side) and (b) the rest of the body (systemic circulation - left side).
- Arteries take oxygenated blood from heart to rest of body, branch to become smaller distally.
- Capillaries are small thin-walled vessels, generally receive blood from arteries, empty to veins
Gas and nutrient exchange occur across walls.
- Veins return blood from the tissues to the heart, merge to become larger as they approach heart.
In some cases, veins supply a second capillary bed = portal system
Describe the basic cross-sectional structure of a blood vessel
Inside to outside orientation:
- Tunica Intima (interna) = consists of simple squamous endothelium + subendothelial CT (areolar with reticular fibers) + internal elastic membrane
- Tunica Media = composed of concentric layers of smooth muscle (cardiac muscle in aorta as it exits heart) and fenestrated elastic membranes. Some small vessels may lack this layer.
- Tunica Adventitia = consists of outer elastic membrane (ill-defined) surrounded by lamellated CT. Contains blood vessels in larger arteries and veins (vasa vasorum).
Describe the categorization of arteries.
Customarily divided into 3 groups, but actually get continuous reduction in size away from heart.
Large Elastic Arteries
Muscular Arteries (small to medium-sized)
Arterioles
Muscular artery
relatively thick tunica media, lumen relatively small and oval/round.
arterioles
everything reduced, stress is less therefore less elasticity necessary
elastic arteries
large increase in elastic tissue in walls since have high stress due to high blood pressure
forms flat sheets of fibers with pores (= fenestrated membranes)
really thick, think of the aorta
Vein categorization
Also customarily divided into 3 groups
Sinus = expansion of veins, covers wide area
Medium-sized Veins
Venules
Medium vein
thinner-walled than artery; lumen larger and usually oblong
venules
everything is reduced
thin T. adventitia, may lack tunica media
large vein/sinus
tunica media is virtually pure smooth muscle
very little CT
T adventitia is proportionately thicker
Artery/vein comparison
Artery:
Lumen is 1/2 wall thickness and oval
Maintains rigidity
inner elastic membrane is heavy
Vein:
lumen larger, relative to wall, oblong.
collapses without blood
inner elastic membrane is slight and not distinct.
General info about capillaries: size of capillaries? What are they made of?
lumen: 8-10 um
up to 30 um
thin walled vessels
Walls consist of endothelium + basal lamina+ thin sheath of delicate collagen and reticular fibers in larger capillaries
What are the 3 types of capillaries
continuous
fenestrated
sinusoidal
continuous capillaries
endothelial cells provide uninterrupted lining with well-developed basal lamina
Tight junctions don’t extend all around periphery, allows passage of small molecules.
Found in lung, muscle, skin, etc.
fenestrated capillaries
endothelial cell cytoplasm contains pores, closed by a thin diaphragm except in glomerulus of kidney
Diaphragm formed by fibrils that radiate toward pore center but leave small (5-6 nm) wedge-shaped channels
Found in intestinal mucosa, endocrine glands, glomerulus
INCREASE EXCHANGE OF DISSOLVED THINGS
Sinusoidal capillaries
arger lumen; irregular walls with wide gaps between endothelial cells
Found in liver, bone marrow, spleen
PROMOTES CELLULAR EXCHANGE
What makes up the lymphatic system
lymphatics and lymph nodes
lymph vessels
look like small to medium-sized veins without RBCs
tunics somewhat less distinct