Histology

Question 1

What is the structure of blood vessels?

Answer 1

An innermost epithelium, a middle muscle layer and an outer connective tissue layer
AKA tunica intima, tunica media, tunica externa/adventita

Question 2

What are the three main histological types of arteries?

Answer 2

Elastic
Muscular
Arterioles

Question 3

What are the two types of arteries?

Answer 3

Elastic

Muscular

Question 4

Muscular arteries

Answer 4

Sheet of elastin is now much reduced, and found at the border between the tunica intima and tunica media in a layer called the internal elastic layer (IEL) which can be seen very clearly. Less well defined is the external elastic layer (EEL), between the tunica media and tunica adventitia.

There is a well defined circular layer of smooth muscle in the tunica media.

Question 5

Elastic arteries

Answer 5

Tunica media is broad and elastic with concentric fenestrated sheets of elastin, and collagen and only relatively few smooth muscle fibres.

Tunica intima is made up of an epithelium, which is a single layer of flattened endothelial cells, together with a supporting layer of elastin rich collagen. This layer also has fibroblasts and ‘myointimal cells’ that accumulate lipid with ageing, and the intima layer thickens, one of the first signs of atherosclerosis.

Question 6

What is the difference between the tunica intima of muscular and elastic arteries?

Answer 6

Muscular arteries have the presence of internal elastic lamina

Question 7

What is the difference between the tunica media of musclar and elastic arteries?

Answer 7

Muscular arteries is mainly smooth muscle

Elastic arteries have concentric fenestrated sheets of elastin and only a few smooth muscle fibres

Question 8

What is the difference between the tunica adventitia of muscular and elastic arteries?

Answer 8

Muscular has the presence of vaso vasorum and is a broad layer

Question 9

What is vaso vasorum?

Answer 9

Network of small blood vessels that supplies the walls of blood vessels

Question 10

What type of artery is the aorta and pulmonary trunk?

Answer 10

Elastic

Conducting

Question 11

What type of artery are the radial and femoral arteries?

Answer 11

Muscular

Distributing

Question 12

What type of tissue predominate in the tunica media of arterioles?

Answer 12

Smooth muscle

Question 13

Are elastic arteries conducting or distributing?

Answer 13

Conducting

Question 14

Are muscular arteries conducting or distributing?

Answer 14

Distributing

Question 15

What layer are valves formed from?

Answer 15

Tunica intima of the vessel

Question 16

What type of tissue make up tunica intima?

Answer 16

Epithelial