Histology of blood vessels Flashcards
What are the components of the blood vascular system?
elastic arteries muscular arteries arterioles capillaries postcapillary and collecting venules muscular venules muscular veins
What are the three layers of blood vessels?
Tunica intima
Tunica media
Tunica adventitia
What does the tunica intima consist of?
lining of simple squamous endothelial cells supported by a thick layer of connective tissue
bounded by the internal elastic lamina
What does the tunica media consist of?
smooth muscle cells
some collagen and a variable amount of elastin
may be an external elastic lamina
What does the tunica adventitia consist of?
supporting layer of dense, fibroelastic connective tissue
may contain vasa vasorum and nerves
What are elastic arteries?
major distribution vessels closest to the heart
Examples of elastic arteries
aorta, brachiocephalic, carotid, subclavian and pulmonary
how do elastic arteries function?
elastic wall expands to receive blood expelled from the heart during systole
smooth muscle contracts
elastic recoil helps maintain blood pressure during diastole
What is the tunica intima of elastic arteries like?
single layer of squamous endothelial cells
subendothelial collagenous connective tissue rich in elastin
contains fibroblasts and smooth muscle like cells
What is the tunica media of elastic arteries like?
concentric fenestrated sheets of elastin separated by collagen and smooth muscle cells
What is the tunica adventitia of elastic arteries like?
collagenous connective tissue
contains vasa vasorum and a plexus of autonomic nerves
Structure of muscular arteries
thin tunica intima
tunica media almost entirely made of circumferential smooth muscle cells
Elastin reduced to an internal elastic lamina and sometimes less distinctive EEL
function of tunica intima in muscular arteries
withstand pressure
vary lumen diam to regulate flow - smooth uscles do not contract to assist blood flow
how can pressure that can be sustained by artery be measured
proportional to wall thickness / dia
what is the structure of an arteriole like
tunica intima is thin and may contain IEL
tunica media less than 6 layer of smooth muscle cells
insignificant tunica adventitia
what is the main factor in regulation of blood flow
control of flow through arterioles
what happens if you halve the diameter of an arteriole
resistance increases by 16 fold
this is as viscous resistance to flow is inversely proportional to radius^4