Lecture 11: The vascular tree Flashcards
What are the control points for distribution of blood into the capillary beds?
Arterioles
What is the hydraulic filter? Function?
Combination of elastic conduits and high resistance terminals
Converts intermittent output of the heart to steady flow to capillaries (smoothing of blood flow)
Importance of compliance of aorta
During cardiac contraction, the aorta expands
During relaxation, the aortic valve closes, allowing maintenance of pressure in the arterial tree.
Potential energy is stored in the aortic wall
What happens if the aortic valve leaks?
Regurgitation
Pressure in the arterial tree is lost
Aorta compliance and ageing
As people get older, their aorta gets stiffer and stiffer (non-expansive)
Normal natural ageing event
What does a rigid aorta result in?
Less compliance
Most stroke volume will flow through the capillaries during systole with minimal flow during diastole.
This is inefficient and makes the heart work harder
What is vessel compliance?
aka Capacitance
Distensibility of a vessel
Increase in volume caused by a given increase in pressure
compliance = delta V / delta P
Effect of age on vessel compliance
Aortic compliance decreases with age. (delta V decreases)
The heart in an elderly person is less able to eject stroke volume into the arterial system, despite normal cardiac function.
Peak arterial pressure occurs progressively later in systole.
The rapid ejection phase is significantly prolonged vs that of a younger person’s arterial system.
Blood pressure throughout the circulatory system
See figure
Why is the minimum pressure in the aorta higher than that of the ventricles?
Aortic valve saves the pressure in the aorta (conserves energy)
Why is there higher systolic pressure in the systemic arteries than the aorta?
Phenomenon referred to as systolic amplification
Causes reflectance of pressure wave
Not completely understood
Why is there a drop in pressure at the arterioles?
Arterioles have a lot of muscle, allow little blood through when constricted
Potential energy is low
What happens to arterial pressure during diastole?
falls slowly as the aorta imparts it’s stored PE back into the system.
Blood continues to flow to the capillaries during diastole.
Why does mean arterial pressure or MAP (dotted lines in diagram) fall by a negligible fraction in the large and medium arteries?
1) They have larger diameter
2) Don’t offer much resistance to flow
3) little frictional drag
MAP as distance from heart increases
MAP decreases with distance from the heart
Blood moves to capillaries down a pressure gradient
Pulse pressure =
Systolic P - diastolic P
MAP =
MAP = Pd + 1/3(Ps-Pd)
Table showing BP in system
- note systolic amplification
See figure
Factors that determine MAP
Physical factors: Mean blood volume and Arterial compliance
Physiologic factors: cardiac output, peripheral resistance
What is blood volume?
A product of cardiac output and the rate of outflow from arteries to the resistance vessels
What is a pressure wave?
During cardiac ejection (a relatively violent event) a pressure or pulse wave
is transmitted down the aorta and its branches, with a relative velocity that is several times faster than actual blood flow.
What does taking the pulse at the wrist detect?
Detection of pressure wave and is due to the movement of the arterial wall as it absorbs the shock of cardiac systole
Variation of volume of pressure wave
Varies inversely with vascular compliance
How is the arterial blood pressure measured?
By a sphygmomanometer
Rubber bad is wrapped around upper arm over the brachial artery
One tube connects the inside of the bag with a manometer containing mercury
Another tube connects the inside of the bad to a hand operated pump and a release valve
How to use a sphygmanometer
Air is pumped into the rubber bag until the pressure in the cuff is greater than the pressure in the artery during systole
Artery is now closed during systole AND diastole
By releasing the valve, the pressure in the cuff is gradually reduced until maximum pressure in the artery just overcomes pressure in the cuff. Some blood begins to spurt through during systole, but artery is still closed during diastole
At this point, faint, rhythmic tapping sounds begin to be heard through the stethoscope
The height of mercury in millimetres is taken as the systolic blood pressure
Pressure in the cuff is reduced still further until it is just less than the lowest pressure in the artery towards the end of diastole. Blood flow is unimpeded during systole and diastole and the sounds stop. The height of the mercury indicates the diastolic blood pressure.
What are capillaries?
tubes of endothelial cells that branch from the arterioles
sites of O2 and nutrient exchange between the blood and cells.
Abundance of capillaries
Very abundant
Offer large surface area
How does exchange occur in the capillaries?
By diffusion
Enhanced by large surface area and increased time for diffusion (low velocity)
RBCs slowly squeeze through the thin-walled capillaries
See figure
Resistance of flow in capillaries vs arterioles
Resistance of flow is low in capillaries