Lecture 12: Venous Blood flow

Question 1

What is compliance in blood vessels?

Answer 1

the extent to which a vessel allows
deformation in response to an applied force

Question 2

Compliance in arteries (high or low)?

Answer 2

Artery : small volume = large pressure (low compliance)

Question 3

Compliance in veins (high or low)?

Answer 3

Vein : large volume = small pressure (high compliance)

Question 4

Describe survival value in veins:

Answer 4

an arterial puncture can cause a loss in arterial blood and arterial pressure thus the veins compensate by venoconstricting, forcing more stored blood into the heart to help compensate for the lost blood and fall in pressure in arteries.

Question 5

What prevents venous pooling?

Answer 5

Venous valves counteract venous pooling. By stopping blood from flowing back down veins maintaining unidirectional flow. Muscle contraction can also help drive blood upwards by squeezing veins. Muscle tone supports the vein, preventing them from expanding.

Question 6

What is Starling’s Law of the Heart?

Answer 6

The more stretched muscle fibres are before a
contraction, the stronger the contraction will be