Microanatomy 1 Cardiovascular Flashcards
what are the three levels of the majority of blood vessels minus the capillaries
tunica intima
tunica media
tunica adventitia
what is the function of the tunica initma
- Regulates the transport of substances from the lumen into vessel wall
- Controls clotting as it secrets soluble factors
- Enables migration of white blood cells through expression of cell adhesion molecules
what is the structure of the tunica intima
- It is a layer of loose connective tissue
- Most exterior it as an internal elastic lamina which separates it from the tunica media
- Internal lamina is a well-defined fenestrated sheet of elastin
- Fenestrations allow diffusion to happen
what is the structure of the tunica media
- Circularly arranged smooth muscle which contracts regulating blood flow
- Supporting extracellular matrix with collagen fibres and elastic fibres
- Elastic fibres make up the external elastic lamina separating the tunica media from the tunica adventitia
what is the structure of the tunica adventitia
- Loose connective tissue
- Larger vessels of the vasa vasorum – these are the nutrient arteries and vein providing a blood supply to the outer walls of the larger blood vessels
what are the layers of the heart wall
endocardium
myocardium
epicardium
what is the structure of the endocardium
- innermost layer
- it has supporting highly elastic fibrocollagenous tissue
what is the function of the endocardium
- Allows stretch and prevents damage to the lining epithelium during heart movement
what is the structure of the myocardium
- Middle layer
- Made up of cardiac myocytes
- Intercalated junctions
- Supported by fibrocollagenous tissue with extensive vascularisation
what is the structure of the epicardium
- Outer layer
- Fibrocollagenous tissue
- Large amounts of adipose tissue that carries coronary arteries and autonomic nerves supplying the heart with an outer mesothelium (visceral pericardium)
what does ischaemia result from
- Results from an imbalance between supply of oxygen and other nutrients and their demand therefore there is a reduction in supply or an increased demand
what type of reduction in supply can cause ischaemia
- Mechanical obstruction of blood flow (for example thrombus or arteritis of coronary arteries)
- Decreased flow of oxygenated blood for example by anaemia or hypotension
what type of increase in demand can cause ischemaeia
- Increased cardiac output for example thyrotoxicosis
- Cardiac hypertrophy
what Clincal syndromes associated with ischaemic heart disease
- Angina – chest pain at times of increased myocardial demand
- Myocardial infarction – heart attack, tissue necrosis due to loss of blood supply
- Sudden cardiac death – due to development of cardiac arrhythmia
ischeamic heart disease is the….
single leading cause of death, usually due to the atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries with superimposed thrombus formation
how is a Myocardial infract repaired
- After an MI necrotic cardiac muscle is replaced by a fibrous scar tissue
- Between 24-72 hours an acute inflammatory response is stimulated with infiltration of neutrophils to the site
- Organisation of the site occurs with granulation tissue comprised of cellular and vascularised loose connective tissue that replaces the myocardial tissue
- Dense collagenous scar is formed over a period of weeks to months
- Compensatory hypertrophy of surviving cardiac muscle may occur
what are the two types of arteries
elastic
muscular
describe the structure of elastic arteries
- dominant amount of elastin and little amount of smooth muscle in the tunica media
- Undergo expansion with each systole of the heart, on relaxation of the heart the elastic recoil helps propel the blood through the vessels maintain blood pressure
what are the elastic arteries
- Include the aorta, brachiocephalic, pulmonary, common carotid and other major arteries
what is the structure of the tunica media in elastic arteries
- Consists of concentrically arranged fenestrated elastic sheets which merge with the internal and external elastic laminae (aorta has 50-75 sheets)
- Smooth muscles cell and collagen are between the fenestrated elastic sheets, the smooth muscle cells synthesise both elastin and collagen fibres
what is the structure of the tunica adventitia in elastic arteries
– loose connective tissue carries the vasa vasorum of the large vessels
what does orcein stain do
stains the fenestrated elastic sheets are stained brown and collagen stained yellow
describe the structure of muscular arteries
- diameter decreases as we follow them more peripherally
- total cross section area increases this leads to a fall in blood pressure - this even outs the differences in systolic and diastolic pressure
- elastic decreases in the arteries
- it is medium to small sized
- has a lot of smooth muscle in the tunica media
- forms the main distributing branches of the arterial tree
what are the examples of muscular arteries
- Femoral, radial, coronary, cerebral arteries
describe the structure of the tunica intima in muscular arteries
- the connective tissue layer is reduced compared to elastic arteries