Module 3 Section 2 - Blood Vessels Flashcards
What are the 5 types of blood vessels you need to know
Arteries
Arterioles
Capillaries
Venules
Veins
What do the arteries carry
Blood from the heart to the rest of the body
What is said about the structure of the artery
Thick muscular walls
Elastic tissue
Inner lining (endothelium) is folded
Narrow lumen
What type of blood do arteries carry
All carry oxygenated blood with the exception of pulmonary arteries which take deoxygenated blood to the lungs
What is the purpose of the thick and muscular walls and elastic tissue
To stretch and recoil as the heart beats, which helps maintain high pressure
What is the purpose of the endothelium being folded
Allows artery to expand - helps it maintain high pressure
What do arteries branch into
Arterioles
Arterioles are…
Smaller than artieries
What is the structure of an arteriole
Layer of smooth muscle but less elastic tissue
What is the purpose of smooth muscle for Arterioles
The smooth muscle allows them to expand or contract thus controlling the amount of blood flowing to tissues
What do Arterioles branch into
Capillaries
Capillaries are….
The smallest blood vessel
What are examples of substances that get exchanged between cells and capillaries
Glucose and oxygen
Capillaries have been adapted for
Efficient diffusion e.g. their wall are only one cell thick
What do capillaries connect to
Venules
What is the structure of the Venule’s walls
Thin walls that contain some muscle cells
What do Venules join together to form
Veins
What do veins carry
Blood back to the heart
Under what pressure do veins take blood back to the heart
Low pressure
What is the structure of veins
Wider lumen
Very little elastic tissue or muscle tissue
Contains valves
What type of blood do veins carry
All veins carry deoxygenated blood with the exception of pulmonary veins which take oxygenated blood from lungs back to the heart
What is the purpose of the valves
To prevent the back flow of blood
Blood flowing through the veins is helped by what
The contraction of body muscles surrounding them
What surrounds the cells in tissues
Tissue fluid