Overview of CVS Flashcards
What is an elastic artery?
it is an artery with a large number of collagen and elastin filaments in the tunica media, which gives the heart the ability to stretch in response to each pulse
what arteries do the elastic arteries include?
the elastic arteries include the largest arteries in the body, those closest to the heart, and the elastic arteries give rise to the smaller muscular arteries
what is the function of the elastic arteries?
they give rise to medium-sized vessels known as muscular arteries or distributing arteries
what are muscular arteries also known as?
distributing arteries
what are muscular arteries drawn from?
elastic arteries
what do muscular arteries branch into?
they branch into resistance vessels including small arteries and arterioles
what are medium sized arteries?
muscular arteries
under the microscope how can muscular arteries be identified?
they can be identified by their clearly defined internal elastic lamina
what is a resistance artery?
it is a small diameter blood vessel in the microcirculation that contributes significantly to the creation of the resistance to flow and regulation of blood flow
what are resistance arteries usually?
they are usually arterioles or end-point arteries
what are capacitance vessels?
they are vessels, mainly veins, capable of holding and storing blood
what percentage of the body’s blood volume is usually contained into the veins?
between 60-70%
what is the site where most of the blood volume is found?
capacitance vessels
where is regional blood volume regulated?
in the capacitance vessels
what is the result of constriction of the veins?
decrease of venous volume and increase of venous pressure, which alters cardiac output
