Physiology Flashcards
What are the factors which affect venous pressure?
- Gravity
- Muscle Pump
- Respiratory pump
- Venomotor tone
- Systemic filling pressure
How does gravity affect venous pressure?
When lying, pressure gradients are created between the hand and the heart and the feet and the heart. These gradients roughly equate to 10-20 mmHg.
When standing, the venous pressure in the head drops another 20-30 mmHG, whereas the venous pressure in the feet increases by abouyt 70-80mmHg
Why does EDV reduce when someone intially stands up?
Blood pools in the venous system in the legs
How does the skeletal muscle pump influence venous pressure?
What structure in veins prevents backflow of blood?
Backflow valves
How does the respiratory pump increase venous pressure, and thus move blood into the thorax?
As the chest expands, the diaphragm moves downwards. As a result of this, the thoracic cavity develops subatmospheric pressure. This low pressure decreases pressure in the IVC as it passes through the thorax, which helps draw more blood into the the IVC from the abdomen.
Compression of the abdominal veins also occurs due to a reduction in abdominal cavity volume
How does venomotor tone influence venous pressure?
Veins have some smooth muscle, which, when contracted, increases venous pressure, resulting in increased venous return to the heart.
What is systemic filling pressure, and how does it influence venous pressure?
This is the pressure created by the ventricles. This pressure is transferred thought the vacular tree and into the venous system
What is systolic pressure?
The pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries during systolic phase of the cardiac cycle.
The average is 120 mmHg
What is diastolic pressure?
The pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries during the diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle
The average is 80 mmHg
What is pulse pressure?
The pressure difference between the systolic and diastolic pressure. It represents the pressure increase from diastolic to systolic
How do you calculate mean arterial pressure?
Diastolic Pressure + 1/3(Pulse Pressure)
What is velocity in blood vessels related to?
Total cross sectional area
What happens to flow velocity in a vessel as total cross sectional area increases?
Flow velocity decreases
What happens to flow velocity in a vessel as total cross sectional area decreases?
Flow velocity increases
What is the difference between left ventricular diastolic pressure and aortic diastolic pressure, and why is there a difference?
LV diastolic pressure is closer to 0, whereas the elastic nature of the aorta maintiains around 80 mmHg and acts as a presure reservoir
What pressure is systemic filling pressure?
Approximately 5 mmHg
What happens to the pressure as you get further away from the heart towards the capillary beds?
It decreases
What are characteristics of elastic arteries?
- Wide lumen
- Elastic walls
- Damps down pressure variations - absorbs energy during ejection, recoils durting relaxation
What is an example of an elastic artery?
Aorta
What are the characteristics of muscular arteries?
- Wide lumen
- Non-elastic walls
- Low resistance conduit which allow distribution of blood
What are examples of muscular arteries?
Coronary, radial, femoral arteries
What are the characteristics of resistance vessels?
- Narrow lumen
- Thick contactile wall
- Control resistance and therefore flow - allow redirection of flow
What are examples of resistance vessels?
Arterioles