Short Term Control of Blood Pressure Flashcards
What does blood pressure measure?
Pressures within the cardiovascular system during the pumping cycle of the heart
How is MAP calculated?
Mean arterial pressure = cardiac output (CO) x total peripheral resistance (TPR)
What is MAP the driving force behind?
Pushing blood through the circulation
Why does MAP have to be regulated?
Too low - syncope (fainitng)
Too high - hypertension
What is used for short term control of blood pressure?
The autonomic nervous system
What detects short term change of blood pressure?
Baroreceptors located in aortic arch and carotid sinus
What physical component do the baroreceptors actually detect?
Stretch
What happens when pressure increases in the arteries?
Increased pressure leads to walls of arteries stretching, baroreceptors detect that change and there is an increased firing rate of action potentials
Vice-versa
What is the integrating centre?
Medulla oblongata
What happens when there is a rise in blood pressure?
- Aortic and carotid blood baroreceptors stimulated
- Increased input to the cardiovascular centre
3a. Parasympathetic activity increased to heart
3b. Sympathetic activity inhibited to heart
3c. Sympathetic activity inhibited to blood vessels
Decreased cardiac output
Vasodilation of blood vessels
Blood pressure falls
What happens when there is a fall in blood pressure?
- Aortic and carotid blood baroreceptors inhibited
- Decreased input to the cardiovascular centre
3a. Parasympathetic activity to heart inhibited
3b. Sympathetic activity increased to heart
3c. Sympathetic activity increased to blood vessels
Increased cardiac output
Vasoconstriction of blood vessels
Blood pressure rises
What stimulation increases blood pressure?
Sympathetic stimulation
What stimulation decreases blood pressure?
Parasympathetic stimulation
When do neurons in baroreceptors increase their firing rate?
When the carotid sinus and aortic arch are stretched
Early in systole when there is a rapid increase in pressure
When is there a high and low firing rate of neurons?
High - increased pressure
Low - decrease in pressure
What nerve do aortic arch baroreceptors send their signals up?
Vagus nerve
What nerve do carotid sinus baroreceptors send their signals up?
Glossopharyngeal nerve