Systemic circulation basic concepts only Flashcards
Pulmonary Circulation
blood is pumped from the right atrium to the right evntricle through the pulmonary artery, pulmonary capillaries, and pulmonary vein back to the left atrium
Systemic Circulation
blood is pumped from the left atrium to the left ventricle, through the aora, systemic capillaries, and vena cava and back to the right atrium
Cardiac output (define)
volume of blood per unit time that is pimped out of either the right or left ventricle (for a 70 kg person usually about 5 L/min)
what component of blood influences its viscosity
hematocrit
Aorta and large arteries
greater amounts of elastic in their walls (high elastance) which when changed allows for expansion and recoil
resistance vessels
small arteries, arterioles, and precapillary sphincters - capable of relatively large adjustments in their cross sectional area.
Capacitance vessels
Veins. Ability to accommodate the majority of any blood volume added to circulation . Contraction of smooth muslce in their walls allows blood to be moved form the peripheral venous system pool to the central venous system pool wher eit can be pumped by the heart.
where is blood “storage”
Most blood “storage” is within small veins
Compare the elastance and compliance of arteries and veins
Arteries have greater stiffness (elastance) and less compliance than veins
“unstressed” volume
the blood that “fills” the heart when transmural pressure is essentially zero
what property determines where blood goes
Stiffness/compliance of the vessels
Capacitance
volume of blood in a vessel at a given pressure. Veins have a higher capacitance to store blood (i.e at the same pressure as an artery the vein would contain a higher volume of blood)
Mean circulatory pressure depends on what two factors
total blood volume and compliance of arteries and veins. In humans usally about 7 mmHg
change in vascular cross sectional area
cross sectional area increases with branching
hydrostatic effects
gravity causes lower pressures in the head vessels and higher pressures in the leg and foot vessels