The Circulatory System Flashcards
What percentage of blood volume is in systemic circulation?
84%
How much of the blood is in the veins at one time?
64%
How much blood is in arteries at one time?
13%
How much blood is in systemic arterioles/capillaries at one time?
7%
How much blood is in the heart at one time?
7%
How much blood is in pulmonary vessels at one time?
9%
What is the tunica externa comprised of?
Connective tissue
What is the tunica media comprised of?
Smooth muscle
What is the tunica intima comprised of?
Layer of elastin
Basement membrane
Innermost simple squamous endothelium
What is microcirculation?
Arterioles, capillaries, venules
What are elastic arteries?
Conduits
Aorta and large arteries
Numerous layers of elastin fibers which expand when the pressure of the blood rises during systole and recoil when ventricles relax
What are muscular arteries and what is their makeup?
Resistance vessels
Are much less elastic and have a thicker layer of smooth muscle which regulates the diameter of the lumen
What are capillaries?
Exchange vessels
Smallest blood vessels
single layer of endothelium
Permits exchange of nutrients and waste between blood and tissue fluid
What is the diameter of capillaires?
5-10 microns
What are some other ways to describe veins?
Blood reservoirs
Capacitance vessels
What helps venous return?
Skeletal muscle pump and contraction of diaphragm assist
Where are the most vessels found?
Microcirculation
How many capillaries are there?
3 x 10^9
What vessels have the highest cross-sectional area?
Capillaries
Which vessels are wider and by how much: veins or arteries?
Veins have larger cross-sectional areas
~4 times wider than the corresponding arteries
What word can be used to describe veins high cross-sectional areas?
Highly distensible
What is the defintion of blood pressure?
Pressure of blood in the heart/circulatory system exerted outwards onto a unit area of the vessel wall
What is blood pressure measured in?
mmHg
Other units: cmH2O, atm, kPa
How do we calculate the pressure gradient?
P1 - P2 = delta P
What is the rate of blood flow directly proportionate to?
Delta P
What is the mean aortic pressure?
100mmHg
What is the mean venous pressure?
0mmHg
What kind of circulation is the pulmonary circulation?
Low resistance, Low pressure circulation
What is the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery?
20mmHg
What does resistance to blood flow cause?
Reduction in the rate of blood flow through vasculature
What is resistance to blood flow?
Vascular resistance
Friction between blood and walls of blood vessels
Friction from blood cells rubbing against each other (blood viscosity)