Unit 4 Flashcards
What are the types of blood vessels in the upper body?
Arteries, veins, arterioles, venules, capillaries
Includes elastic arteries, muscular arteries, and various named arteries and veins.
What is the primary function of arteries?
Move blood away from the heart
Arteries have thicker walls and more elastic tissue to handle high pressure.
What is the primary function of veins?
Return blood back to the heart
Veins have larger lumens and valves to prevent backflow.
What are elastic arteries also known as?
Conducting vessels
They are closest to the heart and under high pressure.
What characterizes muscular arteries?
They have a lot of smooth muscle
Muscular arteries distribute blood to various regions of the body.
What are arterioles also referred to as?
Resistance vessels
They regulate blood flow into capillary beds.
Fill in the blank: Capillaries are known as _______.
Exchange vessels
They allow for the exchange of fluids, nutrients, and waste.
What is the main purpose of venules?
Move blood into veins
They drain blood from capillary beds.
What are the three layers of blood vessel walls?
Tunica interna, tunica media, tunica externa
Each layer has distinct structures and functions.
True or False: Veins have valves.
True
Valves prevent backflow of blood in veins.
What type of tissue primarily composes the tunica interna?
Simple squamous epithelium
Known as endothelial cells.
What do the common carotid arteries supply blood to?
Head and neck regions
They branch into internal and external carotid arteries.
What is the function of the internal thoracic artery?
Distributes blood to intercostal muscles
It branches from the subclavian artery.
What happens to arteries as they branch off from larger vessels?
They become smaller and change names
For example, the axillary artery becomes the brachial artery.
Fill in the blank: The aorta is the first named artery of the _______ circuit.
Systemic
It is the main artery supplying blood to the body.
What type of blood vessel has the thickest walls?
Arteries
They need to withstand high blood pressure.
What type of blood vessel is primarily responsible for nutrient exchange?
Capillaries
Their thin walls facilitate exchange with surrounding tissues.
What is the significance of arterioles in the cardiovascular system?
They regulate blood flow based on tissue needs
Smooth muscle in arterioles can change their diameter.
True or False: The lumen of veins is generally smaller than that of arteries.
False
Veins have larger lumens due to their function as capacitance vessels.
List the branches of the aortic arch.
- Brachiocephalic artery
- Left common carotid artery
- Left subclavian artery
These arteries supply blood to the upper body.
What type of artery is the brachiocephalic artery?
Muscular artery
It branches into the right subclavian and right common carotid arteries.
What is the role of valves in veins?
Prevent backflow of blood
They ensure unidirectional blood flow toward the heart.
What is the primary characteristic of venules compared to veins?
Venules have thinner walls and smaller lumens
They serve as a transition from capillaries to veins.
Fill in the blank: The _______ artery supplies blood to the thyroid and larynx.
Superior thyroid
It branches from the external carotid artery.
What distinguishes the tunica media of arteries from that of veins?
Thicker in arteries
This thickness allows arteries to handle higher pressures.
What happens to blood pressure as blood moves through the arterial system?
It decreases
Blood pressure is highest in elastic arteries close to the heart.
Identify the main function of the subclavian artery.
Supply blood to the upper limb
It branches into arteries that serve the neck and upper extremities.
What is the axillary artery?
An artery that moves towards the armpit distributing blood to upper body structures.
What is the first branching artery off the axillary artery?
Thoracoacromial artery.
What muscles does the thoracoacromial artery supply?
- Pectoral muscles
- Deltoid muscle
What is the function of the subscapular artery?
Distributes blood to the scapula and nearby structures.
What are the two circumflex humeral arteries?
- Anterior circumflex humeral artery
- Posterior circumflex humeral artery
Where does the axillary artery become the brachial artery?
After the circumflex humeral branching.
What does the brachial artery supply?
Blood delivery to the antebrachium.
What are the branches of the brachial artery?
- Lateral radial artery
- Medial ulnar artery
What region does the radial artery supply?
Lateral antebrachial region.
What region does the ulnar artery supply?
Medial antebrachial region.
True or False: The merging pattern of veins is more consistent than that of arteries.
False.
What is the relationship between deep veins and arteries?
Deep veins tend to pair with similarly named arteries.
What is the superior vena cava’s function?
Returns blood back to the heart by draining into the right atrium.
What regions does the superior vena cava drain?
All body structures superior to the diaphragm, excluding the lungs and heart wall.
What forms the superior vena cava?
The merging of the left and right brachiocephalic veins.
How do the internal jugular veins and subclavian veins function?
Internal jugular veins drain the brain; subclavian veins receive blood from superficial head regions and upper limbs.
What is an anastomosis?
The merging of blood vessels where the blood within them combines.
What is the median cubital vein?
An anastomosis between the cephalic and basilic veins.
What do the cephalic and basilic veins drain?
The upper limb.
What are the superficial veins that merge with deep veins in the upper limb?
- Cephalic vein
- Basilic vein
What is the function of the vertebral vein?
Follows the same path as its corresponding artery and drains similar structures.
What key structures do the external jugular vein drain?
Structures that the external carotid artery distributes to.
Fill in the blank: The _______ artery is a conduit for blood delivery to the antebrachium.
brachial
What are the three layers found in blood vessels?
- Tunica intima
- Tunica media
- Tunica externa
What is the primary difference between arteries and veins in terms of blood flow?
Arteries carry blood away from the heart, while veins carry blood back to the heart.
