Week 4 - Circulatory system Flashcards
What are the circulatory vessels?
Arterial system - arteries, arterioles
Venous system - Veins, venules
Capilliaries
Describe the arterial system
High pressure system delivering blood away from the heart.
Arteries - carry blood away from heart
Arterioles - Smallest branches of arteries that lead to capillary beds
BP regulation
Capillary Bed
Smallest blood vessels with thin walls
Location of exchange between blood and interstitial fluid.
Venous System
Venules - smallest branches of veins that collect blood from capillaries
Veins - Return blood to heart
Three layers of blood vessels
Tunica intima
Tunica media
Tunica externa
Describe Tunica intima
Encompasses
Endothelial Lining
Connective tissue layer
Internal elastic membrane (Arteries) providing passive elasticity to the tunica intima.
What is the role of Endothelium?
Release vasoactive substances which affect vascular tone, BP and blood flow.
Maintains vasular homeostasis.
Vasodilators (Nitric Oxide)
Vasoconstrictors (Endothelin)
Describe the Tunica Media
Middle layer - contains concentric sheets of smooth muscle in loose connective tissue elastic fibers in arteries, collagen in veins.
Encircles the endothelium that lines the lumen (interior space) of the blood vessel
Binds to inner and outer layers.
External elastic membrane (arteries)
Separates tunica media from tunica externa.
Describe the Tunica externa (outer layer)
Anchors vessel to adjacent tissues
contains - collagen fibers, elastic fibers, smooth muscle cells (in veins)
Vasa vasorum (vessel of vessels)
Small arteries and veins in walls of large arteries and veins, serve cells of tunica media and tunica externa.
Three types of artery
Elastic artery
Muscular artery
Arteriole
What is a capillary?
Endothelial tube, inside thin basement membrane
No tunica media
No tunica externa
Diamater is similar of a RBC
Continuous, fenestrated and sinusoid types.
Describe a continuous capillary
Found in all tissues except epithelia and cartilage
Have complete endothelial lining
Permit diffusion of water, small solutes, and lipid soluble materials
Block blood cells and plasma proteins
Specialised continuous capillaries in CNS and thymus
Have very restricted permeability, for example blood brain barrier.
Describe a fenestrated capillary
Have pores in endothelial lining
Permit rapid exchange of water and larger solutes
Found in: Choroid plexus
Endocrine organs
Kidneys
Intestinal tract
Describe a sinusoid (capillary)
Have gaps between adjacent endothelial cells
Permit free exchange of water and large plasma proteins.
Found in: Liver
Spleen
Bone marrow
Endocrine organs
Phaghocytic cells monitor blood at sinusoids.
Capillary Structure and function
Capillary beds (capillary plexus)
connect one arteriole and one venule
Precapillary sphincter - guards entrance to each capillary, opens and closes, causing capillary blood to flow in pulses
Thoroughfare channels - direct capillary connections between arterioles and venules.