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Blood Vessels & Circulation Overview

The document discusses the five classes of blood vessels: arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and veins. It describes the anatomy of blood vessels including their three tunics. It highlights key differences between arteries and veins such as their thickness, elasticity, and presence of valves. The document also examines the histological structure of different types of arteries, capillaries, and veins as well as conditions like arteriosclerosis. In summary, it provides an overview of blood vessel anatomy and classification as well as their distinguishing microscopic features.

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61 views11 pages

Blood Vessels & Circulation Overview

The document discusses the five classes of blood vessels: arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and veins. It describes the anatomy of blood vessels including their three tunics. It highlights key differences between arteries and veins such as their thickness, elasticity, and presence of valves. The document also examines the histological structure of different types of arteries, capillaries, and veins as well as conditions like arteriosclerosis. In summary, it provides an overview of blood vessel anatomy and classification as well as their distinguishing microscopic features.

Uploaded by

prs4774
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Blood Vessels &

Circulation
Lectures 27 - 30
Five Classes of Blood
Vessels
• Artery Large vessel, carries oxygen
rich blood except for pulmonary artery
• Arteriole small artery
• Capillary microscopic blood vessel,
where exchange occurs
• Venule small vein
• Vein Large vessel, carries oxygen
poor blood except for pulmonary vein
Anatomy of Blood Vessels
• Tunica intima composed of:
– Endothelial lining, Connective tissue and elastic fibers
• Tunica media Concentric sheets of smooth muscle
• Tunica externa Connective tissue sheath, can have
collagen and elastic fibers
Differences between
arteries and veins
• Artery • Veins
– Thick walled – Thin walled
– Always stays full – Without blood
open lumen shrinks
– Endothelial lining – Endothelial does
cannot contract, not form folds
folds on – Veins tend to
contraction collapse in X-
– Arteries retain section
their cylindrical – Usually with
shape valves
– Usually no valves
Histological
Structure of
Blood
Vessels
Arteries
• Elasticity allows for diameter change as
blood pressure changes
• Vasoconstriction Contraction of smooth
muscle in blood vessels, very common in all
arteries
• Vasodilation Relaxing or opening of blood
vessel lumen
• Three types of arteries
– Elastic transport large volumes of blood, resilient
due to thick tunica media composed mainly of
elastic fibers,
– Muscular distribution arteries, comprise most
arteries, has more smooth muscle then elastic
fibers
– Arterioles small arteries, small tunica media layer
Arteriosclerosis
• Thickening and hardening of arterial wall
• Two forms:
– Focal calcification
• Degeneration of smooth muscle by calcium salts
– Arteriosclerosis
• Lipid deposits, turns into a plague after monocytes
Capillaries
• Exchange of
nutrients and
waste
• One cell thick
• Endothelial
tube inside of
a basal lamina
• Two types:
– Continuous
has a
continuous
endothelium
– Fenestrated
has a “porey”
endothelium
lining
Capillary Beds
Veins
Distribution of Blood
• Unevenly distributed
• Heart, arteries and
capillaries have 30-
35%
• Venous system has 65-
70%
• Veins are able to
stretch and hold large
quantities of blood,
capacitance vessels
• Serious hemorrhaging
leads to:
– Venodilation
– Decrease to the “not
as important” organs

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