Blood Vessels

Heart
11/18/09
Blood
vessels
Blood

Outline Function of blood vessels

• Function and structure of blood vessels

Veins: Arteries:
• Arteries, Capillaries and Veins
carry blood carry blood
• Hepatic Portal Circulation towards away from
• Fetal Circulation heart heart

Capillaries: exchange

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 Structure of blood vessels Vessels: arteries

3 layers Function: carry blood away from heart

1. Tunica intima: endothelieum 3 types:
2. Tunica media: muscle, elastic 1. elastic
3. Tunica externa: collagen
2. muscular
lumen

3. arterioles
Except capillaries

Atherosclerosis Vessels: capillaries

Function: exchange between vessels and tissue
What: clogging of arteries
form of arteriosclerosis clogged artery
3 types:
Risk factors: lifestyle, family history 1. continuous
Effects: hypertension, aneurysms, myocardial 2. fenestrated
infarcts (“heart attacks”)
3. sinusoids

Capillary beds

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 Vessels: veins Circulation
Function: carry blood towards the heart
Pulmonary
Features:
- Low pressure Coronary Hepatic portal
Veins
- Thin walls
Venules - Valves Systemic

Varicose veins
Fetal

Hepatic Portal Circulation Fetal Circulation

Veins from digestive system to liver • 2 umbilical arteries
stomach
spleen
• 1 umbilical vein  IVC  right atrium
Liver Liver

2 shunts (bypasses) for the lungs:

Splenic
vein
1. foramen ovale: right to left atrium
Hepatic spleen
Inferior
stomach
2. ductus arteriosus: pulmonary
portal mesenteric
vein
intestines R L trunk to aorta
vein Superior
mesenteric
Small
vein
intestines
Large
intestines

Table 19.12c

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 Fetal Circulation
Summary
Birth
• foramen ovale  foramen ovalis • Arteries, capillaries and veins have layers
• ductus arteriosus  ligamentum arteriosum and specific functions.
• Hepatic portal circulation serves the
Congenital heart defects digestive system and liver.
• Patent foramen ovales: opening • Fetal circulation serves the fetus and is
remains, L ventricle works harder modified after birth.
• Patent ductus arteriosus: duct
remains, not enough oxygenated
blood to body

Circulation Physiology
Quiz
Blood flows through the body.

What causes blood to flow?

What affects blood flow?
How do we exchange nutrients?

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 Overview Blood flow
• Blood flow: volume of blood flowing in a
• Blood flow
given period (mL/min)
• Blood pressure: arterial and venous
• 2 factors affect blood flow
• Blood pressure regulation
• Capillary exchange
1. Blood pressure 2. Blood resistance
1. Viscosity
2. Vessel length
3. Vessel diameter

Blood flow Arterial blood pressure

• Systolic pressure: L ventricle contracts,
Change in blood into aorta, elastic walls
ΔP Pressure expand (120 mm Hg)
Flow F=
R Resistance • Diastolic pressure: aortic valve close,
aortic pressure drops (70-80 mm Hg)

Pressure Flow
Resistance Flow Hypertension: high blood pressure (140/90)

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 Arterial blood pressure Venous blood pressure
• Pulse pressure = systolic – diastolic pressure
• Problem: pressure too low to return blood
• Mean arterial pressure (MAP) =
• Solutions:
diastolic pressure + 1/3 (pulse pressure) 1. Respiratory pump
2. Muscular pump

Fig. 19.12
Fig. 19.6
Fig. 19.7

Blood pressure regulation: Blood pressure regulation:

Short term neural
cardiac centers
Vasomotor center
in medulla Decrease HR
Brain (neural) Hormones and CO

Baroreceptors: vasodilation
Blood pressure stretched

pressure too high lower pressure

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 Blood pressure regulation: Blood pressure regulation:
neural hormonal
cardiac centers
• Adrenal medulla hormones:
Vasomotor center – Norepinephrine (NE)
in medulla ? – Epinephrine
vasoconstriction
• Angiotension II
Blood pressure
• Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
Chemoreceptors: vasoconstriction
detect chemicals
• Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) vasodilation
Low O2, high CO2 increase pressure
Blood pressure

Blood pressure regulation:

long term
Capillary Exchange

• Blood volume change • Blood velocity: fastest at arteries and

– blood volume = blood pressure slowest at capillaries (large area).
– blood volume = blood pressure

Kidney maintains balance:

1. alters blood volume
2. renin-angiotension mechanism

Fig. 19.14

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 Capillary exchange: Capillary exchange:
gases and nutrients bulk fluids
Determined by two forces
• Exchanging O2, CO2, nutrients and waste
1. Hydrostatic pressure (HPc)
between blood and interstitial fluid
2. Colloid osmotic pressure (OPc)
• Diffusion
Net filtration pressure (NFP) = HPc - OPc
1. membrane
2. intercellular cleft
3. fenestrations OPc = 25 mm Hg
4. vesicles
capillary HPc = 35 NFP = 10 mm Hg
mm Hg
Fig. 19.16

Summary Next time

• Blood flow is determined by blood pressure
and resistance.
• Blood pressure can be regulated the brain
and hormones for short term and kidney for
long term.
Breathing!
• Capillary exchange occurs by diffusion for Respiratory system
gases and nutrients and net filtration
pressure for bulk fluids.