19/4/22, 17:49 Vascular physiology - AMBOSS

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Q = blood flowLearning Radar
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R = vascular resistance
Vascular physiology Hemodynamics
Blood flow
Blood flow is driven by cardiac activity pumping blood through the circulatory system.
Volume of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system per minute = cardiac
output (CO)
Rate of blood flow = blood flow / total cross-sectional area of the blood vessel

The capillaries have the largest total cross-sectional area of all blood vessels
(4,500–6,000 cm2) and, therefore, have the slowest body velocity (0.03 cm/s).
The aorta, on the other hand, has the smallest cross-sectional area (3–5 cm2) but
the highest blood velocity (40 cm/s).

Laminar and turbulent blood flow

Blood flow in vessels is either laminar or turbulent depending on the smoothness of the
blood vessel walls, the viscosity of the blood, the blood velocity, and the diameter of the
lumen.
Laminar blood flow
Definition: a layered flow pattern
Effect: The layer with the highest velocity flows in the center of the vessel lumen.
Reynolds number: low
Occurrence: throughout the vascular system
Turbulent blood flow
Definition: a chaotic flow pattern
Effects
Increases vascular resistance
Promotes thrombus formation
Creates murmurs (e.g., bruits in a stenotic vessel)
Reynolds number: high
Occurrence
Vessels with a large diameter (e.g., aorta)
High viscosity
Low viscosity (e.g., anemia)
Vascular bifurcations
Vascular stenosis

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