Human Histology Midterms

Endocardium
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
▪ Lined by endothelium.
Blood Vascular System
➢ Underneath is a thin subendothelial layer
▪ Heart
(contains collagen and elastic fibers and some
▪ Blood Vessels
smooth muscles)
o Arteries
o Blood capillaries ▪ Subendocardial layer
o Veins
➢ Connects the myocardium to subendothelial
Lymphatic Vascular System layer.
➢ Contains veins, nerves, branches of impulse-
▪ Lymphatic capillaries
conducting system.
▪ Larger lymphatic vessels
▪ Thoracic duct and right lymphatic duct

HEART

➢ Muscular organ that is rhythmically contracting

➢ Weight in normal adult
o Females: 250-300 g
o Males: 300-350 g

◆ 4 chambers

o Right and left atria

o Right and left ventricles

◆ Walls of the heart have 3 layers.

o Endocardium
o Myocardium
o Epicardium
Cardiac Valves

➢ Central core of dense fibrous tissue (collagen and

elastic fibers)
➢ Lined on both sides by endothelium.
➢ Bases of valves attached to annuli fibrosi

◆ Types

➢ Atrioventricular, pulmonary, aortic

valves

◆ Function

➢ Prevent the reflux of blood during

relaxation of heart.
Human Histology Midterms
BLOOD VESSELS

❖ Arteries
❖ Capillaries
❖ Veins

▪ Macrovasculature

➢ Vessels >0.1 mm in diameter

➢ Large arterioles, muscular and elastic arteries,
muscular veins

▪ Microvasculature

➢ Visible only under the microscope (<0.5 mm)

➢ Small arterioles, capillaries, post-capillary
venules.
➢ Important site of exchange between blood
and surrounding tissues.

Blood Vessels 3 Layers

Myocardium ❖ Tunica intima
❖ Tunica media
➢ Middle and thickest layer
❖ Tunica adventitia
➢ Cardiac muscles arranged in layers which insert into
fibrous skeleton.
➢ Responsible for
o Pumping blood through the circulation Tunica Intima
o Conduction of impulses ➢ Lined by endothelium supported by subendothelial
Epicardium layer of loose connective tissue.
➢ In arteries, internal elastic lamina (elastica interna)
➢ Corresponds to the visceral layer of the pericardium. o Forms the boundary between the tunica
➢ Covered by mesothelium. intima and tunica media.
o The subepicardial layer of loose CT contains o Composed of elastin
veins, nerves, adipose tissue. o Has gaps that allow diffusion of substances
to nourish the deeper layers.

Tunica Media

➢ Middle layer of circular smooth muscles

➢ Variable amounts of elastic fibers, reticular fibers,
proteoglycans and glycoproteins
➢ In arteries, has external elastic lamina (elastica
externa)
o Forms boundary between tunica media and tunica
adventitia.

Tunica Adventitia

➢ Outer coat
➢ Consists principally of type I collagen and elastic
fibers.
Human Histology Midterms
Vasa Vasorum
➢ Aka “vessels of the vessel”
➢ Blood supply to blood vessels
➢ Numerous in the adventitia of large vessels
➢ Supply blood to adventitia and outer part of tunica
media
➢ More frequent in veins than arteries
▪ Arterioles
▪ Small Artery
▪ In both, tunica adventitia very thin
▪ Important segment of the circulation
Classification of Artery
❖ Elastic artery
❖ Muscular artery
❖ Small artery and arterioles
Elastic Artery or Conducting Artery
➢ Large elastic arteries
➢ Thicker intima
➢ Internal elastic lamina not clear
➢ Numerous elastic fibers in the tunica media
➢ Lumen is larger while wall is thinner.
➢ Include the aorta and its large branches.
Muscular or Distributing Artery
➢ Medium-sized arteries
➢ Intima with very thin subendothelial layer
➢ Prominent internal elastic lamina
➢ Less elastic fibers and more smooth muscles.
Small Artery and Arterioles
o 10-100 um in diameter with narrow lumen
o Very thin subendothelial layer; internal elastic
lamina absent; media with 1 or 2 circular
smooth muscles
o 0.1-1mm in diameter ; Tunica media more
developed with larger lumens
o The principal component of the peripheral
resistance to flow that regulate blood
pressure.
Blood Capillaries
➢ Small endothelial tubes that connect arterioles to
venules
➢ Average diameter 4-10 um
➢ Wall is composed of simple squamous
(endothelium) resting on a basal lamina.
➢ Scattered along the outside are cells called
pericytes.
o Perivascular contractile cells
o Possess long branching processes that
extend circumferentially around each
capillary.
o Well-developed actin and myosin
o Help propel blood through the capillaries.
➢ Pericyte functions
o Help propel blood through the capillaries.
o After tissue injury can proliferate and
differentiate to form smooth muscles
when capillaries are transformed into
arterioles or large venules
Human Histology Midterms
Blood Capillaries 3 Types Veins

❖ Continuous type ▪ The majority of veins are small (0.1-mm) or medium-

❖ Fenestrated type sized (1-10 mm) in diameter.
❖ Sinusoidal (discontinuous) ▪ Wall has 3 layers.
➢ Intima with thin subendothelial layer
Continuous Capillaries ➢ Media with small bundles of smooth muscles
➢ Aka tight capillaries ➢ Well-developed adventitia
➢ Endothelium forms a thin uninterrupted layer
around the capillary. ▪ Structural differences with arteries
➢ Allows regulated exchange of materials. ➢ Veins have less smooth muscle fibers and
➢ Found in all types of muscles, CT, exocrine glands, elastic fibers.
nervous tissue. ➢ Boundaries of the layers are not very distinct.
➢ The thickest coat in the veins is the tunica
Fenestrated Capillaries adventitia.
➢ Presence of valves
➢ Visceral capillaries
➢ endothelial cells are penetrated by numerous small Large Veins
circular openings or fenestrations.
➢ Basal lamina is continuous. ➢ Diameter of >10mm
➢ Found in kidneys, small intestine, choroid plexus, ➢ Veins close to the heart.
endocrine glands. ➢ Well-developed intima
➢ Relatively thin tunica media
Sinusoidal Capillaries (Discontinuous) ➢ Thick tunica adventitia
➢ Capillaries have wider diameter. Large and Medium Veins
➢ Endothelial cells are separated by wide spaces.
o have large fenestrae without diaphragm. ➢ Veins have valves especially numerous in the
veins of the legs.
➢ Basal lamina discontinuous ➢ Consist of paired semi-lunar folds of tunica intima
➢ Found in the liver, bone marrow and spleen, some ➢ Prevent backflow of blood
endocrine glands.

Postcapillary Venules

➢ 10-100 um diameter
➢ Contains pericytes and scattered smooth muscle
cells.
➢ are the primary site at which white blood cells
adhere to endothelium and leave the circulation
at sites of infection or tissue damage.
Human Histology Midterms