BLOOD VESSELS

PULMONARY CIRCULATION

ARTERIES
VEINS

CAPILLARIES

SYSTEMIC CIRCULATION
Marieb, Human Anatomy and Physiology, 7 th edition
 ARTERIES
 transport blood
under high pressure
 high velocity flow
 8x less distensible
than veins
 transport blood away
from the heart
 carry oxygenated
blood
ELASTIC ARTERIES

 a.k.a. large-sized
arteries or conducting
arteries
 ↑ elastic tissue and
smooth muscle
 pressure fluctuations
MUSCULAR ARTERIES

 a.k.a. medium-sized
arteries or distributing
arteries
 (+) elastic tissue and
↑ smooth muscle
RESISTANCE ARTERIES

 a.k.a. small-sized
arteries
 ↓ elastic tissue and
↑ smooth muscle
 stopcocks (control
conduits) of the
vascular system
CAPILLARIES
 endothelial cells, basement
membrane
 (-) smooth muscle and (-)
elastic tissue
 tight junctions, fenestrations
(pores), intercellular cleft and
and pericytes
 Total area exceeds 6300 m2 and
1 µm thick
 non pulsatile flow
CONTINUOUS CAPILLARIES

FENESTRATED CAPILLARIES

SINUSOIDAL CAPILLARIES

TYPES OF CAPILLARIES
 Hydraulic conductivity of capillaries in
various parts of the body
(Ganong, Medical Physiology 2001)

Organ Conductivity Type of Endothelium

Brain (except CVO) 3
Skin 100
Skeletal muscle 250 Continuous
Lungs 340
Heart 860
GIT (intestinal mucosae) 13,000 Fenestrated
Kidney (glomerulus)
Liver
Bone marrow
Endocrine glands Sinusoidal
Lymphoid tissue
(Marieb, Human Anatomy and Physiology)
 VEINS
 Transport blood
Great veins
under low pressure.
 no valves, thin and easily
 distended
8x more distensible
than arteries
Venules
  no valves, walls slightly
transport blood
thicker than capillaries
towards the heart
 carry deoxygenated
blood.
Basic Theory of Circulatory Function
 Rate of blood flow to each tissues is almost
always precisely controlled in relation to the
tissue needs.
 The cardiac output is controlled mainly by
the sum of all the local tissue flows.
 In general, the arterial blood pressure is
controlled independently of either local
blood flow control or cardiac output control
Structural and Functional Differences of Various
Blood Vessels
Lumen Diameter and Wall Thickness
Vessel Lumen Diameter Wall Thickness

Aorta 2.5 cm 2 mm

Medium-sized 0.4 cm 1 mm

Arteriole 30.0 μm 20 μm

Capillary 5.0 μm 1 μm

Venule 20.0 μm 2 μm

Vein 0.5 cm 0.5 mm

Great vein 3.0 cm 1.5 mm

Review of Medical Physiology by Ganong

23rd edition
 BLOOD DISTRIBUTION

Vessel % of blood
volume
Systemic 84 %

Arteries 13 %

Arteriole 1-2 %

Capillary 5%
Veins 64 %
(54 %)

Pulmonary/Heart 16 %
Lungs 9%

Heart 7%
Total Cross Sectional Area

Vessel Areas (cm2)

aorta 4.5 (2.5)
medium-sized 20.0
arterioles 400.0 (40)
capillaries 4500.0
venules 4000.0 (250)
veins 40.0 (80)
great veins 18.0 (8)
Pressure
Blood Flow Velocity
Resistance to Blood Flow
 Vascular Distensibility

1 ml
= ----------------------------
1mmHg X 10 ml

= 0.1 per mmHg or 10 mmHg

Systemic and pulmonary circulation Vein Distensibility

distensibility Systemic veins = Pulmonary veins
Veins > Arteries Arterial Distensibility
Pulmonary > Systemic
 Vascular Compliance / Capacitance

Vascular Compliance = Distensibility X Volume

Guyton, Medical Physiology, 11th edition

BLOOD PRESSURE
 force exerted by the
blood per unit area of
the vessel wall
(pressure is exerted
equally in all
directions).
Blood Pressure in the Various
Parts of the Systemic Circulation
 Mean Blood Pressure
 average pressure in any segment of the

cardiovascular system during cardiac cycle.

 Arterial Blood Pressure

 blood pressure in the arterial side of the

vascular system conveniently written as systolic

pressure over diastolic pressure ( N.V. 100
-130 / 70 - 90 mmHg )
Arterial Blood Pressure
 Systolic pressure
 highest pressure attained in the aorta as a result of the
ejection of blood by the ventricle.
(N.V. 100 - 120 mmHg )

 Diastolic pressure
 is the lowest pressure which the gradient of fall reaches
during the resting or diastolic phase of the heart.
( 70 - 80 mmHg )
Pulse Pressure
 is the difference between the systolic and
diastolic pressure. (SP – DP = 40 mmHg)
 factors that affect pulse pressure (SV/C)
 Stroke volume
 Compliance of arterial tree
Mean Arterial Blood Pressure
 represents the average pressure attained in
the arterial system during the cardiac cycle.

MAP = Diastolic Pressure + 1/3 pulse pressure

Diastolic Pressure + ( Systolic – Diastolic pressure )

MAP = -----------------------------------------
3
Arterial Blood Pressure

ABP = CO X TPR
 CO   ABP
 TPR   ABP

CO = SV X HR

EDV - ESV
ABP = CO X TPR

SV X HR

EDV - ESV
 RESISTANCE
. L
R  ------------
r4
a) viscosity
 hematocrit
 amount of protein in the blood
b) length
c) radius
 vasoconstriction /vasodilatation
 EDV
 SV  CO  ABP

 ESV

 Blood viscosity
 Vessel length  TPR  ABP

 Vessel radius
Methods of Measuring Blood Pressure
A. Direct Method
B. Indirect Method
a) Auscultatory Method
b) Palpatory Method

increased pressure ----------- HYPERTENSION

decreased pressure ----------- HYPOTENSION