THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Heart and Vessels

 Basic Structure of Circulatory
System
• Tunica intima
– Endothelium supported by basement membrane
and delicate collagenous tissue.
• Tunica media
– Muscle and CT
• Tunica adventitia
– CT
 Layers of Artery
A medium
sized
muscular
artery,
showing its
layers.

The usual histologic preparations cause the layers to appear thicker than
those shown here; the drawing is actually similar to the in vivo
architecture of the vessel. At the moment of death, the artery experiences
an intense contraction; consequently, the lumen is reduced, the internal
elastic membrane undulates, and the muscular tunica thickens.
 Types of Vessels
• Elastic artery
• Muscular artery
• Arteriole
• Capillary
• Muscular venule, small vein
• Vein
• Muscular vein
 Layers of Aorta
• Tunica intima
– Endothelium
– Collagenous fibers, elastic fibers & elastin sheets
• Tunica media
– Extremely elastic (sheets of elastin), smooth muscle
• Tunica adventitia
– Collagenous, elastic fibers
AORTA: Elastic Artery (x4)
Aorta: Tunica Media (x20)
ELASTIC ARTERY: AORTA
Tunica Media: H&E stain
 Muscular Artery
• Tunica intima
– Endothelium
– Fine collagenous fibers, smooth muscle
– Internal elastic lamina clearly evident
• Tunica media
– Smooth muscle
– Collagenous, reticular, elastic fibers
– External elastic lamina clearly evident
• Tunica adventitia
– Thick collagenous, elastic tissue
Muscular Artery (x4)
Muscular Artery x10
Muscular Artery x10
Muscular Artery (L) vs Elastic
Artery (R)
 Arteriole
• Tunica intima
– Endothelium
– Some CT
– Internal elastic lamina may be present
• Tunica media
– Muscle layer several layers thick
– External elastic lamina may be present
• Tunica adventitia
– Collagenous, elastic CT as thick as tunica media
 Arteriole

Large
Small
Venules
 Veins
• Tunica intima
– Endothelium
– Scant CT
• Tunica media
– Thin muscle layer
– Collagen, elastic fibers
• Tunica adventitia
– Bulk of vessel wall
Vein x10
Vein x10
Muscular Vein
Artery, Vein
 HEART
• Epicardium
– (Tunica adventitia)
• Myocardium
– (Tunica media)
• Endocardium
– (Tunica intima)
• Surrounded by pericardium
HEART
Myocardium and Endocardium
Endo

Myo

Endocardium consists of endothelium which is supported by a

delicate layer of collagenous tissue beneath which lies a
fibro-elastic layer.
HEART
 Epicardium

Mesolthelium (single layer of epithelium) surrounds think layer of

fibro-elastic tissue. Adipose tissue connects epicardium to
Myocardium.