Blood circulation

Dr AA Adebesin,
Anatomy BMS N114 X4130
 Cardiovascular system-CVS
 The cardiovascular system consists of the heart
and blood vessels
 blood is circulated through the body
 waste matter excreted into the blood
 heart → arteries → tissues → veins → heart
 Connection between arteries and veins
 Capillary vessels (nutrient and gas exchange)
 2 circulatory systems can be distinguished
 The systemic circulation
 The pulmonary circulation
 CVS-Blood circulation
• The essential components of the human
cardiovascular system are the heart, blood and
blood vessels
• There are three types of blood vessels: arteries,
veins, and capillaries
• Blood under high pressure leaves the heart and
is distributed to the body by a branching system
of thick-walled arteries.
• The final distributing vessels, arterioles, deliver
oxygen-rich blood to capillaries.
 Blood circulation
• Capillaries form a capillary bed, where the
interchange of oxygen, nutrients, waste
products, and other substances with the
extracellular fluid occurs.

• The heart is a dual suction and pressure pump

that propels blood through the infinite double
loop formed by the pulmonary and systemic
circuits
Structure of the blood vessels
The tunics
 Structure of the blood vessels
The tunica externa, (or adventitia), is the
outermost layer of a blood vessel, surrounding
the tunica media. It is mainly composed of
collagen and is supported by external elastic
lamina.

The collagen serves to anchor the blood vessel to

nearby organs, giving it stability.

It also contains nerves (Vasa nervorum) that

supply the vessel as well as nutrient capillaries
(vasa vasorum) in the larger blood vessels.
The tunica media or middle coat (the thickest
layer): has circularly arranged elastic fibre,
connective tissue, polysaccharide substances.

The tunica media is distinguished from the inner

(tunica intima) by its colour and by the transverse
arrangement of its fibres.

In the smaller arteries, it consists principally of

plain muscle fibres in fine bundles, arranged in
lamellae and disposed circularly around the
vessel.
These lamellae vary in number according to the
size of the vessel; the smallest arteries having
only a single layer, and those slightly larger three
or four layers.

These vascular smooth muscles control the

calibre of the vessels

It is this coat that determines the thickness of the

wall of the artery,
Exceptions: arteries of the cranium and vertebral
column.
.
The tunica intima or intima (the thinnest layer)
It is the innermost layer of an artery or vein.
It is made up of a single layer of simple squamous
endothelial cells glued by a polysaccharide
intercellular matrix.

There is a thin layer of subendothelial connective

tissue interlaced with a number of circularly
arranged elastic bands called the internal elastic
lamina

The endothelial cells are in direct contact with the

blood flow
The arteries and veins have similar structures,
with veins having reduced tunica media than the
arteries

Capillaries consist of little more than a layer of

endothelium and occasional connective tissue.
Aorta displays the highest elasticity, as it branches into smaller
arteries, elasticity decreases and compliance continues to
increase with length.
Endothelial function is known to improve significantly with exercise
and right diet.
Venous wall
Arterial wall

• A key and quantifiable feature of endothelial dysfunction is the

inability of arteries and arterioles to dilate fully in response to an
appropriate stimulus such as nitric oxide that stimulates release
of vasodilators from the endothelium.
 The blood vessels
• There are 3 types of blood vessels
– Arteries
– Veins
– Capillaries
 Arteries
 Carry blood from the heart and distribute it to
the body
 Blood passes through arteries of decreasing
caliber
 Different types of arteries, depends on
 Overall size
 Amount of elastic tissue in wall
 function
 Gradual change in morphological
characteristics from one type to another
 Arteries

 No valves
 Have branches
 3 types of arteries
 Elastic or conducting arteries
 many elastic layers in walls
 aorta, arteries that originate from aortic arch and pulmonary
arteries
 Muscular or distributing arteries
 walls consist mainly of smooth muscle fibres
 ability to decrease diameter (vasoconstricts)
 most of the named arteries (brachial, femoral)
 Arteries

 Small arteries or arterioles

 smallest branches of arteries
 contain relatively more smooth muscle
 results in a changing circumference of the
vessels
 amount of blood flowing to an area can be
increased or decreased
 Anastomosis
 communication between blood vessels
 Arterial anastomosis
 potential detours for blood flow
 in case the usual pathway is obstructed
 Provides collateral circulation - ensures the
blood supply to structures distal to the blockages
 Arteriovenous anastomosis
 forms a detour for arteries
 possible for arterial blood to bypass the
capillaries to the venous side of the circulation
 lips, nail bed and nose
 Anastomosis
 End arteries
 supply certain tissues or organs without
anastomosing with the arteries of adjacent regions
 Occlusion of end artery will cause death of that
tissue (retina of the eye)
 Terminal arteries
 final branches of an artery
 Collateral arteries
 branches given off along an artery’s course
 before it divides into its terminal branches
Anastomosis and collateral circulation
 Blood capillaries
• microscopically small
• form a network into which the arterioles empty
• exchange of substances takes place between
the blood and the tissue fluids
• gives off oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide and other
waste materials from the tissues
• consist of only a single layer of endothelial cells
 Sinusoids
 wider, more tortuous capillaries
 found in places with slow blood flow
 liver or bone marrow
 Blood capillaries and vein
 Cavernous tissue
 collection of blood - filled spaces
 Interposed smooth muscle
 Penis

 Blood collected by venules - flow together to

form veins
 Veins

• Blood is collected by the venules - flow

together to form veins
• Venous walls
– thinner than arteries
– they do not pulsate
• Blood flows slower in veins
– ensure that the same volume of blood leaving
the heart is returned to it within a certain
period
 Veins
• Veins are wider
• 2 veins sometimes accompany a single artery
(venae commitantes)
• In some places there are superficial veins just
under the skin (without accompanying arteries)
• Veins have valves - prevent the backflow of
blood
– cusps of valves point towards the heart
– prevent the blood from damming up in the limbs
 Veins
• Valves are absent in the following veins
– Superior vena cava
– Inferior vena cava
– Portal system
– Pulmonary system
– Vertebral system
• Venous blood from body drains mainly
through 2 large veins (SVC and IVC)
 Alternative venous system
• 3 other venous systems in the body that follow
alternative routes to the heart
– Portal system
– Vertebral system
– Azygos system
 The design of the heart
• The atria and ventricles are attached to pair of
conjoined fibrous rings that bound the orifices
• The muscle cells are shorter than in the skeletal
muscle
• Boundary membrane of adjacent cells interdigitate to
increase surface area for conduction of impulses
• Cells are arranged in whorls and spirals enabling each
chamber to empty by mass contraction
Design of the heart
 Design of the heart
• Aid circulation of blood
• Enclosed in the
pericardium
• 3 layered muscle
– epicardium
– myocardium
– endocardium
• 4 chambers
– Muscular wall of left
ventricle is thicker than
the right
 The cusps, valves and trabeculation
– right atrioventricular
opening
• Tricuspid valve* (3)
– left atrioventricular
opening
• Mitral valve (2)
– Aortic valve (3)
– Pulmonary valve* (3)
• Trabeculae Carneae* *
– Septomarginal
trabecular*
*
*
 Conducting system
• SA Node
• In myocardium of the right
atrium
• specialised cells
– fewer mitochondria,
myofibers, and a smaller
sarcoplasmic reticulum
• cells initiate action
potentials of the heart
• AV Node
• lower back section of the
interatrial septum
– Divides into right and left AV
branches
 Pulmonary circulation
• Between the heart
and the Lungs
• From Rt ventricle via
pulmonary (trunk)
arteries to the lungs
• Return to Lf atrium
via pulmonary veins
• Essentially for
oxygenation
The pulmonary circulation loop is virtually bypassed in
fetal circulation.

The fetal lungs not involved with gaseous exchage, and

blood passes from the right atrium directly into the left
atrium through the foramen ovale, an open passage
between the two atria
Fossa ovalis

Septomarginal trabecula
 Systemic circulation
 Blood circulation
excluding lungs
 Lt ventricle → aorta
→
→ venae cavae +
coronary sinus →
Rt atrium

 oxygenated blood
↔
deoxygenated blood
 Blood circulation of the heart
 right and left
coronary arteries.
 Aortic recoil during
ventricular diastole
fill arteries.
 coronary arteries
anastomose
 anterior and
posterior
interventricular
arteries
 right coronary and
circumflex artery)
 Venous return of the heart

Coronary sinus
(vein)

Middle cardiac vein

Veins of the heart drain into the coronary sinus

The big vessels of the body
The big vessels of the body
Branches of arch of aorta
 The deep arteries of the face

Internal
jugular
vein

Common
carotid
art.
Axillary artery
Subclavian v

Brachial art

Axillary vein
 Brachial art

Radial art

Ulnar art
 Thoracic aorta

Left Kidney

Inferior vena cava

Renal vein
 The renal artery and branches

Renal art

Branches of renal artery are example of terminal arteries

 Portal circulation
Inf vena cava

Hepatic vein

sinusoids

Hepatic artery

Portal vein
(splenic + sup
Mesenteric vv)

Portal vein divides into a second capillary system in the liver, thus
blood from GIT (rich in nutrients) does not return directly to the
heart.
 Splenic vein

spleen

Inf. Mesenteric vein

sup. Mesenteric vein

Brain circulation
 Blood circulation of the brain
• Divided into anterior and posterior sections.
– 2 principal arteries – with extensive anastomosis
• Vertebral art (posterior)
• Internal carotid artery (anterior)

internal carotid art

posterior
communicating art

basilar art
 Brain circulation
 Internal carotid
artery
 cerebrum excluding
the occipital lobes
 Right and left
vertebral artery
 basilar artery
 brainstem and the
occipital lobes
 Basilar and internal
carotid
 Circulus arteriousus
 cortical tissues as
end arteries
 Basilar art.

Middle cerebral art.

Anterior cerebral art.

Posterior cerebral art.

Small artery and vein, pia mater of sheep. X 250. Surface view
above the interrupted line; longitudinal section below. Artery in
red; vein in blue
 Important branches to note
 lenticulostriate
arteries
 medial and
lateral striate
 the basal nuclei
 Cortical branches
 Central branches
• Deep masses of
grey matter
• perforated
substance
Choroidal artery
Middle meningeal
Venous drainage

Essentially divided into superficial (dural

venous) and deep vein.
The deep veins emerge as cerebral great
vein and join straight sinus
Blood from the brain eventually drains into
the

sigmoid sinus internal jugular vein

What to expect……………
The test questions!
Concerning the blood vessels, which of the
following statements is true?

a.arteries are vessels that transport blood from the

periphery to the heart

b. the diffusion of gases, nutrients and wastes occurs in

the venules

c. an end artery is an artery with sufficient anastomosis

to maintain viability of the tissue supplied if an arterial
occlusion occurs

d. arteries are vessels that transport blood from the

heart to the tissues or the lungs
Thank you 4 your attention!