CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

• Heart
Cardiovascular • Arteries
Circulatory System
System •
•
Capillaries
Veins

• Delivers blood and substances to all tissues of the body.

Lymphatic • Lymphatic Capillaries

System • Lymphatic Vessels
CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM
 Heart
• Cardiac muscles
• Three layers:
A. Endocardium – lining epithelium, supporting layer of
fibroelastic connective tissue
B. Myocardium – contractile cardiac muscles arranged
spirally around each chamber
C. Epicardium – a simple squamous mesothelium
supported by loose connective tissue layer containing
blood vessels and nerves.
- Visceral layer of Pericardium
 Pericardium – thin fluid filled sac that surrounds the heart
and large blood vessels that protects and lubricates the A B C
heart.
 Right Systemic
atrium circulation

Heart
Right • Left
Right Atrium – receives unoxygenated
ventricle ventricle
blood from the vena cava
• Left Atrium – receives oxygenated blood
from pulmonary veins
• Right Ventricle – delivers unoxygenated
blood to the lungs
Left
• Lungs
Left Ventricle – delivers oxygenated blood
atrium
to the systemic circulation
 Cardiac skeleton
• Dense irregular connective tissue
• Separates the musculature of the atria from that of the
ventricles
• Forms part of the interventricular and interatrial septa
• Extends into the valve cusps and chordae tendinae
• Functions:
• Surround, anchor, and support all heart valves
• Provide firm points of insertion for cardiac muscle
• Coordinate the heart beat by acting as electrical insulation
between atria and ventricles
 Conducting System of the Heart
• Modified cardiac muscle cells from the
subendocardial and adjacent myocardium
• Specialized to generate and conduct waves of
depolarization which stimulate rhythmic conductions
• Sinoatrial Node (Pacemaker)
• Atrioventricular Node  AV bundle (Bundle of His)
 AV bundle
Sinoatrial Node (bundle of His)
• Located at the right • Passes through an opening
atrial wall in the cardiac skeleton
• Stimulates contractions • Enters interventricular
of both right and left septum and bifurcates into
atria left and right bundles

Atrioventricular Purkinje Fibers

Node • Subendocardial network
of muscle fibers
• Located at the floor of
• Trigger waves of
the right atrium
contraction through
• Stimulate depolarization
both ventricles
of the ventricles simultaneously
Tissues of the Vascular Wall
• Endothelium
• Specialized epithelium that acts as a
semipermeable barrier between
blood and interstitial tissue fluid.
• Squamous, polygonal and
elongated
Cells of the Vascular Wall
• Endothelium
• Provide non-thrombogenic surface on which blood will not clot and actively secretes
anticoagulants
• Regulate local vascular tone and blood flow (stimulation of smooth muscle contraction
or relaxation)
• Plays a role in inflammation and local immune response (WBC activation and activity)
• Secrete growth factors promoting proliferation of wbc lineages and cells
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) – vasculogenesis and angiogenesis
Cells of the Vascular Wall
• Smooth Muscle fibers
• Present in the wall of all blood vessels that are larger than capillaries
• Arterioles: connected by gap junctions
• Permit vasoconstriction and vasodilation
• Connective Tissue
• Variable amounts, depend on the size of vessel
• Collagen Fibers: found in subendothelial layer, between smooth muscle layers and in the
outer covering
• Elastic Fibers: provide resiliency required for the vascular wall to expand under pressure
 Vasa vasorum
Layers of Vascular Wall
- Blood vessels within large bloo
- Supplies nutrients to tunica me

A. Tunica Intima – innermost layer

- Consist of endothelium and a thin subendothelial layer of loose
connective tissue
- Arteries: Internal Elastic Lamina – composed of elastin

B. Tunica media – middle layer

- Consist chiefly of concentric layers of helically arranged smooth
muscles
- Variable amounts of elastic fibers reticular fibers, and
proteoglycans
- Arteries: External Elastic Lamina

C. Tunica adventitia/ Tunica externa Vasomotor Nerves

- Connective tissue consisting primarily of Type I collagen and elastic - Unmyelinated nerve fibers at the t
fibers adventitia of large vessels
- Release norepinephrine for
 Arteries Veins
• Elastic • Large
• Muscular • Medium
•
•
Small
Vasculatures
Arterioles
• Small

• Arteries – carry oxygenated blood and

Capillaries nutrients from the heart to different
tissues

• Capillaries – Site of exchange of

oxygen and nutrients

• Veins – carry unoxygenated blood and

toxins from different tissues to the heart
 Elastic Arteries
• Aorta, pulmonary artery and their largest
branches
• “Conducting arteries” – role to carry blood
to smaller arteries.
Tunica Endothelial cells
intima Smooth muscle cells below the
endothelium
Internal elastic lamina
Tunica Thick layer of smooth muscle bundles
media External elastic lamina
Tunica Thick layer of loose connective tissue
adventitia (thinner than tunica media)
Arterial Sensory Structures
Baroreceptors Chemoreceptors
• Monitor blood arterial pressure • Monitor blood pH, O2 and CO2
•
concentration
Carotid sinuses
• Carotid bodies (wall of carotid sinus)
• Aortic arch
• Thinner tunica media • Aortic bodies in the wall of the aortic
• ↑ free nerve endings in the tunica arch
adventitia • Autonomic Nervous System:
“Paraganglia”
• Capillaries are surrounded by glomus cells
(neural crest cells filled with vesicles
containing dopamine, AcH and other
neurotransmitters)
 Muscular Arteries
• “Distributing arteries”: distribute blood
to organs
• Regulate BP by contracting or relaxing
its smooth muscles.
Tunica Endothelial cells
intima Smooth muscle cells below the
endothelium
Internal elastic lamina
Tunica Thick layer of smooth muscle bundles +
media variable elastic lamellae
External elastic lamina (Large vessels)
Tunica Thin layer of loose connective tissue
adventitia Lymphatic vessels
Vasa vasorum
Vasomotor Nerves
 Arterioles
• Branches of muscular arteries
• Smallest arteries: microvasculature of the
organs where exchanges between blood and
tissue fluid occurs.
Tunica intima Very thin endothelial cells
(-) internal elastic lamina
Tunica media 1-2 layers of smooth muscle bundles
(-) External elastic lamina
Tunica Very thin and inconspicuous
adventitia
Arterioles
• Branch to form anastomosing networks of capillaries
• Muscle fibers act as sphincters and produce periodic blood flow in the capillaries
• Arteriovenous shunts/ arteriovenous anastomoses
• Direct connection between arterioles and venioles
• Usually seen in the papillary dermis for thermoregulation
• Constriction is through the innervation of the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic
and parasympathetic)
• Venous portal system
• Blood flows through two successive capillary beds separated by a portal vein
• Allows hormones and nutrients to be delivered most efficiently to cells
• Hepatic portal system and Hypophyseal portal system
 Capillaries
• Allow and regulate metabolic exchange between blood and
surrounding tissues.
• Simple layer of endothelial surrounded by basement
membrane.
• Size allows transit of blood cells one at a time

Capillary beds – a network of

smallest blood vessels that
conform to the shape of the
structure it supplies.
 Discontinuous Capillaries
Continuous Capillaries Fenestrated Capillaries
“Sinusoids”
• Tight, well-developed • Sieve-like structure • Permit maximal exchange
Capillaries
occluding junctions • Allows more extensive of macromolecules
• Well-regulated metabolic molecular exchange • Large perforations and a
exchange • Basement membrane is highly discontinuous
• Three histologic subtypes, depending on the continuity of the endothelial cells and
• Most common type continuous basement membrane
their basement membrane.
• Muscle, connective • Kidneys, intestine, • Liver, spleen, BM
tissue,
lungs, exocrine glands endocrine glands
 Capillaries
• Pericytes – mesenchymal cells that
surround the capillaries
• Dilate and constrict the capillaries through a
well-developed myosin, actin, and
tropomyosin
• Regulate blood flow in some organs
• Proliferate and differentiate after an injury 
formation of smooth muscles and other cells
in new vessels as microvasculature is re-
established.
 Venules
• Connected to capillaries, and with larger
pericytes
• Primary site where WBCs adhere to
endothelium and leave the circulation at site of
infection
• Large collapsed lumen
Tunica intima Very thin endothelial cells
(-) internal elastic lamina
Tunica media 1-2 layers of smooth muscle bundles
(-) External elastic lamina
Tunica Thick loose connective tissue
adventitia ↑ collagen fibers
 Veins
• Delivers blood from tissues to the heart
• Movement of blood:
• contraction of smooth muscles in the wall
of the veins
• External compressions from surrounding
muscles
Tunica Single layer of endothelium
intima (-) Pericytes
Tunica Thinner smooth muscle bundles
media Reticular fibers
Delicate elastic fibers
Tunica Thick collagen bundles
adventitia
Veins
Small Medium Large
Tunica intima Endothelial cells
Tunica media Very thin layer of smooth muscle cells Thicker layer of smooth muscle cells
but thinner than arteries
(+) elastic fibers
Tunica adventitia Thin layer of loose connective tissue Thicker than media
Longitudinal bundles of smooth
muscle
(+) elastic fibers
Valves (+) (+)
LYMPHATIC VASCULAR
SYSTEM
 Lymphatic System
• Network of small thin-walled channels
• Lymphatic vessels
• Simple endothelium that lacks tight junctions
and rest on a discontinuous basal membrane
• Smooth muscle and connective tissue cells
• No distinct layers of tunics
• (+) valves
Lymphatic System
• Collect excess interstitial fluid
from tissue spaces as “lymph”
and return it to the blood.
• Movement of lymph is aided by
external forces
• Unidirectional flow is maintained
by valves
• Lymph
• Interstitial fluid
• Lymphocytes and antibodies
 Movement of Lymph
• Small lymphatic vessels
• Larger lymphatic vessels
Lymph node
• Thoracic Duct and Right
Lymphatic Duct
• Veins (junction of internal
jugular vein and subclavian
vein)
BLOOD
Blood
• Specialized connective
tissue consisting of cells
and plasma (ecm)
• Formed elements
• Red Blood Cells
• White Blood Cells
• Platelets
• Fluid
• Plasma (unclotted form)
• Serum (clotted form)
 7% Proteins 1% Other
92% Water Solutes
• Albumin – PLASMA
most abundant protein,
maintain the osmotic pressure
Aqueous component of Electrolytes
• Globulins – αßƳ globulins Nutrients
• Fibrinogen –blood
participates in blood Respiratory Gases
55% of whole blood
clotting Wastes
• Regulatory Proteins - enzymes,
proenzymes, hormones, and
complement system
 Red Blood Cells
(Erythrocytes)
• Lacks nucleus
• Bi-concave discs for gas exchange
• (+) Hemoglobin – oxygen carrying
protein
• Membrane proteins: Spectrin &
Ankyrin
White Blood Cells
(Leukocytes)
• Immune cells
Platelets • Granulocytes:
• Neutrophils
(Thrombocytes) • Eosinophils
• Non nucleated • Basophils
• Membrane-bound cell • Agranulocytes
fragments • Lymphocytes (B and T)
• Cytoplasmic fragments of • Monocytes
Megakaryocytes
• Granules: delta, alpha
Leukocytes
Granulocytes Agranulocytes
• 2 cytoplasmic granules • Lack specific granules
• Azurophilic Granules (Lysosomes) • (+) Azurophilic granules
• Specific Granules
• Polymorphic nucleus
Cytokines

P-selectin and
Selectin Ligands
Chemotaxis

Diapedesis
 Leukocytes
Neutrophils Eosinophils Basophils Lymphocytes Monocytes

Nucleus 3-5 2 2 or 1 (s-shaped) 1: spherical 1: Indented or C-

shaped

Specific Granules Light Pink Orange or dark Dark blue or - -

pink Purple

Major Function Bacterial Parasitic Infection Allergic Reaction Viral Infection Precursor of
Infection (histamine) Adaptive Macrophages and
Immunity other
mononuclear
phagocytic cells.
Platelet’s role in hemorrhage
• Primary Aggregation
• Formation of platelet plug
• First step in preventing hemorrhage

• Secondary Aggregation
• Platelet plug release a specific
glycoprotein and ADP for further platelet
aggregation, increasing the size of the
platelet plug
 Platelet’s role in hemorrhage
• Blood Coagulation
• Formation of a fibrin mesh by the activation of
the coagulation cascade
• Clot formation
• Clot initially buldges into the blood vessel lumen,
but soon contracts due to the activity of platelet
derived actin and myosin
• Clot removal
• Endothelium and surrounding tissue are restored
• The clot is removed by the activation of Plasmin