A/P – Circulatory System

- Blood Vessels: active, dynamic organs that contract and expand, to:
o Deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells
o Carry away waste products
o Part of maintaining blood pressure
- Three types
o Arteries carry blood away from the heart
o Veins carry blood towards the heart
o Capillaries transfer between the two, via arterioles and venules

- They form a closed circulatory system, available in all vertebrates.

- Circulatory system moves 7,500 liters of blood through your heart every day.

- HISTOLOGY
o Lumen – holds blood
o Tunica intima – endothelium (simple squamous epithelium), connective tissue, internal
elastic membrane
o Tunica media – smooth muscle cells and external elastic membrane of elastin
 Thickest layer in arteries, which help in maintaining blood pressure
 Vasoconstriction / Vasodilatation controls blood flow. The smaller the diameter
of the blood vessel, the harder it is for blood to move through it; higher the
pressure.
o Tunica externa – overcoat of loosely woven collagen fiber
 The larger artery or vein is, the thicker this layer will be. Given the size, big
vessels need its own support team of tiny vessels  vasa vasorum to keep the
tunica externa nourished.
 Protects the vessel.

- ANATOMY
o Arteries:
 Elastic arteries have elastin in three tunics, and smooth muscle to regulate
pressure.
 Muscular arteries distribute blood to specific body parts. Thickest Tunica Media.

o Capillaries: three types – continuous, fenestrated and sinusoid

 Single layer of epithelium and basal membrane (intima)
 Allows for easy diffusion of materials between capillaries and cells, help regulate
blood pressure and play a role in thermoregulation.
 Most tissues have a rich supply of capillaries feeding them, but tendons and
ligaments aren’t much vascularized, and cartilage lacks capillaries, receiving
blood from connective tissue. Cornea and lens gets blood from aqueous humor.

o Veins:
  Fluids flow from higher to lower pression. Veins have low pressure (1/12th lower
to arteries)
 Adaptations to keep blood moving: venous valves keep blood from flowing
backward. (Varicose and Hemorrhoids are caused due to damage, leak or
backflow in valves).

- BLOOD PRESSURE
o Heart is pump, arteries pressure reservoirs, arterioles control distribution, capillaries
exchange sites, and veins are blood reservoirs.
o Hypertension – causes damage to heart and blood vessels (rupture or wear down)
 Homeostasis – 120/80
 Causes: emotional stress, physical exertion, dehydration, excess of salt, butter
or fat in diet.
- BLOOD FLOW / CARDIAC OUTPUT
o Volume of blood flowing through any given vessel, or through the circulatory system as
a whole, per minute
o Cardiac Output = Stroke Volume (ML/Beat) x Heart Rate (Beats/Minute)
o Resistance hinders flow or creates friction (viscosity of blood by high amount of red
blood cells| or vessel length or diameter).
o Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) can form a fatty plaque in arteries, increasing resistance
and lowering flow.
 Blood flow = difference in blood pressure / resistance
o Brain alters the distribution of blood flow or changes the diameter of vessels by the use
of baroreceptors.
 Baroreceptors control blood by sodium channels. The higher the pressure, the
higher blood is passing, thus a signal is sent by the baroreceptor to the brain,
which dilates or reduces heart rate.
 Ex. Reducing blood flow in intestines, to increase in muscle.
o Hormones also control blood pressure by epinephrine and norepinephrine, raising heart
rate and heart volume, constricting vessels in