Blood Vessels

and Circulation

Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
 Functions of Blood Vessels
1. Carry blood

2. Exchange nutrients, waste products, and gases within

tissues

3. Transport substances

4. Regulate blood pressure

5. Direct blood flow to tissues

 3 main types of blood vessels
Arteries
carry blood away from heart
thick with a lot of elastin
3 groups of arteries
Elastic
closest to the heart and experience the greatest pressure as
the heart forces blood into them. (Aorta and Pulmonary
trunk)
Muscular
Distributing arteries deliver blood to specific body organs.
Vasoconstriction contraction of smooth muscle in blood
vessels
Vasodilation relaxation of smooth muscle in blood vessels
Arterioles
transport blood from small arteries to capillaries
smallest arteries, no elastin so the pulsation smooths out.
 Capillaries
exchange occurs between blood and tissue fluids
thinner walls
Precapillary sphincters flow of blood is regulated through a
smooth muscle cells

Veins
carry blood toward heart
thinner with less elastic tissue and few smooth muscle

May be classified as:

Venules slightly larger in diameter than capillaries
Small veins - slightly larger in diameter than venules
medium-sized veins collect blood from small veins and
deliver to large veins
Large veins contain valves -return to the heart
 Blood Flow
Blood
flows from
arteries
into
arterioles

Veins Arterioles
return to into
heart capillaries

Venules to Capillaries
small into
veins venules
 Blood Vessel Walls
Tunica intima
innermost layer
simple squamous
thin elastic connective tissue

Tunica media
middle layer
smooth muscle with elastic and collagen

Tunica adventitia
outermost layer
connective tissue
 Blood Vessels of Pulmonary Circulation
Pulmonary circulation
blood vessels that carry blood from right ventricle to lungs
and back from left atrium of heart

Pulmonary trunk
blood pump from right ventricle towards lung
oxygen poor blood to the pulmonary capillaries in the lungs

Pulmonary veins
exit lungs and carry O2 rich blood to left atrium
Blood vessels of the Systemic Circulation
1.AORTA
Ascending
passes superiorly from left ventricle
right and left coronary arteries supply blood to heart

Aortic Arch
3 major arteries which carry blood to head and upper limbs
brachiocephalic artery, left common carotid and left
subclavian artery

Descending
extends through thorax and abdomen to pelvis
thoracic aorta
abdominal aorta
 Thoracic
part of descending aorta that extends through thorax to
diaphragm

Abdominal
descending aorta that extends from diaphragm where it
divides at common iliac arteries
 Arteries of Head and Neck
Brachiocephalic artery
first branch off aortic arch
supplies blood to right side of head and neck

Left common carotid artery

2nd branch off aortic arch
supplies blood to the left side of head and neck

Left subclavian artery

3rd branch off aortic arch
supplies blood to left upper limbs
 Right common carotid artery
branches off brachiocephalic artery
supplies blood to right side of head and neck

Right subclavian artery

branches off brachiocephalic artery
supplies blood to right upper limbs
 Arteries of Upper Limbs
Axillary arteries
continuation of subclavian
supply blood deep in clavicle

Brachial arteries
continuation of axillary
where blood pressure measurements are taken

Ulnar arteries
branch of brachial artery
near elbow

Radial arteries
branch of brachial artery
supply blood to forearm and hand
pulse taken here thumb side
 Thoracic Aorta and its branches
Visceral arteries
supply blood to the thoracic organs
Visceral branches supply esophagus, trachea,
parietal pericardium and part of the lung

Parietal arteries
supply blood to the thoracic walls
Posterior intercostal arteries intercostal muscles,
vertebrae, spinal cord and deep muscles
Superior phrenic diaphragm
Internal thoracic arteries
anterior intercostal arteries anterior chest wall
 Arteries of Abdominal Aorta
3 major visceral unpaired branches

Celiac trunk arteries

supply blood to stomach, pancreas, spleen, liver, upper
duodenum

Superior mesenteric arteries

supply blood to small intestines and upper portion of colon

Inferior mesenteric arteries

supply blood to colon
3 paired visceral branches of the abdominal aorta

Renal arteries
supply blood to kidneys

Suprarenal arteries
supply blood to adrenal glands

Testicular arteries
supply blood to testes

Ovarian arteries
supply blood to ovaries
Parietal branches of the abdominal aorta

Inferior phrenic arteries

supply blood to diaphragm

Lumbar arteries
supply blood to lumbar vertebra and back muscles
 Arteries of Pelvis
Common iliac arteries
branches from abdominal aorta
divides into internal iliac arteries

External iliac arteries

division of common iliac artery
supply blood to lower limbs

Internal iliac arteries

division of common iliac
supply blood to pelvic area
 Arteries of Lower Limbs
Femoral arteries
supply to thigh

Popliteal arteries
supply blood to knee

Anterior and posterior arteries

supply blood to leg and foot

Fibular arteries
supply blood to lateral leg and foot
 2. Veins
Superior vena cava
returns blood from head, neck, thorax, and right upper limbs
empties into right atrium of heart

Inferior vena cava

returns blood from abdomen, pelvis, lower limbs
empties into right atrium of heart
 Veins of Head and Neck
External jugular vein
drain blood from head and neck
empties into subclavian veins

Internal jugular vein

drain blood from brain, face, neck
empty into subclavian veins

Subclavian veins
forms brachiocephalic veins

Brachiocephalic veins
join to form superior vena cava
 Veins of Upper Limbs
Brachial veins
empty into axillary vein

Cephalic veins
empty into axillary vein and basilic vein

Median cubital veins

connects to cephalic vein
near elbow
Cubital fossa site for drawing blood
 Veins of Thorax
Right and left brachiocephalic veins
drain blood from thorax into superior vena cava

Azygos veins
drain blood from thorax into superior vena cava

Internal thoracic veins

empty into brachiocephalic veins

Posterior intercostal veins

drain blood from posterior thoracic wall
drains into azygos vein on right side

Hemiazygos vein
receives blood from azygos vein of left side
 Veins of Abdomen and Pelvis
Common iliac vein
formed from external and internal iliac
empty into inferior vena cava

External iliac vein

drains blood from lower limbs
empty into common iliac vein

Internal iliac vein

drains blood from pelvic region
empties into common iliac vein

Renal vein
drains blood from kidneys
 Hepatic Portal System
Liver is a major processing center for substances
absorbed by intestinal tract.

Portal system
vascular system that begins with capillaries in viscera and
ends with capillaries in liver
uses splenic vein (spleen and pancreas) and superior
mesenteric vein (intestine)

Splenic vein + Superior mesenteric vein =

Hepatic Portal vein enters the liver
 Hepatic veins
collects blood from the liver
join the inferior vena cava
nutrients collected from the hepatic portal vein

Renal veins
drain the kidneys

Suprarenal veins
drain the adrenal gland

Testicular and Ovarian veins

drains the testes and ovaries
 Veins of Lower Limbs
Femoral veins
drain blood from thigh and empty into external iliac vein

Great saphenous veins

drain from foot and empty into femoral vein

Popliteal veins
drain blood from knee and empty into femoral vein
 Blood Pressure
measure of force blood exerts against blood vessel walls

Systolic pressure
contraction of heart

Diastolic pressure
relaxation of heart

Standard unit: (mm Hg) millimeters of mercury

Normal is 120/80
 Pulse Pressure
difference between systolic and diastolic pressure

Ex. 120 for systolic 80 for diastolic pulse

pressure is 40 mm Hg
- pulse pressure points can be felt near large arteries

2 factors affecting pulse pressure:

1. Stroke volume volume of blood pumped per ventricle
per contraction
2. Vascular compliance elasticity of blood vessels

PULSE pressure wave produces when the left ventricle eject

the blood
 Capillary Exchange
Most exchange across capillary walls occurs by diffusion

Blood pressure, capillary permeability and osmosis

affect movement of fluids across capillary walls

Net movement of fluid from blood into tissues

Fluid gained in tissues is removed by lymphatic system

 Local Control of Blood Flow
Local control achieved by relaxation and contraction of
precapillary sphincters

Sphincters relax blood flow increases

Precapillary sphincters controlled by metabolic needs

of tissues

Concentration of nutrients also control blood flow

Blood flow increases when oxygen levels decrease

Nervous and Hormonal Control of Blood Flow
Vasomotor center
sympathetic division
controls blood vessel diameter

Vasomotor tone
state of partial constriction of blood vessels
increase causes blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure
to go up

Epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenal medulla)

alter blood vessel diameter
 Baroreceptor Reflexes
Baroreceptor reflexes activate responses to blood
pressure in normal range

Baroreceptors respond to stretch in arteries due to

increased pressure

Located in carotid sinuses and aortic arch

Change peripheral resistance, heart rate, stroke volume

in response to blood pressure
 Chemoreceptor Reflex
Chemoreceptors are sensitive to changes in blood
oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH

Chemoreceptors are located in carotid bodies and

aortic bodies which lie near carotid sinuses and aortic
arch

They send action potentials along sensory nerve to

medulla oblongata
 Adrenal Medullary Mechanism
1. Stimuli increase sympathetic stimulation to
adrenal medulla

2. Adrenal medulla secretes epinephrine and

norepinephrine into blood

3. This causes increased heart rate and stroke volume

and vasoconstriction

4. Vasodilation of blood vessels in skeletal and

cardiac muscle
 Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone
Mechanism
1. Reduce blood flow causes kidneys to release renin

2. Renin acts on angiotensinogen to produce

angiotensin I

3. Angiotensin-converting enzyme converts

angiotensin I to angiotensin II

4. Angiotensin II causes vasoconstriction

5. Angiotensin II acts on adrenal cortex to release

aldosterone
6. Aldosterone acts
on kidneys causes
them to conserve
sodium and water

7. Result less water

lost in urine and
blood pressure
maintained
 Antidiuretic Hormone Mechanism
1. Nerve cells in hypothalamus release antidiuretic
hormone (ADH) when concentration of solutes in
plasma increases or blood pressure decrease

2. ADH acts of kidneys and they absorb more water

(decrease urine volume)

3. Result is maintain blood volume and blood pressure

 Atrial Natriuretic Mechanism
1. Atrial natriuretic peptide hormone is released in
a specialized cell from the right atrium in
response to elevated blood pressure.

2. Causes the kidneys to promote the loss of

sodium and water in urine

3. Loss of water in urine causes blood volume to

decrease, decreasing blood pressure
 Effects of Aging on Blood vessels
Arteriosclerosis
makes arteries less elastic

Atherosclerosis
type of arteriosclerosis
from deposit of materials in artery walls (plaque)

Factors that contribute to atherosclerosis

lack of exercise, smoking, obesity, diet high in cholesterol and
trans fats, some genetics