CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

1. Organs: Heart, blood vessels, blood)

A. Functions:
1. Transportation of substances: Nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide,
hormones, minerals, etc.
2. Second defense against microbial invasion. WBC = phagocytosis,
antibody formation
2. Vessels of the Circulatory System
A. Vascular Tissue = Three layered structure
1. Tunica Intima
a. Endothelium (processes that extend into the muscle layer)
b. Loose Connective Tissue with occasional smooth muscle cell
c. Internal elastic membrane (Arteries only)
2. Tunica Media
a. Variable amounts of Collagen, Proteoglycans, and elastic fibers
b. Circular Smooth Muscle cells
c. thickness, number of layers and type of tissue varies
with the diameter of the vessel and its distance from the heart.
d. External elastic membrane, thiner than Internal, found in some
(Arteries only)
3. Tunica Adventitia
a. Connective tissure support, fuses with CT of organ
b. Vasa vasorum (small vessels for nutrient supply of vessel walls),
c. Nerves, myelinated, sensory fibers reach to intima
Nonmyelinated vasomotor, network in adventitia. end amonug
muscle cells
B. Arterial system
1. Elastic (Conducting)
a. Major arteries leaving the heart
b. Elastic recoil = diastolic pressure
c. Tunica Intima - [A in photo] post
mortum changes, folded
endothelium
highly active endothelial cells, microvilli, pinocytotic vessicles
constant turnover by mitosis
Subendothelium - thick, ;ongitudinally arranged CT fibers.
Internal elastic usually not seen
due to elastic tissue of Media.
d. Tunica Media - 40(newborn) - 70
(adult) layers of elastic
membranes
Some smooth muscle cells, Few
collagen fibers, chondroitin sulfate
Fibers and amorphous material
 e. Tunica Adventitia - [B in photo] relatively underdeveloped, elastic
and collagen fibers
2. Muscular (Distributing) medium to small
Note:Internal elastic membrane in photo
a. Large vessels that carry blood from the aorta
b. Nutrient arteries to organs, Directs flow, controls volume &
pressure
c. Tunica Intima - Internal Elastic
Membrane
d. Tunica Media - Thick muscular layer, to
40 layers of smooth muscle cells
e. Tunica Adventitia - External elastic
Membrane may be present (larger)
3. Arterioles (Resistance vessels)
a. Control blood flow to capillary beds.
b. Regulate volume and pressure in the arterial system
c. Tunica Intima - no sub endothelial layer
No (rarely) Internal Elastic Membrane
d. Tunica Media - 1 - 5 layers of smooth muscle
e. Tunica Adventitia - NO External Elastic Membrane
4. Metarterioles
1. Branch into capillaries
2. Discontinous layers of smooth muscle
3. Sphincter at junction of capillary
C. Capillary (exchange vessels)
1. Diffusion membrane = simple squamous epithelium (endothelial
tubes), with basal lamella
2. 7,000 sq meters in the adult, Not found in cartilage, hair, nails, cuticle,
or cornea of the eye
0. Tunica Intima, endothelium only
1. Tunica Media - None
2. Tunica Adventitia - None
3. Number and type vary with tissue type and metabolism
. Continuous (closed) blood brain barrier (brain, thymus, testicular,
ocular)
No pores through cells
Occluding (tight) Junctions, (zonula occludens)
a. Perforated (continuous with pores) = most capillary beds
Pores through cells
Some with sieve-like diaphragms
b. Sinusoidal capillary (discontinuous) = maximal exchange (Liver, bone
marrow, spleen)
Large diameter, discontinous vessel
gaps without cells, without basal lamella, with phagocytic cells
 4. Pericyte = supportive cell of capillaries and small arterioles
with long cytoplasmic processes, undifferentiated connective tissue
cells
5. Endotheliun, possible contractility, microfillaments within cells, opens
cell junctions
6. pinocytotic vessicles cross cells in 2 - 3 minutes
7. Permeability varies, in kidney 100 times more permeable than muscle
capillaries
D. Venous system
1. Veins (Capacitance vessels) = Contain 75% of total blood volume
2. Venous return due to contraction of skeletal muscle
3. Large Veins
0. Tunica Intima - well developed
1. Tunica Media - Thin
2. Tunica Adventitia - Thickest, may contain longitudinal smooth muscle
4. Small & Medium Veins
. Valves, 2 semilunar folds,
elastic tissue lined with endothelium, Most numerous in limbs
prevent backflow of blood
a. Tunica Intima - thin endothelium
b. Tunica Media - few muscle cells
c. Tunica Adventitia - well developed collagenous layer
5. Venules thin walls
. Formed by coalescence of capillaries (Exchange vessels)
a. Tunica Intima - endothelium
b. Tunica Media - small bundles of smooth muscle cells mixed with
collagen
c. Tunica Adventitia - well developed collagenous layer
6. Heart Anatomy
. Two hearts (pumps in one): Right heart, Left heart
a. Heart Structure = Atria and Ventricle,
b. Heart Layers = Epicardium, Myocardium, Endocardium
1. Endocardium (intima) endothelium with
subendothelial layer
2. Myocardium Heart (cardiac) muscle 2
populations of cells
1. Contractile cells, major myocardial
contractions
2. Conducting cells, (Purkinji cells )
reduced myofibrils, full of glycogen, gap
junctions at discs
Conduction System = Controls Heart
Beat
3. Epicardium, serous membrane with
subepicardial connective tissue(adipose tissue
accumulates
c. Fibrous Skeleton
1. Fibrous central region for attachment of
myocytes
2. Thick collagenous fibers in various directions
3. Nodules of fibrocartilage
d. Valves (Control direction of Blood Flow)
Tricuspid valve, Bicuspid valve (Mitral), Semilunar valves