Blood Vessels

Arterial System

Conducting
Arteries
(nearest to
heart)
Muscular
(Distributing)
Arteries
Arterioles
Metarteriole /
Thoroughfare
Channel

Venous System

Capillaries
Venules
Veins
Vena Cava

Elastic
Thick-walled
Large Lumen
Dampen HR BP changes
Passive accommodation = smooth blood
flow
Deliver blood to specific organs
This media layer more smooth muscle
Tunica Media contains smooth muscle
Determine flow into capillary beds
Mostly smooth muscle
True Capillaries branch off of Metarteriole;
pre-sphincters control blood flow to
Capillary.
Capillaries rejoin at the Thoroughfare
Channel.
The site of material exchange
Sphincter muscles determine blood supply
Thoroughfare Channel leads into Venule
Contain little muscle
Formed from venules
Thinner walls, less muscle than arteries
Returns blood to heart

Functionality (since there is no heart muscle

pumping)
Veins are Reservoirs: Large lumen; low BP = thin walls
Venous Valves: 1-way valves prevent backflow
Respiratory Pump: Ab press. ; Thoracic veins expand as
chest
cavity Regulation
press
Blood
Pressure

Physiology of Circulation

<or>
(BP is a function of how hard the heart works * resistance)

Capillary Dynamics

Capillary is site of: Gas Exchange; Nutrient Exchange;

Waste Pick-up
Capillary is single-cell thick (simple squamous epithelium)
Some capillary cells have fenestrations modified holes
Water-soluble solutes: Pass through clefts / fenestration
Lipid-solubles: diffuse through PMs

HP
OP
Net Filt.
Press

Arteriole End
+35
-25
+10

Venule End
+17
-25
-8

Interstitial Fluid HP is maintained at 0-1; any fluid entering

interstitial space can either be reabsorbed later or
drained out through the Lymphatic System. 1-way
valves open into lymph vessels, keeping HP in interstitial
very low. This drainage leads to lower HP at the venule
end.