148 ORGAN SYSTEMS Funetional Histology ‘The highly elastic nature ofthe aortic walls ‘demonstrated in these preparations in which the elastic fibres are stained black. In micrograph a) the three basic ayers of the wall canbe seen: the tunica ivimaT, the broad tunica media M and the unica adventitia A. ‘The tunica intima consists ofa single layer of Mattened endothelial cells (not seen at this magnification) supported by a layer of collagenous tissu rich in elastin Aisposed inthe form ofboth fibres and discontinuous sheets. The subendothelial supporting tissue contains catered fibroblasts and other cells with ultrastctural features akin vo smooth muscle cells and known as cells. Both cell types are probably involved jon ofthe extracellular constituents. The 3 ells are not invested by basement membrane and are thus not epithelial (myoepithetia) in nature Elastic artery: aorta (a) Elastic van Gieson x 33 (b) Elastic van Gieson 320 With inseasing age, the myointimal cells accumulate lipid and the intima progressively thickens: in a more ‘extreme form this represents one ofthe early changes of atherosclerosis, i “The tunica media is particularly broad and extremely laste, At high magnification in (b), itis seen w consist ‘of eoncentrie Fenesrated sheets of elastin (stained black) separated by collagenous tissue (stained red) ander relatively few smooth muscle fibres (stained yellow). AAs scen in micrograph (a), the collagenous tunica adventitia (stained red) contains small vasa vasorum V ‘which also penetrate the outer half ofthe tunica media, Blood flow within elastic arteries is highly pulsatile: with advancing age the arterial systom hecomes less clastic thereby increasing peripheral resistance and thus arterial blood pressure. [EERE muscutarartory (a) H&E x 100 (b) Elastic van Gieson x 100 ‘Muscular arteries have the same basic structure as elastic arteries but the elastic issue is reduced wo a well defined, fenestrated elastic sheet, the internal elastic lamina TEL. separating the tunieainkima from the unica media, and a less defined external elastic lamina EEL at the junetion of the media and the tunica adventitia. Sometimes the {intemal clastic lamina is duplicated ‘The intima is often so thin as to be indistinguishable at low ‘magnification. The tunica media M comprises a thick layer of circumferentally arranged smooth ‘muscle, stained yellow in micrograph (). The broad tunica adventitia A composed of collagen with able elastin, stained black inaE Tt REED cg tongs ey F_ ‘Small muscular artery large arteriole (a) H & F, TS x 128 (b) H & ELS «320 Anerioles may be defined as those vessels ofthe arterial system with a lumen less than 0.3 mm in diameter, although the distnetion between small muscular arteries ‘and large arterioles is somewhat artificial. Arerioles are ‘characterised hy three main features which are een in these micrographs, “The tune intima is very thin and comprises the endothelial ining, tle collagenous supporting tissue and a thin internal elastic lamina. The unica media M is almost entirely composed of smoert muscle cells in six concentric layers oF Tes, The tunica adventitia A ‘may be almost a tick as the tuniea media and merges ‘withthe surrounding collagenous tissues. There is no ‘extemal elastic lamina The flow of blood through capillary beds is regulated iainly by the arterioles which supply them. Contraction ‘of the citcularly arranged smooth muscle fibres ofthe arteriolar wal reduces the diameter of the lumen and hence blood flow. Generalised constriction of arterioles throughout the body markedly increases peripheral resistance to blood flow and the arteriolar compartment ofthe circulatory system thus hasan important role in the regulation of systemic blood pressure. @ o Small arterioles (a) H & F x 100 (b) EM x 19 000 “Micrograp (a) illustrates two smal arterioles in the dense collagenous issue ofthe dermis ofthe skin. The tunica media M ofeach consists of to layers of smooth ‘muscle cells. AIL that can he sen ofthe unica intima are the nuclei of flattened endothelial cells E. The adventitia ‘merges imperceptibly with the surrounding supporting tissue, Electron mieroeraph (b) isan example of the smallest of arterioles having only a single layer of smooth muscle M which lies immediately extemal to the endothelium B and is basement membrane BM. Note the external lamina EL (equivalent to basement ‘membrane) around the smooth musele cell, The adjacent supporting tissue contains a tiny autonomic nerve bundle including several vesicle-contining sympathetic axons A and a supporting Schwann cell The adventitial layer ‘merges imperceptibly with the surrounding loose collagenous issue 149, SW31SAS NVDHOCirculatory system Capillaries 1 & F800 “The vessels seen here in longitudinal section and transverse section illustrat the characteristic features of capillaries. "A single layer of fattened endothelial cells E lines the capillary lumen. The thin layer of eytoplasm i difficult to resolve by light microscopy. The flattened endothelial cell face bulge into the capillary lumen; in longitudinal ection the nuclei appear elongated whereas in transverse Section they appear more rounded in shape. Muscular and adventitial layers are absent. Occasional fatened cells Called pericytes P embrace the capillary endothelial cells land may have a contractile function. Note thatthe ‘diameter of capillaries is similar to that of the red blood cells contained within them, Capillary: continuous endothelium type EM x 12.000 “This electron micrograph ilustrates the ultrastructure of Capillaries of the continuous endothelium type, the (ye found in most issues Four endothelial cells E are seen to encircle the capillary lumen, their plasma membranes approximating ‘one another very closely and bound together by scattered tight junctions of the fascia oceludens type (see Fig. 5.12) ‘Sima cytoplasmic flaps called marginal folds M extend ‘across the intercellular junctions at the luminal surface, ‘The capillary endoxhelium is supported by a thin basement membrane BM and adjacent collagen fibrils C. pereyte embraces the capillary. The pericyte is supported by its own basement membrane BMp. Inthe adjacent Supporting tissue, noe a fibroblast Fand larger diameter Collagen fibrils eu in transverse and longitudinal section Exchange between the lumen ofthe continuous-type capillary and the surrounding issues is believed t0 occur in three ways. Passive diffusion through the endothelial cell cytoplasm mediates exchange of gases, ons and Tow molecular weight metabolites, Proteins and some lipids are transported by pinocytotic vesicles. White ‘blood cells passthrough the intercellar space between the endothelial cols in some way negotiating the endothelial intercellular junetions. Some workers ‘maintain that the intercellular spaces also permit molecular transport. In capillaries of the continuous endothelial type, the basement membrane is thought to present lite barrier to exchange between capillaries and Surrounding issues 151 SWALSAS NVDHO