Pressure, Force and Elas city

Device to measure pressure: barometer

What determines blood ow:

1. Pressure di erence of blood between two ends of a vessel
2. Resistance to blood ow

Driving force of blood ow: powerful cardiac contrac ons

Ohm's Law

F: Flow
Flow rate= the volume moved, measured in mL/min

Circulatory system is closed because blood never leaves the network of blood
vessels

Pressure di erence = force pushing blood against the various factors resis ng the
ow of liquid in pipe
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 No pressure gradient = no blood ow

Why is blood pressure important to human body

1. Adequate blood pressure in arteries is essen al to maintain blood ow
2. Organs such as brain and heart depend on arterial blood supply
(perfusion) to func on normally

What will happen if perfusion reduced?

1. Reduced glucose and oxygen delivery to brain cells
2. Brain cells die leading to stroke and heart a ack

Types of ow

Laminar Turbulent
Flows in streamlines Not streamlined
Velocity of ow in center of vessel is Forms Eddy Currents (swirling of
greater-> forma on of parabolic blood blood)
ow
silent Cause murmurs
Cause of turbulent blood ow: blood
vessel is damaged or steno c
(narrowed)
CV system= 2 loops: Pulmonary Circula on (from heart to lungs and back to
heart) + Systemic Circula on (from le ventricle to all organs except lungs) and
back to the heart

Right ventricular ejec on= provides right stroke volume towards the pulmonary
circuit
Le ventricular ejec on= provides le stroke volume towards systemic circuit

Pressure gradient across pulmonary circuit: Pressure in pulmonary artery -

pressure in pulmonary vein (0)

Pressure gradient across systemic circuit- Pressure in aorta - Pressure in vena

cana before it enters right atrium (0)

**PRESSURE IN AORTA = MEAN ARTERIAL PRESSURE (MAP)**

Driving pressure for systemic ow= created by le ventricle

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 **Blood volume a ects blood pressure in CVS**

Blood pressure (MAP) = Blood ow (Cardiac Output which is a ected by stroke

volume) x Resistance (total peripheral resistance, which depends on
vasodila on/vasoconstric on of arterioles)

Cardiac Output = Heart Rate x Stroke Volume

Cardiac output
• The amount of blood that passes a given point in the circula on in a given
period of me

CO of adults at rest: 5L/min

Pressure gradient in systemic circuit > Pressure gradient in pulmonary circuit

BUT
Flow in both circuits are equal
SO
Resistance through pulmonary circuit < Resistance through systemic circuit
^just apply Ohm's law

CANNOT USE IN TURBULENT, cuz the uid needs to move smoothly

L: length of blood vessel

n: viscosity of blood
r: radius of blood vessel
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 Factors a ec ng Resistance to ow

Radiu BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR!!! Radius細左，increase resistance，radius⼤左，dec

s of
vessel resistance
Lengt Obesity increases number of blood vessels (angiogenesis [increased
h of number of blood vessels]; adipose ssue need more blood supply), thus
vessel
Viscos increase length
Blood viscosity depends on amount of RBC and proteins (越多越viscous); anaemia
ity of viscoity due to inability to synthesise enough RBC, decrease in temperature increase
uid
What happens to R if smooth muscles in arterioles contract?
1. Vasoconstric on
2. Radius of arteriole decrease
3. Increase resistance

Total peripheral resistance= combined resistance of all blood vessels within

SYSTEMIC CIRCUIT

Arterioles supply ssues and organs in **parallel circuits**

Mechanisms for forma on of atherosclerosis

1. Lipids and large molecules harden or accumulate in artery walls, forming
plaques
2. It reduces the radius/diameter of blood vessels-> reduce blood ow

Compliance Vs Elastance
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 Compliance: how easily thelumen of blood vessel expands when it is lled with
blood
Elastance: tendency of blood vessels to recoil toward original dimensions as BP
falls

Arteries and arterioles (HIGH ELASTANCE BUT LOW COMPLIANCE)

• Small increase in blood volume will cause a large increase in pressure due
to elas c property of vessel wall
• It will need a lot of pressure to distend arterial walls
• When pressure drops, it quickly return to original dimensions

Elas c recoil
• Tendency of artery to return to original shape

During diastole
• Artery walls recoil to smooth the ow of blood through the vessel AND
maintain arterial pressure between systolic and diastolic phases

Veins and venules (HIGH COMPLIANCE BUT LOW ELASTANCE)

• Veins will stretch easily with small increase of pressure, but do not return
to original shape as easily as arteries

**veins hold most of blood in body, also called capacitance vessels**

How does stress lead to enhanced venous return?

1. Stress leads to sympathe c ac va on
2. Which s mulates the smooth muscle cells in veins to contract, leading to
veno-constric on
3. It increases venous pressure and reduce venous compliance
4. It leads to enhanced venous return

Venous return controls (1) end diastolic volume (EDV) (2) stroke volume (3) CO
So, enhanced venous return enhance CO

**Venous return depends on**

1. Blood volume and pressure
2. Skeletal muscle pumps + one-way valves
3. Pressure drop during inhala on
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 4. Venoconstric on caused by sympathe c s mula on (only way for veins to
constrict)

The respiratory pump

Unequal pressure during inhala on -> creates upward sucking e ect that pulls
blood to heart
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