Exercise 14

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

The circulatory system comprises two systems: blood vascular and lymph vascular. The
circulatory system or vascular system is the means by which blood and lymph are distributed
throughout the body. The blood vascular system includes the heart, major arteries, arterioles,
capillaries, venules, and veins. Lymphatic system starts as blind-ending tubules or lymphatic
capillaries.

Slides: Mammal artery Mammal heart

Mammal vein Aorta
Human spermatic cord

Procedure:
A. Blood vessels
1. Artery
The wall of an artery is generally characterized by the presence of a coat
of muscle spirally-arranged and by a considerable amount of elastic tissue. Because of this
arteries retain their shape after death and appear circular in the transverse section. In contrast
to a vein, an artery has a relatively thick wall and small lumen.

The artery is composed of three layers or tunics as in veins, however,

there are differences. The aorta is an example of an exam of an elastic artery while the ones
most likely observed grossly in dissections are medium sized arteries, also known as muscular
or distributing arteries.

Observe the cross-section of an artery and aorta, and note the following layers:
a. Tunica intima (interna) - composed of an inner layer of endothelium, a
subendothelial layer of connective tissue, and an internal elastic lamina
(membrane), which marks the boundary between the tunica intima and tunica
media.

b. Tunica media - the thickest of the three layers. It is composed predominantly of

smooth muscle fibers circularly arranged. Interspersed among the muscle fibers
are isolated strands of elastic tissue, distinguished by their wavy course, and
their highly refractive quality, as well as reticular and collagenous fibers and
fibroblasts.

c. Tunica adventita - consists of an external elastic membrane and a layer of

collagenous connective tissue with small vessels and nerves. Strands of smooth
muscle, longitudinally arranged, may also be observed. The blood vessels in the
adventitia are collectively called as vasa vasorum, or “blood vessels of blood
vessels”.
 d. Lumen - the central open of the vessel

Draw the cross-section of an artery and aorta and locate the following structures:
Endothelium Subendothelial layer
Tunica media Tunica adventitia
Vasa vasorum (if present) Lumen (with or without blood)
Internal elastic membrane Smooth muscle fibers

2. Arterioles
These vessels represent intermediate forms between arteries and capillaries or
sinusoids, which consists of a tube of endothelium alone. Elements are lost from the wall in the
following order: first, the elastic fiber scattered throughout the media disappears, leaving a
middle coat composed entirely of smooth muscle. Then the external elastic membrane is lost,
and the adventitia becomes a covering of collagenous fibers that are hardly distinguishable from
the surrounding tissue. From this point on, the vessel cannot be said to have three typical coats
as described earlier. In still small vessels, the inner elastic membrane is first replaced by
scattered elastic fibers and disappears altogether. The muscle of the media also thins out to a
few scattered fibers, and finally the blood passes into a tube consisting of endothelium alone.

Precapillary arterioles and arteries are vessels that have three distinct coats: the
endothelium, a muscle coat from one to several cells thick, and an external connective tissue
coat.

3. Veins
These vessels have a relatively thin wall and large lumen. The wall is composed largely
of collagenous connective tissue, with muscle and elastic fibers much less prominent than they
are in the arterial walls. Because of the reduced amount of elastic tissue, veins do not retain
their structures. A vein is usually bigger than its corresponding artery.

Observe the cross-section of a vein and note the following layers of the vein:
a. Tunica intima - composed of endothelium, and an extremely thin layer of subendothelial
collagenous fibers and scattered elastic fibers, which blend with the connective tissue of
the tunica media.

b. Tunica media - consisting of a thin layer of circularly arranged smooth muscle fibers
loosely embedded in connective tissue. This layer is much thinner in veins than in
arteries. There is no inner elastic membrane.

c. Tunica adventitia - the thickest part; is composed of collagenous fibers and often contain
longitudinal muscle fibers.

d. Lumen - the central opening of the vessel.

 Draw the mammal vein and locate the following:
Endothelium Tunica adventitia
Tunica media Lumen

4. Venules
These small vessels occur in the connective tissue of organs. The first addition in the
endothelium that changes a vessel from a capillary to a venule are the collagenous fibers. As
the caliber of the venule increases, its wall includes first, muscle and then, in still larger vessels,
scattered elastic fibers. Other characteristics are exhibited as in veins that are bigger.

5. Capillaries
The smallest blood vessel in the body. The average diameter of their lumina is about 8
um, nearly equaling the diameter of an erythrocyte. These vessels, that form a network of
narrow canals, have one coat, consisting of squamous epithelium (endothelium). Two or three
cells, occasionally one, line the circumference of a capillary.

B. Lymph Vessels
Lymphatic vessels are found in all tissues except the CNS, cartilage, bone and bone
marrow, thymus, teeth, and placenta. Lymphatics are sometimes difficult to demonstrate
satisfactorily in normal tissues because these large, thin-walled vessels frequently collapse to
the point of invisibility during tissue processing. Lymphatics start as blind -eneded lymphatic
capillaries which coalesce to form lymphatic vessels and finally empty into the circulation via the
lymphatic ducts (thoracic and right lymphatic). A lymphatic vessel can be recognized by the
thinness of its wall and the flaps of a valve in the lumen.

Examine and draw the spermatic cord and locate the following:
1. Lymphatic vessels. Note the valve leaflets of this vessel.
2. Artery
3. Vein
4. Nerves

C. The Heart
Walls of the heart:
a. Endocardium - corresponds to the intima of the vessels which includes an
endothelial lining and a relatively thick subendothelial layer which is made of
connective tissue, smooth muscle and elastic fibers. The valves of the heart are
folds of endocardium in which the fibroelastic elements are prominent.

b. Myocardium or muscular coat - corresponds to the media of blood vessels and is

made up of loosely arranged musculature. Spaces between fibers are known as
perimysial septae where blood vessels may be found.
 c. Epicardium - consist of mesothelium and a very thin layer of connective tissue as
well as fat. It is attached to the myocardium by a layer of vascularized areolar
connective tissue, the subepicardial layers. Outside epicardium is pericardium,
lined with mesothelium. This is easily seen in dissection.

In the atrial wall, the endocardium consists of endothelium, a thick subendothelial layer
of connective tissue, and a thick myocardium of loosely arranged musculature. The
epicardium covers the heart and is lined externally by a single layer of mesothelium. A
subepicardial layer contains connective tissue and fat, which vary in amount in different regions
of the heart. This layer also extends into the coronary (atrioventricular) and interventricular
sulcus of the heart.

In the ventricle, the endocardium is thin in comparison with that in the atrium, whereas
the myocardium is thick and more compact. The epicardium and subepicardial connective
tissue are continuous with those in the atrium.

Between the atrium and ventricle is seen the annulus fibrosus, which consists of dense
fibrous connective tissue. The Purkinje fibers are located in the loose subendocardial tissue.
They are distinguished by their large size and lighter staining properties.

Examine and draw the following slide:

Mammal heart - locate the parts:
1. Atrium
a. Endocardium d. Annulus fibrosus
b. Myocardium e. Purkinje fibers
c. Epicardium f. Pericardium

2. Ventricle
a. Myocardium c. Perimysial septa
b. Epicardium d. Percardium
Name: CHRYSVILLE ZAITA B. GULAY Date: MAY 27, 2022

Exercise 14: Circulatory System Teacher’s signature:_________________

Drawings:

LARGE ELASTIC ARTERY (MH 063) LARGE ELASTIC ARTERY (MHS 244)

LARGE ELASTIC ARTERY MIDDLE MUSCULAR ARTERY

(MH 065- 066) (MH 024-025-026)

MEDIUM MUSCULAR ARTERY MEDIUM ARTERY VEIN VALVE

(MH 061-062) (MH 067)
MEDIUM CORONARY ARTERY (MH071) ARTERIOLE AND VENULE (MH 024-025)

CAPILLARY (MH 024) SINUSOIDAL CAPILLARIES (MH 155A)

HEART, RIGHT ATRIUM (MH 069) HEART, RIGHT VENTRICLE (MH 070)

ANNULUS FIBROSUS (MH 073-074) PURKINJE FIBERS (MH 073-074)

 PURKINJE FIBERS (MH 0589) PURKINJE FIBERS (MH 245)

VEIN (VH 062)

VEIN (VH 062)

Name: CHRYSVILLE ZAITA B. GULAY Section: B Date: MAY 27, 2022

Exercise 14: Circulatory System

Worksheet

Guide Questions:
1. What are the three major categories of blood vessels in the arterial system and describe
them?

Elastic arteries are the largest blood vessels in the body and include the pulmonary
trunk and aorta

Muscular arteries are the most numerous vessels in the body and they contain great
amounts of smooth muscle fibers

Arterioles are the smallest branches of the arterial system and they deliver blood
to the smallest blood vessels, the capillaries

2. What are the three types of capillaries in the body and describe each?

Continuous - are the most common

capillaries - are found in muscle, connective tissue,nervous tissue, skin,
respiratory organs, and exocrine glands

Fenestrated - characterized by large openings or fenestrations (pores) in

capillaries the cytoplasm of endothelial cells designed for a rapid
exchange of molecules between blood and tissues
- are found in endocrine tissues and glands, small intestine,
and kidney glomeruli

Sinusoidal - exhibit irregular, tortuous paths and their much wider

(discontinuous) diameters slow down the flow of blood
capillaries - are found in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow

3. Which part of the human body do the veins have valves and why?

Particularly in the extremities, small-sized and medium-sized veins have valves.

Blood flow to the heart in the veins is slow and can even back up because of the low
blood pressure in the veins so the presence of valves in veins assists venous blood flow
by preventing backflow.

4. What are Purkinje fibers in the heart? What is their function?

Purkinje fibers are part of the conduction system of the heart and because they
branch throughout the myocardium, they deliver continuous waves of stimulation from
the atrial nodes to the rest of the heart musculature via the gap junctions which then
 produces ventricular contractions (systole) and ejection of blood from both ventricular
chambers.

5. What is angioplasty?

Angioplasty is a procedure used to open blocked coronary arteries caused by

coronary artery disease. It restores blood flow to the heart muscle without open-heart
surgery and it can be done in an emergency setting such as a heart attack.

6. Define the following terms:

a. Fibrillation - is the most common type of treated heart arrhythmia and it occurs
when the upper and lower chambers of the heart are not coordinated which then
causes the heart to beat too slowly, too quickly or irregularly.
b. Defibrillation - this is the administration of electric shocks to the heart in order to
reset normal heart rhythm in persons who are experiencing cardiac arrest or
whose heart function is endangered because of severe arrhythmia
c. Edema - is the medical term for swelling which is caused by excess fluid trapped
in the body's tissues
d. Arteriosclerosis - is also known as cardiovascular arteriosclerosis and it is a heart
condition that occurs when arteries grow thick and stiff and restrict blood flow to
organs and tissues in the body.