BLOOD VESSELS AND

CIRCULATION Part 1
CHAPTER 13
LEARNING OUTCOME

• List the functions of the circulatory system

• Describe the structure and function of the arteries, capillaries and
veins
INTRODUCTION

• The blood vessels carry blood to within two or three cell

diameters of nearly all the trillions of cells that make up the body
• Blood vessels outside the heart are divided into two classes:
1. The pulmonary vessels, which transport blood from the right
ventricle of the heart thru the lungs and back to the left atrium
2. The systemic vessels, which transport blood from the left
ventricle of the heart through all parts of the body and back to
the right atrium
***TOGETHER, the pulmonary vessels and the systemic vessels
constitute the CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
FUNCTIONS OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

• Carries blood
• Exchanges nutrients, waste products and gases with tissues
• Transports substances
• Helps regulate Blood Pressure
• Direct blood flow to the tissues
General features of blood vessel structure
• Three main types of blood vessels: arteries, capillaries veins
• Arteries: carry blood away from the heart, usually the blood is oxygenated
(oxygen-rich blood)
• The arteries are classified into Elastic arteries, Muscular arteries or Arterioles
(largest to smallest)
• Blood flows from arterioles into Capillaries where exchange of substances
such as O2 and CO2, nutrients and other waste products occurs between the
blood and the tissue fluid.
• From capillaries, blood flows into veins.
• Veins carry blood toward the heart; usually the blood is deoxygenated (oxygen
poor)
• Veins are classified as venules, small veins, medium-sized veins or large veins
REMINDER:

• ARTERIES: SUPPLY BLOOD, BRINGS BLOOD TO THE SYSTEMS(AWAY

FROM THE HEART)
• VEINS: DRAINS; RETURNS BLOOD TO THE HEART FROM THE
SYSTEMS
Three layers (tunics) of blood vessel walls

1. Tunica intima: innermost layer,consist of endothelium composed

of simple squamous epithelial cells, a basement membrane and a
small amount of connective tissue.
2. Tunica media: or middle layer, consists of smooth muscle cells
arranged circularly around the blood vessel
3. Tunica adventitia: composed of dense connective tissue adjacent
to the tunica media; the tissue becomes loose connective tissue
toward the outer portion of the blood vessel wall
ARTERIES

• Elastic arteries: largest diameter arteries and have the thickest

walls; composed of elastic tissues and smaller proportion of
smooth muscle example: aorta and pulmonary trunk;
• Elastic arteries stretch when the ventricles of the heart pump
blood into them;elastic recoil of these arteries prevents bp from
falling rapidly and maintains blood flow while the ventricles are
relaxed
• Muscular arteries:include medium-sized and small arteries. The
walls of medium sized arteries are relatively thick compared to
their diameter. Medium sized arteries are frequently called
distributing arteries
• Contraction of the smooth muscle in blood vessels called
vasoconstriction,decreases blood vessel diameter and blood flow
• Relaxation of the smooth muscle in blood vessels called
vasodilation increases blood vessel diameter and blood flow.
• Arterioles transport blood from small arteries to
capillaries.
• Arterioles (fig. 13.1c) are the smallest arteries in which
the 3 tunics can be identified
• The tunica media of arterioles consists of only one or
two layers of circular smooth muscles cells
Capillaries

• Blood flows from arterioles into capillaries

• Capillaries branch to form networks (fig.
13.3 see fig 13.1d)
• Blood flow thru capillary networks is
regulated by smooth muscle cells called
precapillary sphincters
• Precapillary sphincters are located at the
origin of the branches of the capillaries and
by contracting and relaxing, regulate the
amount of blood flow through the various
sections of the network
• Capillary walls consist of endothelium which
is a layer of simple squamous epithelium
surrounded by delicate loose connective
tissue
• The thin walls of capillaries facilitate diffusion between the
capillaries and surrounding cells
• Each capillary is 0.5-1 millimeter (mm) long
• Capillaries branch without changing their diameter, which is
approximately the same as the diameter of red blood cells which
is 7.5 micrometer(μm)
• RBCs flow through most capillaries in single file and are
frequently folded as they pass through the smaller diameter
capillaries
• As blood flows thru capillaries, blood gives up O2 and nutrients to
the tissue spaces and takes up CO2 and other by-products of
metabolism
• Capillary networks are more numerous and more extensive in the
lungs and in highly metabolic tissues such as the liver, kidneys,
skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle than in other tissue types.
Veins

• Blood flows from capillaries into venules and from venules into small
veins
• Venules have diameter slightly larger that of capillaries and are
composed of endothelium resting on a delicate connective tissue layer
(fig.13.1e)
• All three tunics are present in small veins (larger in diameter than
venules)
• Medium-sized veins collect blood from small veins and deliver it to large
veins
• Consequently, veins are more distensible than arteries
• The connective tissue of the tunica adventitia determines the degree to
which they can distend (expand)
• Veins that have diameters greater than 2 mm contain valves which
ensure that blood flows toward the heart but not in opposite direction
9figure 13.4)
• Each valve consists of folds in the tunica intima that form two flaps.
• These valves are similar in shape and function to the semilunar valves of
the heart
• There are many valves in medium-sized veins and more valves in veins
of the lower limbs than in veins of the upper limbs. THIS PREVENTS
BLOOD FROM FLOWING TOWARD THE FEET IN RESPONSE TO THE PULL OF
GRAVITY
• *valves: are unidirectional (allow blood toward the heart but nor in the
opposite direction)
Blood vessels of the pulmonary circulation

• The pulmonary circulation is the system of blood vessels that carries

blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs and back to the
left atrium of the heart
• Blood from the right ventricle is pumped into a short vessel called the
pulmonary trunk( fig. 13.5)
• The pulmonary trunk then branches into the right and left pulmonary
arteries, which extend to the right and left lungs respectively.
• These arteries carry deoxygenated blood to the pulmonary capillaries
in the lungs, where the blood takes up O2 and releases CO2
• Blood rich in O2 flows from the lungs to the left atrium
• Four pulmonary veins (2 from each lung) exit the lungs and carry
oxygenated blood to the left atrium (fig 13.5)
NOTE:

• ALL ARTERIES CARRY OXYGENATED BLOOD EXCEPT THE

PULMONARY ARTERIES(deoxygenated)
• ALL VEINS CARRY DEOXYGENATED BLOOD EXCEPT THE PULMONARY
VEINS (oxygenated)
Blood vessels of the systemic circulation
Systemic circulation : arteries

• The systemic circulation is the system of blood vessels that carries

blood from the left ventricle of the heart to the tissues of the
body and back to the right atrium
• Oxygenated blood from the pulmonary veins passes from the left
atrium into the left ventricle and from the left ventricle into the
aorta.
• Arteries distribute blood from the aorta to all portions of the body
(figure 13.6)
Aorta

• All arteries of the systemic circulation branch directly or indirectly from

the aorta. The aorta is usually considered in three parts: 1) ascending
aorta 2) aortic arch 3) descending aorta
• The descending aorta is divided into thoracic aorta and the abdominal
aorta (fig. 13.7a)
• Ascending aorta: passes superiorly from the left ventricle. The right and
left coronary arteries arise from the base of the ascending aorta and
supply blood to the heart
• The aorta arches posteriorly and to the left as the aortic arch.Three
major arteries, which carry blood to the head and upper limbs,
originate from the aortic arch 1) brachiocephalic artery 2)left common
carotid artery 3)left subclavian artery (fig.13.7b)
• The descending aorta is LONGEST PART OF THE AORTA
• It extends through the thorax and abdomen to the upper margin of
the pelvis.
• The part of the descending that extends through the thorax to the
diaphragm is called the thoracic aorta. The part that extends from
the diaphragm to the point at which it divides into the two
common iliac arteries is called the abdominal aorta.(fig.13.7a,c)
Arteries of the head and neck (refer to textbook
page 351) and figures 13.8,13.9, 13.10 during this
discussion:
• Brachiocephalic artery
• Right common carotid
• Right subclavian artery
• Left common carotid artery
• Left subclavian artery
• Internal and external carotid arteries
• Carotid sinus, cerebral arterial circle ( circle of Willis)
• Vertebral arteries
• Basilar artery
Arteries of the Upper limbs (refer to figure
3.11

• Axillary artery
• Brachial artery (where the BP is normally taken)
• Ulnar artery
• Radial artery (commonly a site for taking a pulse at the
thumb side of the anterior surface of the wrist)
Thoracic aorta and its branches (refer to
figure13.7)

• Visceral arteries
• Parietal arteries
• Posterior intercostal arteries
• Superior phrenic arteries
• Internal thoracic arteries
• Anterior intercostal arteries
Abdominal aorta and its branches (figure
13.12)

• Visceral arteries of the abdominal aorta (paired and unpaired):

Unpaired visceral branches (3): 1.celiac trunk 2. superior mesenteric
artery 3. inferior mesenteric artery
Paired visceral branches(3) : 1.renal arteries (supply kidneys)
2.suprarenal arteries (supply the adrenal glands) 3. testicular
arteries supply the testes (males) and ovarian arteries supply the
ovaries (females)
• Parietal branches of abdominal aorta supply diaphragm and
abdominal wall: inferior phrenic arteries, lumbar arteries, median
sacral artery
Arteries of the Pelvis (figure 13.7)

•Common iliac arteries

•External iliac artery
•Internal iliac artery
Arteries of the lower limb (figure13.13)

• Femoral artery
• Popliteal artery
• Anterior tibial artery
• Posterior tibial artery
• Dorsalis pedis
• Fibular or peroneal artery
• * a pulse can be detected in the femoral artery in the area of the
femoral triangle.
Stop!!

• 1. What are the three main types of blood vessels?

• Ans: arteries, capillaries and veins
• 2. The site where exchange of substances such as O2 , CO2 and nutrients and
other waste products occurs between the blood and the tissue fluid.
• Ans: capillaries
• 3. They carry oxygenated blood away from the heart
• Ans: arteries
• 4. The only veins that carry oxygenated blood back to the heart
• Ans: pulmonary veins
• 5. The three layers of the blood vessels:
• Ans: tunica intima, tunica media, tunica adventitia
6. A type of circulation that carries blood from the left ventricle of the heart to
the tissues of the body and back to the right atrium.
Ans: systemic circulation
7. The three parts of the aorta:
Ans: ascending aorta, aortic arch, descending aorta
8. The longest part of the aorta:
Ans: descending aorta
9. The artery where the BP is normally measured:
Ans: brachial artery
10. The artery most commonly used to take the pulse:
Ans: radial artery
Blood vessels of the systemic circulation :
Veins
SVC and IVC (figure 13.14)

• Deoxygenated blood from the tissues of the body returns to the

heart through veins
• The two largest veins of the body:
• Superior vena cava returns blood from the head, neck, thorax and
upper limbs to the right atrium of the heart
• Inferior vena cava returns blood from the abdomen, pelvis and
lower limbs to the right atrium of the heart
Veins of the head and neck (figure 13.15)

•External and internal jugular veins

•Subclavian veins
•Brachiocephalic veins
Veins of the Upper limbs (figure 13.16)

• Divided into deep and superficial groups

• Deep veins (major): brachial veins
• Superficial veins(major):cephalic vein, axillary vein, basilic vein,
median cubital vein prominent on the cubital fossa (often used as
a site for drawing blood)
Veins of the thorax (figure 13.17)

• Right and left brachiocephalic veins

• Azygos veins
• Anterior intercostal veins
• Internal thoracic veins
• Posterior intercostal veins
• Hemiazygos veins or the accessory hemiazygos vein
Veins of the Abdomen and Pelvis (figure
13.18)

• Ascending lumbar veins

• Internal iliac veins
• External iliac veins
• Common iliac veins
• Common iliac veins combine to form the inferior vena cava (figure
13.14)
Veins of hepatic portal system

• Portal system: hepatic portal

system
• Major vessels of hepatic portal
system: splenic vein, superior
mesenteric vein, hepatic
portal vein
• Renal veins, suprarenal veins,
testicular veins, ovarian veins
Veins of lower limbs (figure 13.20)

• Deep veins: named for the arteries that they accompany

• Superficial veins: great and small saphenous veins
• Great saphenous vein originates over the dorsal and medial side
of the foot and ascends along the medial side of the leg and thigh
and empty into the femoral vein
• Small saphenous vein begins over the lateral side of the foot and
joins the popliteal vein which becomes the femoral vein. The
femoral vein empties into the external iliac vein.
STOP!

• 1. large veins that returns blood from the upper and lower parts of the body back to the heart.
• Ans: Superior and Inferior Vena Cava
• 2. Blood from the liver flows into________veins which join the inferior vena cava
• Ans: hepatic veins
• 3. The 2 pairs of major veins that drain blood from the head and neck
• Ans:external and internal jugular veins
• 4. The three major veins that return blood from the thorax to the SVC are__________
• Ans: rt and left bachiocephalic veins and azygos veins
• 5. Vein of the upper limb often used to draw blood is______
• Ans: median cubital vein
End of part 1

•Please read in advance part 2 of chapter 13:

Physiology of circulation, Control of blood flow in
tissues, Regulation of arterial pressure