CIRCULATORY

SYSTEM
Jonathan A. Tiongson Jr.,RMT
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
❑ Explain how the circulatory system comprises the heart, blood
vessels,
❑ Identify the histological characteristics of the heart, including the
epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium, and the conduction
system
❑ Describe the histological features of arteries and veins as found
within three layers: tunica intima, tunica media, and tunica
adventitia
❑ Identify and distinguish between arteries, veins, capillaries, and
lymph vessels
The cardiovascular system is subdivided into
two functional parts
Blood vascular system
- which is responsible for the circulation of the blood
Lymph vascular system
-responsible for circulation of the lymph
Functions of the Circulatory System

• Transport of Oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.

• Transport of carbon dioxide and removal of waste
products from the tissues and cells
• Regulation of body temperature
• Transport of hormones and large molecules
• Fighting diseases by transporting white blood cells
throughout the body
Circulatory System
The circulatory system pumps and directs blood cells and substances
carries in blood to all tissues of the body.
The blood vascular system or Cardiovascular system consists of the
following structures
✓ Heart
✓ Arteries
✓ Capillaries
✓ Veins
ENDOTHELIAL CELLS
❑ The endothelium is a specialized epithelium that acts
as a semipermeable barrier between two major
internal compartments: The Blood & Interstitial tissue
fluid.
❑ Vascular endothelial cells are squamous, polygonal
and elongated with the long axis in the direction of
blood flow.
Functions of Endothelial cells
❑ Presents a nonthrombogenic surface on which blood will not clot and actively secretes agents
that control local clot formation ( heparin, tissue plasminogen activator and von Willebrand
factor).
❑ The cells regulate local vascular tone and blood flow by secreting various factors that
stimulate smooth muscle contraction.
❑ It has several roles in inflammation and local immune responses.
❑ In venules endothelial cells induce specific white blood cells to stop and undergo
transendothelial migration at sites of injury or infection
❑ It secretes various growth factors including proteins promoting proliferation of specific white
blood cell lineages and cells that make up the vascular wall.
 General structure of Blood Vessels
1. The basic structure of all the blood vessels
(except the capillaries) that make up the
cardiovascular system consists of these
three layers.
❑ Tunica adventitia
❑ Tunica media
❑ Tunica intima
STRUCTURAL PLAN OF BLOOD VESSELS

Tunica intima (INNER LAYER)

• Innermost layer that comes in contact with blood
• Consists of:
✓ Endothelium “simple squamous epithelium”
✓ Subendothelial layer of “ Loose Areolar connective tissue” and sometimes smooth
muscle fibers
✓ In arteries and large veins , the intima is separated from the media by an Internal Elastic
lamina ( Fenestrated elastic sheet)
✓ Underlying in basement membrane

NOTE!
TUNICA is general term
for a membrane or other
structure covering or lining
ATHEROSCLEROSIS
• "hardening of the arteries"
• An artery wall thickens as a result of accumulations of Ca2+ and fatty material
• Characterized by deposits of yellow plaques in the tunica intima
• Tunica intima greatly THICKENED and THINNING of Tunica media
• may occlude vessels or contribute to aneurysm formation
STRUCTURAL PLAN OF BLOOD VESSELS

Tunica media ( MIDDLE LAYER)

• Consists of:
○ Smooth muscles and Elastic fibers arranged in a circular pattern
○ Type III collagen “ Reticular Fibers” and Type I Collagen
○ Thickness decreases as diameter of vessel decreases
○ In Large muscular arteries have External elastic lamina separating the tunica
media from tunica adventitia .
STRUCTURAL PLAN OF BLOOD VESSELS

Tunica adventitia (OUTERMOST LAYER)

• Composed of
✓ Dense Connective tissue ( type I collagen &
Elastic fiber )
✓ It is THICKER in Veins
✓ Contains Elastic fibers & Vasa vasorum
• This layer needs its own blood supply because it is
quite thick. The blood vessels that supply the tunica
adventitia are called vasa vasorum (vessels of the
vessels).
● They are small arterioles in tunica adventitia and
the outer part of tunica media.
● They are more prevalent in the walls of Veins
than arteries.
ELASTIC ARTERIES
• Examples: Aorta, common carotid, subclavian, common
iliac and pulmonary trunk
TUNICS FUNCTION
✓ Major role is to carry
• Endothelium- simple squamous epithelium blood to smaller
Tunica intima • Subendothelial CT arteries
• Internal Elastic lamina: Not prominent “indistinct”
• 40- 70 layers of Fenestrated Elastic membrane
“sheets” lamellae: it is the main component of tunica
media
Tunica media In between there are:
✓ Smooth muscle cells
✓ Collagen type I & III “Reticular fibers”
✓ Elastic fibers
• Thinner than tunica media, composed of Loose CT
Tunica
• Contains Vasa vasorum to send branches to outer part
adventitia of tunica media
 MUSCULAR ARTERIES
Examples: Brachial, Ulnar, Femoral and renal artery,
Carotid arteries
TUNICS
• Endothelium
• Thin Subendothelial CT
Tunica intima
• Internal Elastic lamina: PROMINENT and displays and
undulating “wave-like” surface
• Thicker than tunica adventitia or similar in thickness
• Composed of: Smooth muscle cells most dominant feature
• In between: Elastic fibers, collagen Type I & III “Reticular
fibers”
Tunica media
• Thick External Elastic Lamina: may be identified present only
in larger muscular arteries
• It has 10-40 layers of smooth muscle cells interspersed with a
number of elastic lamellae FUNCTION
✓ Distribute blood to the
• Loose Connective tissue, lymphatic capillaries, vasa organs and help regulate
Tunica adventitia blood pressure by
vasorum and nerves
contracting or relaxing the
smooth muscle in the media.
Name the Three tunics of large vessels
SMALL ARTERY

• It has a diameter of 0.3- 1 mm

• Tunica intima: clear internal elastic lamina
• Tunica media: 3 – 4 layers of smooth muscles cells
• Tunica adventitia: NO External elastic membrane

FUNCTION:
Distribute blood to arteriole, adjusting flow with
vasodilation and constriction
ARTERIOLES
• Smallest arteries branch as “ arterioles” which have
only 1-2 smooth muscles layers
• Less than 0.1 um in diameter with lumens approx. as
wide as the wall is thick
• The subendothelial layer is very thin
• Elastic laminae are absent
• Tunica media is composed of circularly arranged smooth
muscle cells
• In both small arteries and arterioles, the tunica adventitia
is very thin
• Acting as “resistance vessels” muscle tone usually keeps
arterioles partially close.
FUNCTION
Resist and control blood flow to capillaries; major
determinant of systemic blood pressure
CAPILLARIES
• Smallest blood vessels with an average diameter of
about 4-10 um, nearly equaling the diameter of an
erythrocyte.
• Permit and regulate metabolic exchange between blood
and surrounding tissues.
• It Exhibit selective permeability
• Permit the exchange of Oxygen, Carbon dioxide,
metabolites, nutrients, metabolic wastes, signaling
molecules, hormones and other substances between the
blood and tissues
• They form capillary bed interposed between arterioles
and venules
Histological structure of capillaries

● Capillaries composed of the simple layer of

flattened endothelial cells rolled up as a tube
surrounded by basement membrane
● There are no muscular or adventitial layers.
● Continuous capillaries often have pericytes
associated with them.
● lie just underneath the endothelium of blood
capillaries, and are a source of new fibroblasts
Types of Capillaries
According to the endothelium lining the capillaries: there are three type of capillaries

CONTINUOUS CAPILLARIES
• Most common type and are found in most tissues
and organs
• Have tight, occluding junctions sealing the intercellular
clefts between all the endothelial cells to produce
minimal fluid leakage.
• It is found in muscle, connective tissue, lungs,
exocrine glands and nervous tissue.
• In these capillaries, the endothelial cells are joined and
form an uninterrupted endothelial lining.
Types of Capillaries

FENESTRATED CAPILLARIES
• The endothelial cells are penetrated by numerous
small circular openings or fenestrations
• The basement membrane is continuous and covers
the fenestrations
• Found in organs with rapid interchange of
substances between tissues and the blood such as
KIDNEYS, endocrine glands, intestinal walls,
choroid plexus.
Types of Capillaries
SINUSOIDS CAPILLARIES
• The endothelium has large perforations without
diaphragms and irregular intercellular clefts
forming a discontinuous layer with spaces between
and through cells.
• Highly discontinuous basement membrane and
endothelial cells that much larger diameter 30-40
um which slow blood flows.
• It permits maximal exchange of macromolecules as
well as allow easier movement of cells between
tissues and blood.
• Found in the LIVER, spleen and bone marrow
PERICYTES
• Pericytes are cells that wrap around the
endothelial cells that line the capillaries
and venules throughout the body. They
are located in the basement membrane
which allows them to communicate
very efficiently.
• Secrete many ECM components and
form their own basal lamina which
fuses with the basement membrane of
the endothelial cells
S
U
M
M
A
R
Y
VENULES
• The transition from capillaries to venules occurs gradual
• Postcapillary venules are similar to capillaries with
pericytes but larger (15 to 20 um)
✓ Primary site at which WBCs adhere to
endothelium and leave the circulation at sites of
infection or tissue damage.
✓ Collect blood from capillaries
✓ Respond to vasoactive agents by altering
permeability
✓ Site of exchange of materials between tissue fluid
and blood
Tunica intima: Endothelium
Tunica media: 1-2 layers of smooth muscles fibers
Tunica adventitia: thick and composed of connective
tissue rich in collagen fibers
VEINS
• Carry blood back to the heart from microvasculature all
over the body
• Veins contain about 70% of the total blood volume at any
given time
• Blood entering veins is under VERY LOW PREESURE
and moves toward the heart by contraction of the smooth
muscle fibers in the media.
• when the blood flows toward the heart, the valves flaps
close the lumen, and prevent backflow of blood.
• Venous blood between the valves in the extremities flows
toward the heart due to MUSCULAR
CONTRACTIONS.
Large Vein
• include the Vena cava and Pulmonary veins
• possess cardiac muscle in the Tunica adventitia
• also contains vasa vasorum and nerves
MEDIUM SIZED VEIN
• Thickness of the wall: Thinner than the accompanying artery
TUNICS

• Usually forms valves

Tunica intima
• Has NO internal Elastic Lamina
• Thinner than Tunica adventitia
Tunica media • Consists of: Few Smooth muscles cells and
collagen Type I & III “Reticular fibers”
• Thicker than tunica media
Tunica adventitia
• Loose connective tissue

VALVES OF VEINS
Valves of a vein composed of 2 leaflets, each leaflet has a thin fold of the Tunica intima
Composed of: Endothelium and Core of Connective tissue
 HEART
• Is a hollow muscular organ located in the
thoracic cavity between the lungs and slightly to
the left of the midline that consists of two pumps
to circulate blood throughout the circulatory
system
• Atrium- upper chamber ( receives blood)
• Ventricle- lower chamber ( to pump blood)
• Valves- located at the entrance and exit of each
ventricle
REMINDER!
The heart contracts and relaxes to pump deoxygenated blood through the
heart to the lungs and return oxygenated blood to the heart for
distribution throughout the body.
The walls of all four heart
chambers consist of three tunics:
• ENDOCARDIUM- Internal
• MYOCARDIUM- Middle
• EPICARDIUM- External

The right side of the heart receives blood from the body and pumps this blood via
Pulmonary artery to the lungs, where the blood is oxygenated maintaining the _______.

The left side of the heart received blood from the lungs and pumps it to the rest of the
body where blood brings nutrients and removes waste products throughout the body
maintaining the ________.
ENDOCARDIUM
• It is the innermost layer of the heart
• lines the atria and ventricles and covers the heart valves
Layers of Endocardium
❑ Inner layer: Endothelium with supporting CT
❑ Middle Myoelastic layer that consist of smooth muscle fiber and
connective tissue
❑ Subendothelial layer- ( Dense or Loose CT) that is continuous
with the CT of the myocardium and contains the conducting system of
the heart
❑ Subendocardial layer- deeper layer of Loose connective tissue
that merges with myocardium. It is where the Purkinje fibers to be
found.
MYOCARDIUM
• Thickest layer
• Analogous to the tunica media
• Consists of cardiac muscle and Dense Irregular
connective tissue surround the heart chambers
• Much thicker in the walls of the ventricles
particularly the left side, than in the atrial walls
• The fibers are arranged spirally around each heart
chamber.
EPICARDIUM
• An epithelium and connective tissue covering of heart. Also known as
Visceral pericardium
• this is often the region where Fat accumulates
• Consist of:
• Parietal layer
• Visceral layer
• Composed of simple squamous mesothelium
• Supported by the a Subepicardial layer of Loose connective tissue
containing blood vessels and nerves and adipose tissue
Cardiac skeleton
➢ Accumulations of dense irregular
CT
➢ Functions:
❑ Anchoring and supporting the heart
valves
❑ Providing from points of insertion for
cardiac muscle
❑ Helping coordinate the heartbeat by
acting as electrical insulation between
atria and ventricles
CONDUCTING SYSTEM
The heart has a specialized system to generate a rhythmic stimulus
(spread to the entire myocardium) consist of:
❑ Sinoatrial node (PACEMAKER): modified cardiac
muscle cells (fusiform) with fewer myofibrils
❑ Atrioventricular node: similar to those of the SA
node, but their cytoplasmic projections branch,
forming a network
❑ Atrioventricular bundle (Bundle of His): formed by
cells similar to those of the atrioventricular node
❑ Purkinje fibers: end of atrioventricular bundle and
has 1-2 central nuclei
CARDIAC CYCLE
• The cardiac cycle is the contraction phase (systole)
and the relaxation phase ( diastole) of the cardiac
muscle that occurs in one heartbeat
• Electrical impulses of the cardiac cycle are essential
to produce rhythmic contraction and relaxation of
the heart muscle
• Measured with an ECG by placing electrodes
connected to a recorded on the patients arm, legs
and chest.
ENDOCARDIUM

PURKINJE
FIBERS

MYOCARDIUM
THE END