Vascular anatomy

22 important questions on Vascular anatomy

Which three vascular systems excist?

1. Arterial
2. Venous
3. Lymphatic

What is the function of the venous system? And of the arterial system?

Venous: reservoir function (bp = 20 mmHg)
Arterial: supply function (bp = 100 mmHg)

What is the difference in blood pressure between veins and arteries?

Arteries = 100 mmHg
Veins = 20 mmHg
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What is the general structure of the vascular wall?

Tunica intima - covers lumen of blood vessel
Lamina elastica interna (part of tunica intima)
Tunica media
Lamina elastica externa (lee) (part of tunica media)
Tunica adventitia

Which layer of the vascular wall is the most variable?

Tunica media

What are the types of arteries, from the heart?

Elastic artery
Muscular artery
Arteriole
Continuous capillary

What is the purpose of the elastic layers in elastic arteries?

- maintenance of blood pressure between cardiac contractions
- push blood to medium arteries downstream
- examples: aorta , pulmonary arteries, pulmonary trunk

--> elastin

What happens with vessels in systole and diastole?

Systole: elongation of the vessel wall absorbs blood pressure forces
Diastole: absorbed energy is converted into blood flow

What type of muscle fibers do muscular arteries consist of?

Circularly oriented smooth muscle fibers

Contraction of these muscle fibers narrows the vascular lumen (vasoconstriction)

--> regulation of blood flow, distribution of blood

What are examples of medium muscular arteries?

Aa. Brachiales
aa. Femorales

What is the function of the arterioles?

Regulate the degree of filling of capillary beds (bloodflow) by the degree of tonus (firmess) of the SMCs and arterial pressure in vascular system.

Important in regulation of blood pressure: peripheral vascular resistance (tonus)

What are true terminal arteries?

Arteries that do not anastomose with adjacent arteries
Occlusion of end-arteries results in total interruption of blood supply to the tissue
--> retina

What are functional terminal arteries?

Arteries that do have some anastomoses, but these are ineffective and are inadequate to replace the main channel

--> brain, liver, kidneys, spleen and intestines (sometimes the heart)

What is the function of the capillaries?

Capillaries are endothelial tubes connecting the arterial and venous sides of the circulation. The function is the exchange of materials within the interstitial/extracellular fluid. The capillaries are arranged in capillary beds

Drain to the venules

What types of capillaries excist?

- continuous capillaries - most common
- fenestrated capillaries - found in kidney, digestive tract and endocrine organs

What are arterio-venous shunts/connections?

Direct connections between small arterioles and venules (without capillary beds)

--> in skin (thermoregulatory function)

What are venules and what is their function?

Venules are the smallest veins and they drain capillary beds, joins similar vessels to form small veins (unit to form venous plexuses)

What are medium veins?

Drain venous plexuses and they may contain valves that prevent backflow of blood --> veins of limbs or other locations where blood flow is opposed by pull of gravity

What are mechanisms to prevent backflow of blood in vessels where blood flow is opposite to gravity?

- valves
- active assistance by striated muscle contraction
- passive assistance of flow towards heart

What is a difference in vessel wall structure between arteries and veins?

Arteries have a thick tunica media, veins not
Veins have a well developed and thick tunica adventitia, arterie not

What are functional properties of endothelium?

Blood-tissue barrier
Production glycocalyx

Where can intimal thickening lead to?

Calcification of vascular wall = atherosclerosis

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