Cardiovascular System: Blood Vessels and Hemodynamics

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms from the lecture notes on the cardiovascular system, blood vessels, and hemodynamics.

Elastic arteries (conducting arteries)

Large diameter arteries that have more elastic fibers and less smooth muscle, functioning as pressure reservoirs.

Muscular arteries (distributing arteries)

Medium diameter arteries that have more smooth muscle and fewer elastic fibers, distributing blood to various parts of the body.

Anastomoses

Union of the branches of 2 or more arteries supplying the same region of the body, providing an alternate route for blood flow.

End arteries

Arteries that do not form an anastomosis; if blocked, blood cannot get to that particular region of the body, and necrosis can occur.

Capillaries

Microscopic vessels that connect arterioles and venules, composed of a single layer of cells and a basement membrane, permitting the exchange of nutrients and wastes between blood and tissue cells.

Baroreceptors

Pressure-sensitive sensory neurons that monitor stretching of the walls of blood vessels and the atria.

Blood flow

Volume of blood that flows through a tissue in a given period of time.

Vascular Resistance (R)

Opposition to blood flow due to friction between blood and the walls of blood vessels.

Shock

Inadequate cardiac output that results in failure of the cardiovascular system to meet the metabolic demands of body cells, potentially leading to cell dysfunction, abnormal metabolism, and cell death.

MAP

Mean Arterial Pressure = diastolic BP + 1/3(systolic BP - diastolic BP)