Blood Vessels & Blood Pressure Review

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to blood vessels and blood pressure as outlined in the lecture notes.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

Veins

Blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart.

Capillaries

The smallest blood vessels where nutrient and gas exchange occurs.

Tunica interna

The inner lining of blood vessels, in direct contact with blood.

Tunica media

The middle layer of blood vessels, primarily made of smooth muscle.

Tunica externa

The outer layer of blood vessels that anchors them to surrounding tissues.

Baroreceptors

Sensors that monitor blood pressure and assist in its regulation.

Vasoconstriction

The narrowing of blood vessels, which increases blood pressure.

Vasodilation

The widening of blood vessels, which decreases blood pressure.

Hydrostatic pressure

The pressure exerted by the blood within the blood vessels.

Starling Forces

Forces that dictate fluid movement across capillary membranes due to pressure gradients.

Chemoreceptors

Receptors that detect changes in blood chemistry such as oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

Hypovolemic shock

Shock resulting from decreased blood volume.

Hypertension

A condition characterized by excessively high blood pressure.

Hypotension

A condition characterized by abnormally low blood pressure.

Precapillary sphincter

Muscle cells that regulate blood flow into capillaries.

Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAS)

An endocrine system that regulates blood pressure by controlling blood volume.

Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP)

A hormone that lowers blood pressure by direct vasodilation and reducing blood volume.

Pulmonary circulation

The circulation of blood between the heart and the lungs.

Systemic circulation

The circulation of blood between the heart and the rest of the body.

Hepatic portal system

The system that carries nutrient-rich blood from the digestive organs to the liver.