Blood Vessels & Hemodynamics

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary from the lecture on blood vessels and hemodynamics.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

Arterioles

Smallest branches of arteries that end in capillaries.

Capillaries

Small blood vessels that connect arterioles and venules, where gas and nutrient exchange occurs.

Venules

Small veins that drain blood from capillaries.

Veins

Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart.

Tunica intima

The inner layer of a blood vessel wall, consisting of endothelial cells.

Tunica media

The middle layer of blood vessel walls, primarily composed of smooth muscle and elastic fibers.

Tunica externa

The outer layer of a blood vessel, providing structural support and protection.

Resistance vessels

Term for arteries due to their strong, resilient tissue structure.

Conducting arteries

Large elastic arteries closest to the heart that allow for stretching and recoiling.

Distributing arteries

Medium-sized muscular arteries that distribute blood to specific organs.

Resistance arteries

Small arteries (arterioles) that provide high resistance and control blood flow to various organs.

Capillary beds

Networks of capillaries where exchange of gases, nutrients, and wastes occurs.

Continuous capillaries

Capillaries with tight junctions allowing limited passage of small solutes.

Fenestrated capillaries

Capillaries with filtration pores for rapid absorption and filtration, found in kidneys and intestines.

Sinusoids

Discontinuous capillaries with larger openings for passage of large molecules.

Blood flow

The amount of blood passing through a given organ or tissue in a specified time.

Perfusion

The amount of blood delivered to tissue per unit time per unit tissue mass.

Mean arterial pressure

The average pressure in a patient's arteries during one cardiac cycle.

Hypertension

Persistent elevation of blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Hypotension

Low blood pressure, which can be dangerous if sudden and severe.