Cardiovascular Physiology - Blood Vessels

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about cardiovascular physiology.

Arteries

Carry blood away from the heart under high pressure, usually delivering oxygen-rich blood to tissues.

Capillaries

Thin-walled vessels where gas, nutrient, and waste exchange occurs between blood and tissue.

Veins

Return blood to the heart under low pressure, have valves to prevent backflow, and serve as blood reservoirs.

Diffusion

The most important and common method of capillary exchange.

Bulk Flow

A passive process that moves large volumes of solutes and fluid together across capillary walls driven by pressure gradients.

Filtration

Movement from capillaries into interstitial fluid.

Reabsorption

Movement from interstitial fluid into capillaries.

Lymphatic Capillary

Act as one-way entry flaps that absorb interstitial fluid, solutes, and particles but prevent return to intercellular spaces.

Hemodynamics

The study of blood flow and the forces involved in circulation.

Blood Flow

Pressure Gradient / Resistance

Blood Pressure

The force blood exerts on vessel walls, dependent on blood volume, peripheral resistance, and cardiac output.

Atherosclerosis

A condition where arteries are narrowed due to plaque buildup, increasing resistance.

Venous Return

The flow of blood back to the heart.

Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP)

The average pressure driving blood to tissues, estimated by MAP = DP + 1/3(PP).

Baroreceptors

Receptors responsible for monitoring blood pressure, located in the aorta and carotid arteries.

Chemoreceptors

Receptors that monitor changes in H+, CO2, and O2.

Positive Inotropic Effect

Increases contractility, associated with the sympathetic nervous system.

Positive Chronotropic Effect

Increases heart rate, also from sympathetic stimulation.

Baroreceptor Reflex

A negative feedback system that adjusts HR and vessel diameter to maintain stable BP.

Orthostatic Hypotension

A drop in BP due to standing suddenly, causing dizziness as blood pools in the legs.