The Circulatory & Respiratory Systems 03: Blood Vessels

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the fundamentals of the human cardiovascular system, including vessel types, mechanics of blood pressure, and capillary exchange.

Human cardiovascular system

A fluid transport system that consists of the heart, all the body’s blood vessels, the blood, and the bone marrow tissue in which red blood cells are formed.

Arteries and arterioles

Blood vessels which carry blood away from the heart; they contain thick, elastic, muscular walls.

Venules and veins

Blood vessels which carry blood toward the heart; they are thin-walled and located closer to the surface than arteries.

Systemic circuit

The circuit in which arteries carry oxygenated blood and veins carry deoxygenated blood.

Pulmonary circuit

The circuit in which arteries carry deoxygenated blood and veins carry oxygenated blood.

Capillaries

The smallest blood vessels and the site of gas, molecule, and thermal exchange where almost all circulatory action occurs.

Arterial Elasticity

A property important for maintaining blood pressure and volume; it allows the aorta and arteries to expand and store pressure during ventricular contraction.

Hypertension

Increased blood pressure caused by inelastic arteries; it is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attacks, heart failure, aneurysms, and chronic kidney disease.

Elastic recoil

The process occurring during isovolumic ventricular relaxation where the arteries send blood forward into the rest of the circulatory system.

Systolic pressure

The blood pressure during ventricular contraction, which is higher in stiff, inelastic arteries than in healthy, elastic ones.

Diastolic pressure

The blood pressure during ventricular relaxation, which is lower in stiff, inelastic arteries than in healthy, elastic ones.

Precapillary sphincters

Structures that regulate blood flow in capillary beds by opening (e.g., during exercise) or closing (e.g., in cold weather).

Thoroughfare channels

Channels within capillary beds that allow for the direct flow of blood.

Interstitial fluid

The fluid surrounding capillaries and nearby cells into which materials move before entering the cells.

Valves

Structures present in veins that prevent the backflow of blood as it is aided toward the heart by skeletal muscle contractions.