blood vessels + systemic arteries

flow of blood vessels

heart → arteries → arterioles → capillaries → venules → veins → vena cavae → heart

lumen

hollow blood filled interior of vessel

vasa vasorum

blood vessels contained within the walls of larger, thicker vessels

tunica intima

innermost layer of a blood vessel

• inner lining is endothelium

• continuous layer within blood vessels and lining of chambers of the heart (endocardium)

tunica media

middle layer of blood vessels

• consists of smooth muscle - vasoconstriction and vasodilation

• and elastic fibers - stretch and recoil

tunica externa

aka adventitia, outermost layer of blood vessel

• fibers anchor blood vessels to surrounding tissue

baroreceptors

located in the carotid sinuses (in wall of internal carotid artery) and in wall of aortic arch

chemoreceptors

in carotid bodies (in wall of external carotid artery) and aortic bodies (in wall of aortic arch) monitor blood ph, and levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide

• input to respiratory integration centers in brain

left atrium

blood in the ________ will never be 100% oxygenated due to 2 physiological shunts:

• Some deoxygenated blood from the wall of the left ventricle of the heart flows into the left ventricular cavity

• Bronchial veins, and mediastinal-to-pulmonary veins, both

  dump deoxygenated blood into the pulmonary veins