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arteries
carry blood away from the heart
sympathetic branch
division of the autonomic nervous system that carries signals related to your "fight or flight" response
vasoconstriction
narrowing of blood vessels by small muscles in their walls
vasodilation
widening of blood vessels as a result of the relaxation of the blood vessels' muscular walls
arterioles
small artery that delivers blood to capillaries
capillaries
microscopic vessels connect arterioles to venules, and which permit the exchange of nutrients and wastes between blood and tissue cells
venules
small veins formed by joining of several capillaries
veins
highly distensible, accommodating variable volumes of blood and acting as a blood reservoir
blood reservoir
an area from which a significant volume of blood can be rapidly redistributed in a precise and controlled way
blood pressure
the pressure exerted by blood on the wall of a blood vessel
arterial pressure
blood pressure is clinically referred to as this, which fluctuates in relation to ventricular systole and diastole
sphygmomanometer
indirectly measures arterial blood pressure; consists of an inflatable compression bag enclosed in a cuff and connected to a pressure gauge
baroreceptor reflex
series of quick actions your body takes to keep your blood pressure in a normal range in response to an abrupt change in position
vasomotor center
main center for neurogenic control of vascular tone and hence blood pressure; in the midbrain
hemostasis
prevents blood loss from small damaged blood vessels
prothrombinase (prothrombin activator)
responsible for the proteolytic conversion of prothrombin to thrombin
prothrombin
plasma protein formed by liver
thrombin
a proteolytic enzyme
fibrinogen
soluble plasma protein formed by liver
fibrin
insoluble protein
tissue factor (thromboplastin)
initiates prothrombinase; a factor extrinsic to blood
clot retraction
once a clot is formed contraction of the platelets within the clot shrinks the fibrin network, pulling the edges
plasmin
a fibrinolytic enzyme that slowly dissolves blood clots
thrombus
a clot which stays in the place where it is formed
thrombosis
the condition in which a clot stays in the place where it is formed
embolus
the part of the clot that dislodges, it circulates thru the bloodstream
embolism
a condition where part of a blood clot dislodges and circulates thru the bloodstream
atherosclerotic plaque
the mass of fatty substances and together with smooth muscle fibers that is deposited in the walls of medium and large sized arteries
coronary artery bypass graft
a procedure to bypass a blocked section of a coronary artery and to deliver oxygen to the heart
