CVS 9

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to vascular regulation, blood flow, and blood pressure control.

Vascular Regulation

Regulation of blood flow and blood pressure.

Autoregulatory Processes

Processes that regulate blood flow and blood pressure.

Nervous System

A component that regulates blood flow and blood pressure.

Endocrine System

A system that regulates blood flow and blood pressure.

Arteries

Blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.

Arteriole

Small branch of an artery leading into capillaries.

Pre-capillary Sphincters

A ring of smooth muscle that regulates blood flow into capillaries.

Capillaries

Microscopic blood vessels where exchange of nutrients and waste occurs.

Venule

Small vein that collects blood from capillaries.

Vein

Blood vessel that carries blood towards the heart.

Autoregulation

Chemical mediators cause either the increase or decrease of blood flow.

Vasodilation

Increase blood flow

Vasoconstriction

Decrease blood flow

Nitric Oxide

Relaxes smooth muscle cells, leading to vasodilation.

Thromboxane

Constricts blood vessels.

Endothelin

Constricts blood vessels when endothelial cells are damaged

Vasomotor Centre

Located in the medulla oblongata, receives input from chemoreceptors and baroreceptors.

Vasomotor Tone

Arterioles are always partially constricted due to constant sympathetic stimulation.

Adrenal Glands

Causes vasoconstriction when adrenaline & noradrenaline are released.

Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone (RAA) System

Causes vasoconstriction, plus increased water reabsorption in kidneys.

Aldosterone

Vasoconstriction & increased water reabsorption.

Natriuretic Peptide

Reduces blood volume and blood pressure; acts as a diuretic and causes vasodilation.

Natriuretic Peptide

Inhibits release of adrenaline, noradrenaline, aldosterone, ADH.