Chapter 23: Blood Vessels — Flashcards

Question-and-answer flashcards covering vessel structure, systemic and pulmonary pathways, coronary and portal circulation, and key clinical correlations.

What are the three main types of blood vessels?

Arteries, veins, and capillaries.

Which blood vessels carry blood away from the heart?

Arteries.

Which blood vessels generally carry deoxygenated blood toward the heart?

Veins (except pulmonary veins, which carry oxygenated blood).

Which blood vessels are the primary site of gas and nutrient exchange?

Capillaries.

What layer lines the interior of a blood vessel and forms the tunica intima?

Endothelium.

Which tunic is thickest in arteries?

Tunica media.

Which tunic is thickest in veins?

Tunica externa (adventitia).

List the sequence of vessels from the heart to tissues starting with the aorta.

Aorta → Elastic arteries → Muscular arteries → Arterioles → Capillaries → Venules → Veins → Vena cavae.

What type of capillary has tight junctions and is most common in the body?

Continuous capillary.

Where are fenestrated capillaries typically found?

Kidneys, intestines, and endocrine glands.

Which capillary type allows passage of large molecules and cells and has a discontinuous basement membrane?

Sinusoidal capillaries.

What are precapillary sphincters?

Small circular muscles that control blood flow into capillaries based on tissue metabolic needs.

Which arterial trunk from the aortic arch divides into the right subclavian and right common carotid arteries?

Brachiocephalic trunk.

Into what two arteries does each common carotid artery divide?

Internal carotid (to the brain) and external carotid (to face, scalp, neck).

What arterial circle provides collateral blood flow to the brain?

Circle of Willis (cerebral arterial circle).

Which unpaired abdominal artery supplies the liver, stomach, and spleen?

Celiac trunk.

What artery supplies the anterior surface of the heart and is nicknamed "the Widow Maker"?

Anterior interventricular artery (left anterior descending, LAD).

Which veins drain into the superior vena cava?

The left and right brachiocephalic veins, which receive blood from internal and external jugular veins and subclavian veins.

What specialized venous channels drain cerebral blood into the internal jugular veins?

Dural venous sinuses (e.g., superior sagittal and transverse sinuses).

Name two major superficial veins of the arm.

Cephalic vein and basilic vein (linked by the median cubital vein).

Into which large vein does blood from hepatic veins drain?

Inferior vena cava.

What is the hepatic portal system?

A venous network that carries nutrient-rich blood from digestive organs to the liver before it enters systemic circulation.

Which coronary veins converge into the coronary sinus?

Great cardiac vein, small cardiac vein, and other cardiac veins.

What unique oxygenation pattern exists in pulmonary circulation?

Pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood, while pulmonary veins carry oxygenated blood.

Trace the pulmonary circulation pathway beginning at the right ventricle.

Right ventricle → Pulmonary trunk → Pulmonary arteries → Lung capillaries → Pulmonary veins → Left atrium.

Define atherosclerosis.

Buildup of fatty plaques in arterial walls that narrows the lumen and reduces blood flow.

List three risk factors for atherosclerosis.

High cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, hypertension (any three).

What is vasoconstriction?

Contraction of vascular smooth muscle that decreases vessel diameter.

What is systolic blood pressure?

Arterial pressure during ventricular contraction.

What structural feature prevents back-flow of blood in veins?

Valves inside the veins.

Why are arteries described as high-pressure vessels?

They have thick muscular walls to withstand and maintain the high pressure generated by the heart.

Why is collateral circulation important?

It provides alternative pathways to maintain blood flow if a main vessel becomes blocked.

What are pulse points?

Locations where arteries lie close to the surface and can be palpated against bone to feel the pulse.

Which vessels have the largest lumen relative to wall thickness?

Veins.

What structural feature allows fenestrated capillaries to exchange water and small solutes rapidly?

Pores (fenestrations) in their endothelial cells.

What is autoregulation of blood flow?

Local control that adjusts vessel diameter to meet the metabolic needs of tissue.

How many pulmonary veins return blood to the heart, and where do they empty?

Four pulmonary veins (two from each lung) empty into the left atrium.

Which arteries supply the kidneys?

Renal arteries.

Which lower-limb artery is the continuation of the femoral artery behind the knee?

Popliteal artery.

Identify two mechanisms that aid venous return to the heart.

Skeletal muscle pump and respiratory pump (along with venous valves).