Week 7 Study Guide: Blood Flow and Regulation of Blood Pressure

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts related to the regulation of blood pressure and kidney function as described in the lecture notes.

Vasoconstriction

The contraction of vascular smooth muscle causing a narrowing of vessel diameter.

Vasodilation

The relaxation of vascular smooth muscle causing an increase in vessel diameter.

Metarterioles

Small blood vessels that connect arterioles to capillaries and allow for the exchange of nutrients and waste between blood and tissue.

Systolic pressure

The pressure in the arteries when the heart beats.

Diastolic pressure

The pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats.

Pulse pressure

The difference between systolic and diastolic pressure, indicating the force the heart generates with each contraction.

Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP)

The average pressure in a person's arteries during one cardiac cycle, calculated as MAP = DBP + 1/3(PP).

Peripheral resistance

The resistance of the arteries to blood flow, affecting blood pressure.

Homeostasis

The body's ability to maintain stable internal conditions despite changes in the external environment.

Baroreceptor reflex

A neural mechanism that helps regulate blood pressure by sensing stretch in the arterial walls.

Orthostatic hypotension

A form of low blood pressure that occurs when standing up from sitting or lying down.

Filtration

The process of fluid and solutes passing from the blood through the capillary walls into the interstitial fluid.

Absorption

The process of reabsorbing fluid from the interstitial fluid back into the capillaries.

Hydrostatic pressure

The pressure exerted by a fluid due to gravity, pushing water out of the capillaries.

Osmotic pressure gradient

The difference in osmotic pressure between the plasma and the interstitial fluid that drives the movement of water.

Colloid osmotic pressure (π)

The pressure exerted by proteins in the blood plasma that helps retain water in the circulatory system.

Renal corpuscle

The initial filtering component of the nephron, consisting of Bowman’s capsule and the glomerulus.

Juxtaglomerular apparatus

A structure that regulates the function of each nephron, consisting of specialized cells in the distance tubule and afferent arterioles.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

The rate at which blood is filtered through the kidneys, indicating kidney function.

Podocytes

Specialized cells in the Bowman’s capsule that help form the filtration barrier.

Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS)

A hormone system that regulates blood pressure and fluid balance.

Clearance

The volume of plasma from which a substance is completely removed by the kidneys per unit time.