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Blood Vessels
Dr Fadel Naim
Ass. Prof. Faculty of Medicine
IUG
1
Blood Vessels
• An efficient mode of transport for oxygen, nutrients,
and waste products to and from body tissues.
• Heart is the mechanical pump that propels the blood
through the vessels.
• Heart and blood vessels form a closed-loop system.
• Blood is continuously pumped to and from the
tissues.
• Are not rigid and immobile.
• Can pulsate and change shape in accordance with
the body’s needs.
Blood Vessels
• Arteries
• Carry blood away from ventricles of heart
• Arterioles
• Receive blood from arteries
• Carry blood to capillaries
• Capillaries
• Sites of exchange of substances between
blood and body cells
• Venules
• Receive blood from capillaries
• Veins
• Carry blood toward atrium of heart
Three Main Classes of Blood Vessels
• End arteries
– Arteries that do not form anastomoses
– Only one route
– E.g.: renal artery, splenic artery
• Functional end arteries
– Have small anastomoses
– E.g.: coronary arteries
Blood Vessel Tunics
• Tunica Intima, or Tunica
Interna
– innermost layer
– composed of:
• an endothelium (simple
squamous epithelium)
• subendothelial layer (areolar CT)
• Tunica Media
– middle layer of the vessel wall
– composed of:
• circularly arranged smooth
muscle cells
– Sympathetic innervation:
• Increase: vasoconstriction
(narrowing of the blood vessel
lumen)
• Decrease: vasodilation
(widening of the blood vessel
lumen)
Blood Vessel Tunics
Tunica Externa, or Tunica Adventitia
– outermost layer
– composed of:
• areolar connective tissue that contains elastic and collagen fibers
– helps anchor the vessel to other tissues
– Term adventitia is used to specify outer layer in blood vessels
that are buried in CT
• Vasa vasorum : blood vessels that supply large blood
vessels
– In the externa
• Arteries vs Veins:
– Media largest in arteries, externa largest in veins
– Lumen is smallest in arteries
– Artery wall have more elastic and collagen fibers
• Capillaries: only the Interna
Arteries
• In the systemic circulation, carry oxygenated
blood to the body tissues.
• Continuous capillaries
– the most common type
• Fenestrated capillaries
• Sinusoids, or discontinuous
capillaries
Regulation of Capillary Blood Flow
Precapillary
sphincters
• may close a
capillary
• respond to
needs of the cells
• low oxygen and
nutrients cause
sphincter to
relax
Veins
• Drain capillaries and return the blood to the heart.
1. muscle contraction
2. respiratory pump
3. valve assistance
4. Ventricular relaxation
Arteriole
• Coronary arteries
• Brachiocephalic
• Left common carotid
• Left subclavian
• Celiac
• Superior mesenteric artery
• Renals
• Ovarian / testicular
• Inferior mesenteric
Minor Branches of the Aorta
• Pericardial Thoracic
• Bronchial Lumbar
• Esophageal Suprarenal
• Mediastinal
• Intercostal
• Phrenic
Major Blood Vessels of the Heart
Abdominal Aorta and Its Major Branches
Arteries to Neck, Head, and Brain
Cerebral Arterial Circle
• Circle of Willis
• formed by anterior and posterior cerebral arteries, which
join the internal carotid arteries
Arteries to Shoulder and Upper Limb
Arteries to Thoracic Wall
Arteries to Pelvic Region
Arteries to the Lower Limb
Major Vessels of the Venous System
Major Veins of the Brain, Head and Neck
Veins from the Upper Limb and Shoulder
Veins That Drain the Thoracic Wall
Veins That Drain the Abdominal Viscera
Veins of the Lower Limb and Pelvis
Hepatic Portal System
• A venous network that drains the GI tract
and shunts the blood to the liver for
processing and absorption of transported
materials.
• Blood exits the liver through hepatic veins
that merge with the inferior vena cava.
• Is needed because the GI tract absorbs
digested nutrients, and these nutrients must
be processed and/or stored in the liver.
THE END