KAAP221 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Mean Arterial Pressure, Venae Cavae, Blood Vessel
12 Apr 2018
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As you move from aorta to capillaries, the blood vessels diverge and branch - go from bigger to a multitude of smaller vessels, so the diameter decreases which increases resistance. > increase in resistance decreases pressure and decreases flow. Want the flow to be slow for gas exchange. Branching together as we"re bringing blood back to heart. Diameter goes up, resistance goes down, and flow goes up. Highest pressure in aorta because closest to heart. Pressure drops at each branching within the arterial system: capillaries contribute the most to vascular resistance because they have the smallest diameter, changes in bp, changes in blood flow, changes in arterial pressure. Pulse pressure (pp) = sbp - dbp; represent the force that the heart must generate each time it. Highest flow in aorta - because highest bp and largest diameter. Flow accelerates in venous system due to larger diameter vessels (which means less resistance)
