PSL301H1 Lecture 11: L11 Blood Flow Anatomy & Pressure Gradients

• School: UTSG
• Department: Physiology
• Course: PSL301H1
• Professor: Michelle French

Document Summary

Lecture 11 blood flow: anatomy and pressure gradients. Cardiac output is blood flow, received by the system of blood vessels. Blood vessels have three tunics (i. e. , layers): tunic intima, endothelium, tunic media. Smooth muscle: controlled by sympathetic nervous system, tunic externa, mostly fibrous connective tissue. Tunic intima is very inner lining of the blood vessel where the blood is flowing in the lumen of the artery: made up of endothelial cells. I(cid:374) a(cid:396)te(cid:396)ioles, it"s (cid:272)o(cid:374)t(cid:396)olled (cid:271)(cid:455) n to constrict or relax. Tunic externa is the outer layer: also called adventitia, outer casing contains fibroblasts, fibrous tissues, and keeps the whole vessel together. Elastic lamina sits between intima and media, and media and externa. Arteries and veins are very similar in their construction: differ by amounts of cells and fibrous tissues that make up the different layers. Highest pressure and lowest pressure is in the heart. System of tubes causes blood pressure to reduce as you move through the system.