Cardiovascular Histology

1. Most Large vessels are composed of 3 layers

1. Vessel:
1. Tunic intima: endotheliusm, basement membrane, internal elastic lamina
2. tunica media: smooth muscle, external elastic media
3. tunica adventitiat
2. Heart
1. endo/asoldfjad
2. Arteries
1. Elastic (conducting)
1. large arteries
2. leave the heart proper
3. ex. aorta, common carotid, brachiocephalic arteries
2. Muscular (distribituing)
1. deliver blood to the organs and small arteries
2. ex: axillary, femoral, brachial arteries
3. Elastic Atery
1. conduct blood
2. help regulate pulse so blood moves at seatdy flow (despite contractions of heart) ( do this by
expanding/contracting to adjsut pressure differences)
3. each tunic has specific compositions and fucntion
4. Elastic Artery (*elastic stain*) (can also used H & e)
1. T. intimia
1. made up endothelium, subendothelial connective tissue
2. T. Media
1. 40-70 layers of elastic lamellae
2. smooth muscles cells
3. type III collagen
4. most developed
3. T. Adventitia
1. made up of dense irregular connective tissue
2. prevents over distension f the vessel (type I collage)
5. Elastic Artery (common carotid)
1. imbricated arrangement
2. smooth muscle cells found between elastic fibers
6. Aorta H&e stain
1. t. adventitia
2. pale stained are elastic fibers
3. elastic fibers do NOT stain with H&E
4. inner half of cessel wall is nourished from tunica intima while outer half is nourished from
vaso vasorum (adventitia)
5. nervi vascularis innervaes
7. Muscular arteries
1. mediums sized
2. most abundant in the body
3. comtoein more smooth muscles in tunice media than elastic fibers
4. External elastic Laminae (EEL) found between tunica media and adventitia

5. EEL is characteistic of muscular arteries

6. muscular arteries serve as a conduit to distribute blood from elastic vessels to .
8. Muscle Arteries
1. Intimia
1. distinct IEL (Internal EL)
2. scalloped appearance is characteristic
2. Media
1. 8-40 layers of smooth muscle cells arranged in circular fashion
2. few elastic fiver and collagen
3. distinct EEL
3. Adventitia
1. dense CT with collagen and elastic fibers
2. vasa vasorum and nerves
9. Muscular artery (Femoral)
1. elastic stain IEL and EEL are visible
2. H&E not as visible (?)
10. Arterioles
1. smallest arteries
2. can be closed down to generate high resistance to flow
11. arterioles
1. Intima
1. made up endothelium
2. Meida
1. 1-2 layerso f smooth muscles cells
3. Adventitia
1. ill defined, blendw tih surrounding tissue
12. Capillary
1. luminal diamete 7-9 microns
2. single layer of endothelial cells + basal lamina
3. permits exchange of material
4. usually interspded between arteries and veins
5. different levels of metabolix exchange
6. may be encirclesd by pericytes (Rouget Cells)
7. Restriced permeabilities in some organs eg. Barriers in the brain, retina, thymus,
testis, etc
13. Types of capillaries
1. continous/somatic
1. simple squamous cells are held by tight junctions
2. basal laminae is continuous
3. found in CT, muscles and nerve tissue, exocrine glands, tendons, etc.
2. fenstrated/visceral
1. continuous basal lamina
2. simple squamous epithelium is still held by tight junctions, HOWEVER they are
fenestrated ( about 80-100nm on cell membreane)
3. prescenc of diaphragm (may or may not [not found in kidney]) in the fenestration
4. found in ciliary process, choroid plexus, kidney (no diapgram), endocrine organs, etc
5. found in processes where products are made from plasma (need a sieve like functino)
3. discontinuous/sinusoidal
1. Zsimple squamous epithelium are Not HELD TOGETHER WITH TIGH JUNCTION

2. incomplete basal lamina

3. presence of large fenestrations
4. Found in liver, spleen, bone marrow
5. found in areas of major exchange
14. Veins
1. return blood to the heart
2. walls are thin
3. don't need support as those of the artery, since pressue is low at this point
4. low blood pressure in bens create the need for valves, which prevent back-flow (large veins
don't need valves instead have smooth muscles)
5. ...
15. Veins
1. all 3 layers are present but less pronouned,
2. tunica media especially is much thinner but still contains smooth muscle
16. Veins
1. intimia
1. endothelium, subendothelial connective tissue
2. media
1. very few smooth muscle cells (not all veins have this), arranged in circular fashion
3. adventitia
1. more developed than media
17. Large Veins ( Vena cava)
1. media: circulaly arraned smooth muscles and CT
2. adventitia: has longitudinal smooth mucle bucles (found only in large veins) which help in
continuous milkin of blood towards the heart against fgraity
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