Blood Vessels Remember to use the Z.A.P. strategy we discussed in class to create meaning from text.

Zone in to something interesting Add your own thoughts Put it down in your own words The thickest walled vessels in the human body are called ARTERIES. These vessels contain the same layers as do veins, but a thicker layer of smooth muscle allows arteries to withstand the higher blood pressures associated with the ARTERIAL side of the circulatory system. Arteries carry blood from the heart and into smaller ARTERIOLES, which branch from arteries in all directions. The arterioles ensure oxygenated blood is supplied to all tissues in the body. Arterioles control the distribution of blood flow in response to hormones and chemicals released from neighbouring tissues. Once within the various tissues, these arterioles divide further into CAPILLARIES, which are responsible for nutrient and waste exchange between those tissues and the blood. Capillaries are found as nets or webbing that run throughout and penetrate deeply into the tissue. These networks of capillaries are often called CAPILLARY BEDS. Note that as you move away from the heart, the vessel size decreases, along with the number of layers present.

Venous Valves

Once blood has passed through capillary bed, it empties into VENULES on the VENOUS side of the circulatory system. Since nutrient and waste exchange occurs within capillaries, venules now carry deoxygenated blood. In addition, the BLOOD PRESSURE is considerably lower on the venous side, so VALVES can be found at regular intervals within the lumen of both venules and veins to facilitate transport of blood back to the heart. Another mechanism working in conjunction with these one-way valves is something called the MUSCLE-VENOUS-PUMP. This muscle-venous-pump describes the process by which the contraction of our skeletal muscles themselves forces blood along the VEINS towards the heart.

As shown in the diagram to the right, arteries are thicker-walled than veins due to the relative size of their smooth muscle layer compared to veins. Because of this, they are less pliable than veins, but can resist higher pressures, such as those found on the arterial side of the circulatory system. Veins have a thinner smooth muscle layer and are therefore more flexible, and are designed for transporting blood under the lower pressure found on the venous side of the circulatory system. Capillaries are comprised of a single layer of endothelial cells. To the left, a capillary bed in the alveioli of a lung shows oxygen-depleted RBCs passing single file through a capillary, allowing carbon dioxide to be deposited into the lungs (and exhaled), while inhaled oxygen binds HAEMOGLOBIN molecules within the RBCs, giving the blood its reddish colour.

The figure below illustrates the flow along the vessels (centre) as well as providing a comparative look at both the layers and lumen size of veins (left) and arteries (right). Arteries and veins are made up of four basic layers. The outermost layer is elastic connective tissue. Immediately inside this is the smooth muscle layer (thickest in arteries). Moving further inwards (towards the lumen) is another layer of elastic connective tissue. The innermost layer is called the endothelium, which is a layer of cells that surrounds the lumen. The lumen iteself is the hollow interior of the vessel through which blood flows.

The layer of cells lining the lumen of the blood vessel is called the ENDOTHELIUM. Both arteries and veins have a number of connective tissue layers as well as a smooth muscle layer. At the level of the capillaries, the endothelium is the only layer that remains. Capillary lumen are so small, that RBCs must pass in single file. This provides maximal surface area contact between the endothelium and the RBCs for gas exchange. Some blood fluid also leaks from the capillaries into the space between cells in the tissue. This is called INTERSTITIAL FLUID.