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Blood and Lymphatic Vessels

LO Describe the structure and function of blood vessels and describe the
function of the lymph system
Starter: Using your knowledge
of the heart discuss which of
these diagrams shows a vein and
which shows an artery? >

Blood vessels
Blood vessels range from almost 1 cm in diameter to a
fraction of a millimetre.
There are over 50,000 km of blood vessels in the human
body.
An average human has five litres of blood circulating around
the body. When you donate blood, doctors only take half a
litre.

There are 3 types of blood vessel

Arteries

- these carry blood

AWAY from the heart

Capillaries - these carry blood close to all CELLS

Veins

- these carry blood

TOVVARDS the heart

Arteries
Arteries carry blood under high pressure therefore they have a
thick muscle walls
The walls stretch when the heart beats and then contract back
and force blood forwards.
This can be felt as your pulse

Thinking point
Someone has been in an accident and they are bleeding.
How could you tell just by looking if an artery had been damaged?
Just as important if it was a damaged artery what would you do?

Arteries
Answers
Blood in arteries is under pressure
and in a muscular elastic tube.
So blood squirts out driven by
the heartbeat and pulse.
To seal the wound pressure must
be applied and if possible the wound
site should be lifted up.

Veins
Veins carry blood towards the heart under low pressure.
They have a thin muscle and elastic wall.
Veins have valves which prevent blood flowing backwards (ensuring a one way flow of blood)
Contracting leg muscles help push blood against the flow of gravity by squeezing the veins.

Leg muscles
help!

This is what happens when the valves get leaky.

leads to

Capillaries
cells to

Capillaries are very narrow forcing blood

pass in single file

cell

Capillaries have very thin walls about 1

thick makes it easy to transfer substances

Capillaries are the

point where arteries
become veins!

When you fall and graze your elbow the blood oozes out you have
damaged a few capillaries. A small skin cut doesnt bleed much for
the same reason.

 Arterioles Small arteries branch into even smaller vessels called arterioles, which
function to regulate the flow of blood into different tissues. Arterioles branch into
capillaries, the smallest of all blood vessels.
Venules Avenuleis a very small blood vessel that allows deoxygenated blood to
return from the capillary beds to the larger blood vessels called veins.Venulesare
formed when capillaries unite (come together). Manyvenulesunite to form a vein.
Shunt Vessell Many arterioles contain a ring of muscle known as aprecapillarysphincter. When this is contracted the constriction shuts off blood flow to
the capillaries, but when it is dilated, blood passes through. Some capillary networks
have a shunt vessel. When the sphincter is constricted blood is diverted along the
shunt vessel so the capillary network is by-passed. After the capillary network has
permeated an organ the capillaries link into avenulewhich joins avein.

Lymphatic System >

The lymphatic system is made up of lymph vessels and lymph
nodes. The lymphatic system is part of the circulatory and
immune system.

Lymphatic System >

The lymphatic system is made up of lymph vessels and lymph nodes. The lymphatic system is
part of the circulatory and immune system.
Consists of vessels like veins that permeate the body that join up in to the circulatory
system when the main lymphatic duct joins to the subclavian vein in the thorax. The main
functions are:
Reabsorption of water from tissues. Not all water leaving capillaries is reabsorbed; the
remainder is absorbed by the lymph vessels which return the liquid lymph to the blood via
lymphatic ducts.
Lymph glands are found throughout the system. They produce lymphocytes that can
manufacture antibodies and also contain phagocytotic lymphocytes (so swell on pathogen
infection).
The lacteals are branches of the lymph system in each villus of the small intestine. They
absorb fats so that they enter the bloodstream more slowly and fat does not deposit in
arteries.

Lymphatic System >

The lymphatic system is made up of lymph vessels and lymph
nodes. The lymphatic system is part of the circulatory and
immune system.

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