THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY

NICOLAE TESTEMITANU

CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM

DEPARTAMENT OF HISTOLOGY, CYTOLOGY AND EMBRIOLOGY

GLOBA TATIANA

Cardiovascular system includes

Heart pumps the blood

through the pulmonary and
systemic circulations.

Blood vessels provide

the route by which blood
circulates to & from all
parts of the body.

Lymphatic vessels carry

lymph (tissue-derived
fluid) back to the vascular
system.

Blood vessels

Major types of vessels

Arteries
Veins
Microcirculatory or microvascular bed (arterioles,
capillaries, postcapillary venules)
Arteries carry blood AWAY from the heart
Veins carry blood TOWARD the heart
Capillaries contact tissue cells and directly serve
cellular needs, communicate between arteries and
veins.

Blood Vessels

General structure of the wall of the entire vascular system

consists of 3 layers or tunics (beginning with luminal surface):

1. Tunica intima
2. Tunica media
3. Tunica adventitia

I.

Tunica intima (Intima)

1. endothelium & BL (basement lamina)
2. subendothelium (very thin loose CT)
3. internal elastic membrane (not seen in veins)
Clinical note: The integrity of the intima is critical, since damage can lead to
atherosclerosis or clotting.

II.

Tunica media (Media)

1. consists of circumferentially arranged smooth muscle and elastic
tissue in varying proportions
2. variable amount of connective tissue
3. external elastic membrane (not seen in veins)
The media of arteries is generally thicker than the media of veins of comparable
diameter.

III.

Tunica adventitia (Adventitia)

1. loose connective tissue
2. vasa vasorum
3. nervi vascularis
Clinical note: The presence of adventitial connective tissue tightly adhering to vessels
facilitates the surgical isolation and repair of vessels.

Arteries

are classified into 3 types on the basis of size and the

characteristics of the tunica media:
Large ELASTIC arteries (aorta, pulmonary trunk).
MIXED arteries are arteries that are located
between elastic and muscular arteries (subclavian,
common carotid, common iliac arteries).
Medium sized MUSCULAR arteries (ex. medium
& small arteries that carry blood to the organs &
extremities).

Elastic Arteries

Tunica intima 10%

1.
2.
3.

Endothelium (simple squamous epithelium)

Subendothelial layer
Smooth muscle cells that are arranged longitudinally (smooth muscle
cell is not only contractile, but also produces the extracellular ground substance
and fibers)

4.

Tunica media 80%

1.

2.

Plexus fibroelasticus is same as internal elastic membrane

Concentric fenestrated lamellae of elastic fibers in adult there are
50-70 lamellae. The number & thickness of these lamellae are related
to the blood pressure & age.
Smooth muscle cells, collagen fibers, fibroblasts & ground substance
are arranged between elastic lamellae

Tunica adventitia 10 %
1.

2.
3.

Loose connective tissue

Vasa vasorum
Nervi vascularis

Tunica INTIMA 10%

Tunica MEDIA 80%

Tunica
ADVENTITIA 10%

Aorta

AORTA

Elastic fenestrated
lamellae

Muscular arteries

Have more smooth muscle & less elastic fibers in

the tunica media than do elastic arteries.

Prominent internal & external elastic membranes

help to distinguish them from elastic arteries.

Smooth muscle cells are arranged in a spiral fashion.

Their contraction assist in the maintaining of the
blood pressure.
Tunica intima ---- tunica media ---- tunica adventitia
5-10%

50%

40-45%

Muscular arteries
I.

II.

III.

The tunica intima:

The endothelium

The subendothelium

The internal elastic lamina (thicker)

The tunica media is dominated by

numerous concentric layers of smooth
muscle cells. Fine elastic fibres and a few
collagen fibres are also present. Between
tunics media and adventitia is located an
external elastic lamina (thinner).
Tunica adventitia (consists of loose
connective tissue, which contains vasa
vasorum, and nervi vasorum).

Tunica INTIMA 5-10%

Internal elastic
membrane

Tunica MEDIA 50%

External elastic
membrane

Tunica ADVENTITIA
40-45%

Mixed arteries
Tunica media is composed of 50% of
smooth muscle cells & 50% of elastic
fibers
Are placed between elastic & muscular
arteries

Capillary Bed arterioles, capillaries,

venules

Arteriole capillary venule

miraculous network:
Afferent arteriole capillary efferent arteriole --- kidney
Venule sinusoid capillary central vein --- liver

Arterioles

<0.5 mm diameter
three tunics too, but tunica media is formed by only:
1-2-3 layers of smooth muscle cells
thin adventitia

Arterioles versus Venules

Extremely narrow and thin

5mm-10mm in diameter
0.5mm wall thickness
Composed of endothelial cells surrounded by basal lamina, pericytes &
adventitial cells
Pericytes
sometimes found between endothelium and basal lamina
undifferentiated cells that resemble smooth muscle cells
provide support
assist in contraction
potential for regeneration

Capillary

Capillaries

3 types
Conitnuous : uninterrupted
lining of enothelium; most
common type

Fenestrated : enothelium
occasionally interrupted by
spaces

Discontinuous/Sinusoids :
incomplete endothelium
and basal lamina

Continuous Capillary - somatic

Is formed by continuous endothelial cells & complete

basal lamina
found in brain, skin, muscle, connective tissue, thymus,
lungs, exocrine glands, nervous tissue

Continuous Capillary

Marginal Fold

Pericyte cells (P) support the endothelial cells of capillaries

Fibroblast (F) produce supporting connective tissue and collagen (C)
Can see basement membrane of capillary and pericyte (BM, BMp)

Fenestrated Capillary

Endothelial cell body forms small openings called fenestrations.

Fenestrations may represent or arise from pinocytotic vesicles
which open onto both the luminal and basal surfaces of the cell.
Has continuous basal lamina
found in kidney, intestine and
endocrine glands
sealed by a diaphragm

Fenestrations in Endothelial

Fenestrations in Endothelium

Discontinuous or Sinusoid Capillary

Is formed by incomplete endothelial layer & incomplete basement

membrane
has enlarged diameter & irregular shape
slows circulation
found in liver, bone marrow,
and spleen

Discontinuous Capillary and Venous

Sinusoid

Wider than
capillaries

Spleen Sinusoid

Sinusoid

Venules

media: 1-few smooth muscle cells thick

prominent adventitia

Classification of veins

Unmuscular veins of pia & dura mater, retina,

bones, spleen, placenta, etc.
Muscular:

Weakly developed veins of the upper part of the body

(head, neck, v.cava superior)
Moderately v. brahialis
Most evident veins of the lower part of the body, lower
extremities.

Features of vein morphology

The wall is thinner than in artery

Internal & external elastic membranes are absent
The layering in the wall is not very distinct
Present valves
Tunica adventitia is more developed than tunica
media
Vaso vasorum are more in the tunica adventitia
The wall has the tendense to collapse

Veins

usually irregularly shaped

lumen, blood

So Which is Which???

Vein

Heart

Tissue Layers

Endocardium
Myocardium
Pericardium

Visceral Pericardium
Parietal Pericardium
Pericardial Fluid

Heart histology

Heart Wall

ENDOCARDIUM the innermost layer of the heart

consists of:
Endothelium (simple squamous epithelium) that rest
on the second layer.
Subendothelial layer (loose connective tissue).
Fibromuscular plexus elastic, collagen fibers and
smooth muscle cells.
Subendocardial layer (outer fibrous layer) which
contains small blood vessels, collagenous and elastic
fibers, but not smooth muscle.

Heart Wall

The MYOCARDIUM is the thickest of the tunics of the

heart and is formed by cardiac striated muscle tissue.
There are 3 types of cardiac muscle cells:
Contractile cardiocytes which contract to pump
blood through the circulation.
Secretory cardiocytes which produce biological
active substances.
Conductive cardiocytes present under the
endocardium of interatrial and interventricular septa.
There are 3 types of conductive cardioctes:
Type I located in the sinoatrial node.
Type II located in the atrioventricular node.
Type III located in the left and right bundles of Purkinje fibers.

Organ Membrane

Pericardium - Double Sac (2)

Visceral - inner, serous layer (epicardium)

Parietal - (outer) attached to pleura & diaphragm

Electrical Activity of the Heart

Contraction of heart depends on electrical

stimulation of myocardium
Impulse is initiated on right atrium and spreads
throughout the heart
Conduction pathway:

SA node.
AV node.
Bundle of His.
Purkinje fibers.

Stimulation of Purkinje fibers cause both

ventricles to contract simultaneously.
May be recorded on an ECG

Lymphatic System

Lymphatic capillaries:
Closed-end tubules that
form vast networks in
intercellular spaces.
Lymph:
Fluid that enters the
lymphatic capillaries.

Lymph carried from

lymph capillaries, to
lymph ducts, and then to
lymph nodes.

Lymph nodes filter the

lymph before returning
it to the veins.

Lymphatic Capillaries

Lymphatic Vessels

No fenestrations
No basal lamina
Anchoring filaments (microfibrils) in endothelia
hold vessel open and prevent collapse of lumen
Large lymphatics have numerous valves

Lymphatic vessels

have very thin walls

with less smooth
muscle than veins and
indistinct layers.
Valves are numerous.
Lymphatics will not
normally have any
blood cells.

Lymphostasis

Alex
General medicine
1st year

Histology
Histology