Concepts in Cardiovascular physiology Dr.

Suran Kuruppu

Circulation Biophysics and Generation of

Blood pressure
In the circulation the flow through any segment (Aorta, large
arteries, small arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules and great
veins) is the same which is the cardiac output of 5L/min. (If the
flows were different there will be blood pooling up in that
segment). But the total cross sectional area that all this blood has
to travel is least when it passes through the aorta and the major
veins, but is most in the extensively spread capillary network
which collectively has a very high cross sectional area. So the
velocity of flow is the least in the capillaries and highest in the
aorta and Large veins.

Flow = Volume/min = Velocity x cross sectional area =

m/min x m2 = m3/min
The flow of blood actually is pulsatile (changing high and low
flows) up to the arteriolar level and is almost constant in the
capillaries. So according to what was mentioned above when the
flows are not the same in each compartment of the circulation
blood has to pool up in the segment which has high flow? Yes this
pooling happens with each ventricular ejection in the aorta due to
its elastic distensibility. So the aorta can be imagined as a second
pump which temporarily distends with the stroke volume till the
blood moves into the peripheral circulation due to the recoiling of
the aortic elastic tissue. This records two different pressure values
in the aorta, Systolic with the maximum distention and diastolic
after the recoiling has taken place just before the next stroke

volume. That is why the aorta up to the smaller arteries have a

pulsatile flow (due to elastic tissue). But this pulsatility is
gradually reduced or dampened by the time it reaches the
capillaries. So capillaries have a single pressure value.

When the heart pumps blood into the aorta it distends due to its
elastic tissue as mentioned above. The amount of distention or
stretch of its elastic fibers depends on two things. The stroke
volume that entered the aorta and how fast it is removed from
the aorta to the peripheral circulation. The Latter depends on the
peripheral resistance to flow which is mainly at the arteriolar
level. So the highest pressure in the aorta (120mmHg) will be
midway of ventricular ejection where the aorta is maximally
stretched and is called the systolic pressure of the aorta. The
gradual peripheral run-off of blood reduces the stretch of the
aorta and also the blood pressure to the lowest recorded value
which is the diastolic pressure of the aorta (80mmHg). The
pressure doesnt drop below that because the next ventricular
contraction happens, ejecting blood into the aorta.
There is a continuous pressure gradient from the aorta, having a
mean pressure of around 100mmHg, to the Right atrium which
has a pressure of 0mmHg. This gradient is created due to the
resistance to flow. If not for a resistance there will be a flow once
the heart ejects without a pressure gradient developing. See
below
P = Flow x Resistance
If there is zero resistance, a flow can happen without a pressure
difference. If there is zero flow still there wont be a pressure
difference even with a resistance.
Now imagine, if the pumping of the heart stopped for some time.
The pressure in the whole circulation (Arteries and veins) will

become a single value (because for a pressure gradient to

develop there has to be a flow against a resistance) which settles
at about 7mmHg. This pressure is determined by the elasticity of
the veins and arteries. Veins are very compliant or less elastic so
when the heart stops lot of blood will move from the arteries to
the veins which can accommodate more blood, until the recoil
forces of both arteries and veins give the same pressure which is
7mmHg. But in the pumping heart, arteries will at any given time
have a higher blood volume than what the arteries will have when
the heart stopped and flow stopped completely. Try to understand
this concept. Read the above account several times.