Anatomy and Physiology of the Circulatory System
Review Notes
1. What does the circulatory system do?
It distributes blood and lymph throughout the
body.
2. What forms of circulation does the human
body have?
Pulmonary Circulation and Systemic Circulation.
3. What is a Pulmonary Circulation?
Pulmonary circulation is the portion of the
cardiovascular system which carries
deoxygenated blood away from the heart to the
lungs and returns oxygenated (oxygen-rich)
blood back to the heart.
4. What is Systemic Circulation?
Systemic circulation is the part of the
cardiovascular system which carries oxygenated
blood away from the heart to the body and
returns deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
5. What are the fatty deposits on the walls of
the arteries in coronary heart disease?
The fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries in
coronary heart disease are called plaques.
6. What does the right atrium do?
It is at the right upper chamber of the heart that
receives deoxygenated blood from the body
through the vena cava and pumps it into the right
ventricle which then sends it to the lungs to be
oxygenated.
7. What does the right ventricle do?
It is at the lower right chamber of the heart that
receives deoxygenated blood from the right
atrium and pumps it under low pressure into the
lungs through the pulmonary artery.
8. What does the left atrium do?
The left atrium is one of the four hollow chambers
of the heart. It plays the vital role of receiving
blood from the lungs via the pulmonary veins and
pumping it to the left ventricle.
9. What does the left ventricle do?
It is at the left lower chamber of the heart that
receives blood from the left atrium and pumps it
out under high pressure through the aorta to the
body.
10. Why is the muscle of the heart on the left
side thicker?
This is because blood is pumped out of the heart
at a greater pressure from the left ventricle since
it pumps the blood at high pressure to the aorta.
11. What is the function of the valves?
There is a valve through which blood passes
before leaving each chamber of the heart. The
valves prevent the backward flow of blood.
12. What are the functions of atrioventricular
valves?
The atrioventricular valves are found between the
atria and the ventricles. They make sure blood
flows is in one direction.
13. What is the function of tricuspid valve?
The function of the valve is to prevent the
backflow of blood into the right atrium.
14. What is the function of bicuspid valve?
The function of the valve is to prevent the
backflow of blood into the left atrium.
15. What is the function of the renal artery?
The renal artery supplies the kidney with blood. It
carries blood to the kidney and the kidney then
filters the blood.
16. What is the function of the renal vein?
It carries the blood filtered by the kidney.
17. What is the function of the hepatic artery?
It is a short blood vessel that carries the blood to
the liver, pylorus of the stomach, duodenum and
pancreas.
18. What are the hepatic veins?
These are blood vessels that transport the livers
deoxygenated blood and blood that was filtered
by the liver.
19. What is the superior vena cava?
This is a large vein which carries deoxygenated
blood from the head, arms and upper body
(pulmonary circulation) into the right atrium of the
heart.
20. What is the inferior vena cava?
This is a large vein which carries deoxygenated
blood from the body (systemic circulation) into
the right atrium of the heart.
21. What is the aorta?
This is the largest artery in the body. Aorta
begins at the top of the left ventricle which is the
heart’s muscular pumping chamber. The heart
pumps blood from the left ventricle into the aorta
through aortic valves.
22. What are the coronary arteries?
These arteries feed the cells of the heart.
23. What are the functions of blood vessels?
It delivers oxygen and nutrients to cells and carry
away waste products. It also has a part in
maintaining the blood pressure.
24. What is the function of arteries?
Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
25. What is an arteriole?
It is a small branch of an artery leading into
capillaries.
26. Why are the walls of the arteries rich in
elastic fibers?
It is because when fibers recoil they push the
blood even further.
27. What are capillaries?
Capillaries are the link between the arteries and
veins. They have many different structures doing
different jobs.
28. What are veins?
Veins carry blood back to the heart
29. What is a venule?
It is a very small vein which collects blood from
the capillaries.
30. Why do veins have valves?
The valves in veins close to prevent the blood
from flowing back and the muscles are
squeezing the blood to push it upwards.
31. What systems make up the circulatory
system?
It is the cardiovascular system and lymphatic
system.
32. What system works to maintain
homeostasis in the body?
Circulatory system
33. What is homeostasis?
It is the equilibrium of the internal environment of
the body.
34. What do body cells need to function
properly?
Food, oxygen, and other substances.
35. What does blood supply to the body and
what does it take away?
Blood supplies oxygen, nutrients, vitamins, and
antibodies while it takes away waste and carbon
dioxide.
36. What is the function of the lymphatic
system?
It transports excess fluid away from tissues and
maintains the internal fluid environment.
37. What is the function of arteries?
It carries oxygen-rich blood to body tissues.
38. What is the function of veins?
It carries oxygen-poor blood back to heart.
39. What is the function of systemic
circulation?
It carries blood from the heart to the tissues and
then brings it back.
40. What is pulmonary circulation?
It carries blood to the lungs and back.
41. Where is the left atrium?
It is at the left and top portion of the heart.
42. Where is the right atrium?
It is at the right and top portion of the heart.
43. Where is the right ventricle?
It is at the lower right portion of the heart.
44. Where is the left ventricle?
It is at the lower left portion of heart.
45. What is the pump of the circulatory
system?
The heart.
46. What does the blood carry in the
circulatory system?
It carries oxygen, carbon dioxide, and all other
material.
47. What is the purpose of the pulmonary
circulation?
To transport blood from the right ventricle of the
heart to the lungs.
48. What transports blood from the right
ventricle of the heart to the lungs?
Pulmonary vessels.
49. After blood reaches the lungs it is then
returned to which chamber of the heart?
Left atrium.
50. What is the function of systemic
circulation?
It pumps blood to the rest of the body.
51. After blood reaches the rest of the body it
is then returned to which chamber of the
heart?
Right atrium.
52. What is the function of arteries?
It carries blood away from the heart.
53. What is the function of the veins?
It carries blood to the heart.
54. What artery is responsible for carrying
deoxygenated blood?
Pulmonary artery.
55. What vein is responsible for carrying
oxygenated blood to the heart?
Pulmonary veins.
56. What is the structure of capillaries?
It is the smallest blood vessels in the body.
57. What is the diameter of capillaries?
The diameter is the size of one red blood cell.
58. What is the three-layered walls of all blood
vessels aside from capillaries?
Tunics
59. How many layers are present in arteries?
3
60. What is the innermost layer of the blood
vessel?
Tunica Interna
61. What tissue composes tunica interna?
It is composed of simple squamous epithelium
(endothelium).
62. Where is endothelial lining on the tunica
interna connected?
It is at the basement membrane with
glycoproteins and collagen fibers.
63. What is the purpose of the basement
membrane with glycoproteins and collagen
fibers?
It glues the epithelium to the underlying tissue.
64. What structure is also found in the tunica
interna?
Internal elastic lamina.
65. What is the function of the elastic lamina?
It allows expansion for blood flow.
66. What is the tunica media?
Middle layer.
67. What tissue does the tunica media
contain?
It has elastin and smooth muscle.
68. What type of tissues can be seen in the
largest blood vessels?
Mostly elastin and very little smooth muscle.
69. What is the outermost layer of a blood
vessel?
Tunica externa.
70. What type of tissue is found in the tunica
externa?
Loose fibrous connective tissue.
71. The tunica externa is principally
composed of what?
Collagen and elastin.
72. What has their own circulatory system in
the external portion of the blood vessel?
Larger blood vessels.
73. What blood vessels has their own blood
supply?
Vasa vasorum.
74. What has the same three distinct layers as
arteries?
Veins
75. Where do veins and arteries differ
structurally?
They differ in the wall thickness.
76. What type of walls do veins have?
They have way thinner walls than arteries.
77. What causes the arteries to have thicker
walls?
Blood pressure.
78. What type of pressure is found in veins?
Relatively zero pressure.
79. What composes the medium and large
veins?
One-way valves and pocket valves.
80. What is the function of one-way valves or
pocket valves?
It assists in the movement of blood back to the
heart.
81. What forms valves?
Folded tunica interna.
82. These one-way pocket valves are formed
with?
Two-flap pocket valves
83. What assists one-way valves and pocket
valves in bringing blood back to the heart?
Respiration and contraction of smooth muscle
84. What are capillaries?
It is the smallest blood vessels in the body.
85. What is the function of capillaries?
It is the site of exchange between tissues.
86. What does blood give up in capillaries
which is the site of exchange in the body?
Nutrients and oxygen.
87. What does blood receive in the capillaries
which is the site of exchange in the body?
Carbon dioxide and waste products.
88. Which blood vessel does not have three
layers?
Capillaries.
89. What tissues form capillaries?
Tunica interna without the internal elastic lamina.
90. What other tissues are sometimes but not
always found in capillaries?
Simple squamous epithelia with a basement
membrane possible with a small number of
connective tissues.
91. Where can we see capillaries?
In most tissues of the body.
92. What are the largest arteries in the body?
Conducting or elastic arteries.
93. What is the purpose of calling large
arteries in the body elastic arteries?
Tunica media is almost entirely elastin with very
small amounts of smooth muscle.
94. What do you call the medium and small
arteries?
Distributing and muscular arteries.
95. What is the purpose of calling medium
and small arteries distributing and muscular
arteries?
The media is now going to be mostly smooth
muscle with very little elastin.
96. Small and medium arteries are principally
designed to?
Dilate or constrict.
97. What is the purpose of dilating or
constricting arteries?
To increase or decrease blood supply to a tissue.
98. What do tunica media in small and
medium arteries principally consist of?
It consists of smooth muscle.
99. What is rarely found in small and medium
arteries?
Vasa vasorum.
100. What are the smallest arteries in the
body?
Resistance arteries/ arterioles.
101. What can be found in the resistance
arteries which is associated with the tunica
media?
Two to three layers of smooth muscle.
102. What should be identified for a small
artery to be a resistance arteriole?
Three layers; intima, media, and adventia.
103. What is the function of the precapillary
sphincters?
It dictates the flow of blood into the capillary bed.
104. What regulates the precapillary
sphincters?
Metabolic needs.
105. What should a precapillary sphincter do
to dictate metabolic needs?
Dilate or constrict.
106. What signs would show the dilation of a
precapillary sphincter?
Low O2, high CO2, and low pH.
107. What would dictate if a precapillary
sphincter would constrict?
Plenty of O2, low CO2, High PH, and plenty of
glucose.
108. What are baroreceptors?
Stretch receptors.
109. Where are baroreceptors located?
The aortic arch and carotid sinus.
110. What are aortic and carotid bodies?
They are chemoreceptors.
111. What is the function of the aortic and
carotid bodies?
The are sensitive to change to CO2 and pH.
112. What are the three basic types of
capillaries?
Continuous, Fenestrated, and Sinusoids
113. What is the most common type of
capillary?
Continuous.
114. Where are continuous capillaries found?
Muscle, lungs, and the brain.
115. What holds together the endothelial cells
in continuous capillaries?
Tight junctions.
116. What is also found in continuous
capillaries?
Intercellular clefts.
117. What is the function of the intercellular
cleft?
Small openings between adjacent cells.
118. What can pass through the intercellular
cleft openings?
Small molecules to pass; water, ions, glucose,
hormones etc.
119. What type of tissue is associated with
continuous capillaries?
Basal lamina.
120. What principally consists of the basal
lamina?
Basement membrane composed of glycoproteins
and a few collagen fibers.
121. What contains some of the continuous
capillaries?
Pericyte.
122. What is the function of the pericyte?
It helps with the growth of capillaries and help
with capillary repair.
123. What is the structure of fenestrated
capillaries?
It has prominent holes called fenestrae right
through the endothelial cells, does also have a
basement membrane like continuous capillaries
124. What is the function of fenestrated
capillaries?
It allows a variety of different molecules to pass.
125. Where do we find fenestrated
capillaries?
Primarily in kidneys and intestines.
126. What is the function of fenestrated
capillaries in the kidneys?
It pushes blood through the capillaries at
relatively high blood pressure and a wide variety
of molecules will pass through these waste
products, glucose, ions.
127. What are sinusoid capillaries?
It is found in the liver and do not have a
basement membrane.
128. What is the general name for veins?
Capacitance vessels.
129. Why are capacitance vessels called
capacitance?
They have the capability of expanding somewhat
to receive whatever volume of blood the
capillaries are delivering to them.
130. What are the smallest veins?
Post-Capillary Venule.
131. What is the diameter of Post-Capillary
venules?
1mm
132. Which venule is the smallest of the
middle-sized veins and has 1-3 layers of
smooth muscle?
Muscular venules.
133. What is the diameter of muscular
venules?
1mm
134. What type of vein is the first to have one-
way valves?
Muscular veins.
135. What is the diameter of muscular veins?
2-10 mm
136. What is the diameter of the vein to
develop one-way pocket valves?
2mm.
137. What is the diameter of large veins?
Larger than 10 mm.
138. What are some examples of large veins?
Superior and Inferior Vena Cava.
139. What type of structure is present in large
veins?
Three layers, large diameter, one-way pocket
valves.
140. What is the function of the venous
sinus?
It is a large vein and there is no smooth muscle
associated with it.
141. What is the function of a portal system?
It works from the capillary bed to a vein, then to
another capillary bed without returning to the
heart.
142. What is the function of the hepatic portal
system?
Capillary bed found in the digestive system.
143. Where does the hepatic portal system
drain?
Hepatic portal vein.
144. Where does the hepatic portal vein drain
into?
Sinusoids.
145. What do you call the hardening of the
arteries?
Arterial sclerosis.
146. Arterial sclerosis become more
prominent during age due to the fact?
As we age, the walls of our arteries become
weaker.