Pressure in the vessel

Cross sectional area

Velocity of flow Blood volume for each vessel type

All vessels act as conduits to move blood from the heart out to the peripheral organs. Especially, the large arteries and veins

Blood pressure is highest in the aorta, and monotonically falls to near zero in the vena cava. 3

Pressure is pulsatile in the arteries but becomes damped in the microcirculation and veins
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P R = P/F

The biggest pressure drop is across the arterioles. IF P is large then the resistance must be large
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Arterioles control blood flow

P R = P/F

Because arterioles have a large resistance and can change their resistance, they act as regulatory valves to control flow 6

Arterioles as a group have a greater cross sectional area than the large vessels.

How can their resistance be greater?

Branching to smaller radius vessels increases resistance r=1 A= 3.14 Res=1 r = .707 A= 1.57 Res=4

B
C

B and C in parallel have a combined resistance of 2 and a cross sectional area of 3.14

Resistance ~ ( r4) X S Area ~ (r 2 )

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Capillaries are the site of exchange

Surface area is highest in capillaries which promotes exchange of nutrients and waste products with tissue.
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The very thin wall (only one endothelial cell thick) helps exchange. Capillaries do not fail because the wall stress is so low. Low pressure * low radius = low wall stress
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Velocity is low in the capillaries. That allows blood to stay in the capillary long enough to equilibrate with the tissues by 11 diffusion.

Velocity is Highest in the aorta. The kinetic energy component is highest in the aorta.
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Volume is highest in veins causing them to act as reservoirs.

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Smooth muscle in the small veins and venules can contract and decrease their capacitance thus squeezing blood out of the venous reservoir. This raises the venous filling pressure in the heart and thus the cardiac output
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0 mmHg

Arteriolar tone controls capillary pressure

Pc = F Rpost F = P / (Rpre + Rpost)

If you constrict here you will reduce the downstream pressure and overall flow

Pc = F x Rpost =

P Rpost Rpre + Rpost

Pc = P fraction of Rpost to the total R

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Plasma proteins osmotically pull water back into the capillaries

0 mmHg

Arteriolar tone controls capillary pressure If capillary pressure rises above 25 mmHg fluid will be forced out of the capillary and edema will result Arteriolar dilation causes a red warm swelling (like a mosquito bite).

0 mmHg

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Plasma proteins osmotically pull water back into the capillaries

Arteriolar tone controls capillary pressure

Arteriolar constriction opposes swelling

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Capillary pressure must be greater than venous pressure. Thus: Raising Venous pressure will also raise capillary pressure and cause edema.

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The aorta and large arteries act as Energy Storage devices

The aorta is compliant (aka capacitance) and its pressure is a function of its volume. Compliance (aka capacitance) = volume/pressure

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The heart pumps in short spurts. The compliant aorta stores this energy during ejection and releases it during diastole so that flow into the periphery continues throughout the cardiac cycle

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The bagpipe player blows into the bag in short spurts. That energy is stored in the bag and the air escapes through the pipes in a continuous stream thanks to the bag's compliance.

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If the vessels were rigid pipes then all forward flow would have to occur during the ejection period which is only about 1/3 of the cardiac cycle. Blood pressure would have to be 3 times higher during that period to maintain the cardiac output.

Work done by a pump: Volume Pressure

Normal Aorta

Rigid Aorta
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What Determines Pulse Pressure?

With each ejection the aortic volume increases by one stroke volume .

Stroke volumemajor determinant of pulse pressure

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If aortic compliance were to decrease, pulse pressure will increase.

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Pulse pressure = stroke volume/compliance

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Aging reduces aortic compliance Pulse pressure naturally increases with age 120/80 Pulse pressure increase in the elderly

Compliance = volume/ pressure

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Pulse pressure increases with age as the aorta gets less compliant.

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Factors that increase the Pulse pressure 1. Loss of aortic compliance with aging 2. Bradycardia 3. High Output syndromes

Factors that diminish Pulse pressure 1. Tachycardia 2. Low output syndromes (shock) 3. Increased aortic compliance (aortic aneurysm)

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Pulse pressure increases with distance from the heart

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The onset of systole occurs later when the distance from the heart increases.

That is because the pressure pulse travels at a finite speed down the aorta.
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Pulse pressure increases with distance from the heart. Caused by reflected pressure waves bouncing off the walls of 31 the aorta

The mean pressure does not change

There is no loss of energy

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dicrotic notch when aortic valve closes The shape of the pressure pulse is modified. The dicrotic notch becomes deeper

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Pulse pressure decreases in the microcirculation due to resistance and vascular compliance in series.

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The mean aortic pressure is determined only by the cardiac output and the peripheral resistance. aortic pressure = CO x peripheral resistance

pulse pressure = SV/compliance

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Hydrostatic columns affect pressure in the vessels

Blood pressure should always be measured at heart-level
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Pressure falls in arteries above the heart and increases in those below the heart
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Veins collapse above the heart because they cannot support a negative pressure.
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Pressure increases in veins below the heart.

Valves in the veins prevent edema in the feet.
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If the jugular veins are filled while the person is sitting or standing upright then the right 40 atrial pressure is abnormally high.

The rigid venous sinus in the cranium can support a small negative pressure
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Many of the peripheral veins have one-way valves that only allow the flow of blood toward the heart The valves give an important pumping action to the veins during exercise

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The muscle pump is very effective in reducing venous pressure The auxiliary pumping of blood by the muscle pump increases blood flow to the legs by increasing the pressure gradient driving flow through the leg.
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The slight reduction in driving pressure to vascular beds above the heart are normally of no consequence. However, in a high-G situation that reduction is 44 exaggerated.

The best way to minimize effects from hydrostatic columns in a high-g situation is to have the subject lay down.

P=hg

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National museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, FL

Skylab space capsule (1974)

Crew reclined during launch and reentry

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Not possible 1120 mmHg

50 feet

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