Circulatory system

composed of two functional subdivisions:

the cardiovascular circulatory system
lymphatic circulatory system.
general functions of the combined circulatory
systems is the transport and homeostatic distribution
of oxygen, nutrients, waste products, body heat,
body fluids and solutes, and immune system
components.
This circulation is accomplished by moving fluids and
solutes throughout the body.

The body and cells are maintained in an aqueous

environment
 Cardiovascular system
composed of the heart and a series of vessels
(arteries, capillaries, veins).
The heart serves as an in-line pump to propel
the contents of the cardiovascular system
throughout the body
Three basic layers located in the walls of
circulatory system vessels :
Tunica intima (endothelium)
Tunica media (vascular smooth muscle)
Tunica adventitia (vascular connective tissue)
Heart organ whose function is to
pump the blood.

Arteries series of efferent vessels

that become smaller as they
branch, function to carry the blood
rich in nutrients and oxygen to the
tissue

Capillaries smallest blood vessels,

complex network of thin tubules,
as an interchange between blood
and tissue.
Veins convergence of the capillaries
into a system of channels that
become larger as they approach
Types of microcirculation formed by small
blood vessels. (1) The usual sequence of
arteriole > metarteriole > capillary >
venule and vein. (2) An arteriovenous
anastomosis. (3) An arterial portal
system, as is present in the kidney
glomerulus. (4) A venous portal system,
as is present in the liver.
 Tunica Intima
The innermost layer
which borders the
lumen, is composed of:
an epithelia,
a thin basal lamina,
region of loose
connective tissue lamina
propria (subendothelial
connective tissue).
 The lumen of all blood vessels is lined by a
simple squamous epithelium called the
endothelium.

The glycocalyx of the endothelium is

negatively charged, repelling the negatively
charged blood cells, so that the blood cells do
not stick to the surface.
 Tunica Media
The middle layer is
the tunica media,
composed primarily
of smooth muscle
cells arranged in
rings around the
lumen of the vessel.
These
circumferentially
arranged vascular
smooth muscle
 Tunica Adventitia
The outermost layer is
the tunica adventitia,
composed of a dense
irregular connective
tissue with extensive
collagen type I and
elastic fibers.
The tunica adventitia
serves to anchor the
blood vessel to
surrounding tissues.
Within the tunica
adventitia of larger
vessels are found vasa
 Arteries
The arteries are a series of blood vessels
which carry blood away from the heart.
In general, arteries will have a tunica media
that is equal to or greater in thickness than
the tunica adventitia.
Arteries will also have very thick wall in
relation to the lumen diameter.
2 types: Elastic and Muscular.
 Elastic Arteries
Elastic arteries are
the aorta and
branches of the
aorta.
Elastic arteries are
named because of
the accumulation of
elastic fibers present
within the tunica
media, required to
allow the aorta to
recoil in response to
the high blood
pressure from the
heart.
 Muscular Arteries
Muscular arteries are smaller arteries involved with
distributing blood to individual organs and regions
within the organ.

In muscular arteries, there is an accumulation of

elastic fibers at the boundary between the tunica
intima and the tunica media (internal elastic lamina)
and between the tunica media and tunica adventitia
(external elastic lamina).
 The thickness of the tunica media is
approximately the same as the tunica
adventitia.

Muscular arteries will also often have a

scalloped appearance to the lumen, when the
wall is not stretched by the presence of blood.
 Diagrams of a muscular artery prepared by H&E staining (left) and an elastic artery
stained by Weigerts method (right). The tunica media of a muscular artery contains
predominantly smooth muscle, whereas the tunica media of an elastic artery is
formed by layers of smooth muscle intercalated by elastic laminas. The adventitia
and the outer part of the media have small blood vessels (vasa vasorum) and elastic
and collagenous fibers.
 Arterioles
Arterioles have a major role in regulation of
blood pressure passing through a capillary
bed.
These vessels will have much narrower
lumens, a tunica intima, a thin tunica media
(normally 2-4 layers of smooth muscle cells),
and virtually no tunica adventitia.
The walls of arterioles will often appear as
being almost exclusively tunic media.
 Capillaries
Capillaries are the smallest vascular channels in the
body.
Capillary beds are the major site for exchange of
oxygen, nutrients and other substances between the
blood and surrounding tissues.
Capillaries are composed of tubes of endothelial cells
with a lumen diameter of 5-10 um.
The diameter of a red blood cell is approximately 7.5
um, so red blood cells will have to flow single-file
through the capillary and maintain close contact with
the capillary wall.
 Materials pass through the wall of the capillary in a
variety of walls.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide are able to diffuse down
their concentration gradients through the
endothelial cells by passing through the thin region
of cytoplasm.
Materials such as glucose can be moved against their
concentration gradient by active transport within
membrane-bound vesicles which pass through the
cell.
3 basic type: continuos, fenestrated and discontinuos
sinusoidal capillaries.
 Continuos capillaries
Absence of fenestrea in the wall
Found in all types of muscle tissue, connective tissue,
exocrine gland and nervous tissue.
Have pinocytotic vesicles present on both surfaces of
endothelial cells. Appear as isolated vesicles in the
cytoplasm.
S/times can fuse forming the transendothelial
channels which responsible for the transport of
macromolecules in both directions across the
endothelial cytoplasm.
 Fenestrated Capillaries
Also known as visceral capillary
Has circular transcellular openings in the
endothelium membrane called fenestrae
Each fenestrae is obliterated by a diaphragm
that is thinner than a cell membrane.
Basal lamina of the fenestrated capillaries is
continuos
Found in the kidneys, intestines, and certain
endocrine organs.
In addition, there may be gaps between
endothelial cells to allow exchange of larger
 Discontinuos sinusoidal capillaries
Tortuous path and greatly enlarged diameter which
slows the circulation of blood.
Endothelial cells form a discontinuos layer and are
separated from one another by wide spaces.
Cytoplasm has multiple fenestrations without
diaphragms
Macrophage located either among or outside the
cells of the endothelium
Basal lamina discontinuos
 Post-capillary venules (pericytic venules) are
structurally similar to capillaries.
These venules have very thin walls but their lumens
are much wider.
White blood cells leave the blood stream to enter the
surrounding tissues by the process of diapedesis
These cells secrete substances which loosen the
junctions between the endothelial cells for passage.
 Muscular venules are larger vessels with a
lumen diameter approximately 50 -200 um
found accompanying arterioles.
The wall of muscular venules is relatively thin,
with 1-2 layer of smooth muscle cells in the
tunica media.
The tunica adventitia is usually much thicker
than the media.
 Vein
Veins are a series of blood vessels involved with
storing and returning blood to the heart. Veins will
have much thinner walls and much larger lumenal
diameters.

The tunica adventitia will be much thicker than the

tunica media, which is usually has a thickness of only
2-4 layers of smooth muscle cells.
 The tunica adventitia is very elastic, and veins will
often appear collapsed in the absence of blood to
support the wall.

Because the blood flowing through the veins is

moving slow and very low pressure, the tunica intima
extends into the lumen to form valves to prevent the
backflow of blood below the heart.

Also in large veins, below the heart there may be

bundles of smooth muscle cells arranged
longitudinally in the tunica adventitia.
 Heart
The endocardium is equivalent to the tunica intima.
It is lined by a simple squamous epithelial endothelium,
with an underlying loose connective tissue
subendocardium.
The conductive system of the heart passes through the
subendocardium.
 The myocardium is similar to the tunica media
of blood vessels.
Thickest tunics of the heart & consists of
cardiac muscle cells.
The difference is that the muscular layer of
the heart is composed of cardiac muscle cells
rather than smooth muscle cells.
 The epicardium is the outermost layer of the heart
and is similar to the tunica adventitia.

This region has a fibroelastic connective tissue and

may contain many white adipocytes.

Covering the epicardium (the surface away from the

lumen of the heart) is a simple squamous
mesothelium called the visceral pericardium.

The presence of a serosa, rather than an adventitia,

provides a smooth mesothelial surface which
reduces friction between the heart and surrounding
structures during contraction.
 Unlike blood vessels, the heart also has the support
of a more rigid skeleton-like structure.

The cardiac skeleton is a dense fibrous connective

tissue scaffold that extends into the core of the
cardiac valves.

The cardiac valves, formed by a extension of

endothelium over the cardiac skeleton, control the
direction of blood flow through the heart.
 Lymphatic system
The lymphatic circulatory system is involved with the
movement of excess tissue fluid, cellular debris, and
lymphocytes.
This circulatory system lacks a pump and requires
muscle activity to aid in movement of the lymph.
Lymph flows in one direction aided by an extensive
series of valves.
 Lymph flows from
the periphery
toward the heart by
eventually dumping
into the
cardiovascular
system through the
subclavian veins.

The lymphatic
circulatory system
begins as blind-
 These lymphatic capillaries resemble blood
capillaries and appear as a simple squamous
epithelium with a larger lumenal diameter (up to 100
um).

The cells of a lymphatic capillary will have nuclei

which often bulge into the lumen, and have fewer
tight junctions between cells.

Larger lymphatic vessels and ducts have walls which

resemble veins
General categories of blood vessels and their
functions