CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Reporters:
Iway, Kuri, Hadjisalam
 Learning Objectives

• To be familiar with the type of capillary.

• To be familiar with the type of artery and vein.
• To distinguish with all the types of blood
vessels.
General outline
---Closed tubular system
According to the circulating
fluid in the tubes, blood or lymph:

•Blood vascular system

(cardiovascular system)

•Lymphatic vascular system

 Cardiovascular System

The histological study of the cardiovascular system

includes two major components

• Heart – mainly functions as a pump to move blood

(and all the things blood carries) through the body.

• Blood vessels – are the tubes that distribute the

blood to the cells and then back to the heart.
The blood vessels include three major divisions:

Arteries –
deliver blood from heart to capillaries
Capillaries –
the smallest blood vessels and closest to
body cells, the interchanges between blood
and tissues occur there
Veins –
carry blood from body to the heart
Histological Structure of Blood Vessels
Structural feature of
Arteries and Veins:

Tunica intimae
1. Endothelium
2. Basal lamina
3. Subendothelial layer
(Internal elastic membrane)
medium-sized A
Tunica media
Mainly smooth muscle

Tunica adventitia
Mainly connective tissue
 Artery

 transport blood from heart to capillaries

 according to their size, structure and function

Large artery
Medium-sized artery D>1mm
are classified
Small artery D>0.3~1mm
Arteriole D<0.3mm
 Structure features of artery
• The wall of Arteries consist of three layers
or “coats” often referred to as tunics.
– Tunica intimae – is the inner coat
– Tunica media – is the middle layer
– Tunica adventitia or tunica externa is the
outer layer of the wall of the blood vessel
• Layers of arteries wall differ in different size
blood vessels. The structure and function of
arteries change as their diameter decreases.
 Tunica intimae
• is the inner coat and it
consists of
1)inner endothelial layer
2)subendothelial layer: a layer
of loose connective tissue
3)internal elastic membrane
(often very distinct)
• This layer is relatively
constant within different size
arteries.
 Tunica media
• This layer makes up the greatest part of the wall of the
artery.
• It is comprised primarily of smooth muscle.
• In small arteries or arterioles it may be only 1-3 cells thick
but in larger arteries may comprise hundreds of layers of
muscle cells.
• In larger arteries, there in increased amounts of elastin
fibers.
 Tunica adventitia
• This is the outer layer of the wall of the artery.
• It consists primarily of connective tissue and serves to
attach the blood vessel into the surrounding connective
tissue.
• Often contains adipose tissue and often contains blood
vessels (vasa vasorum) that supply the walls of the blood
vessels.
Medium-sized artery:
 muscular artery: diameter larger than 1mm
Endothelium
Tunica intima Subendothelial layer: LCT
Internal elastic lamina: clear

Tunica media: contain 10~40 layers of circular

smooth muscle

External elastic lamina

Tunica adventitia
LCT: contain vasa vasorum
Smooth muscle regulates blood flow and pressure.
 Medium-sized artery
Tunica
Adventitia

Tunica
Media

Tunica
intima
Medium-sized artery
 Large (elastic) artery:
 contains aorta, the pulmonary
trunk and their main branches
With a large lumen relative to
wall thickness
 subendothelial layer is thicker
with a few smooth muscles
 tunica media is thick, contains a
40-70 concentrically-arranged
elastic lamina
 internal and external elastic
lamina are not distinguished
 tunica adventitia are thinner, PT stain
abundant vasa vasorum
Elastic artery Muscular artery
 Small artery:

 muscular artery and peripheral resistance vessel

 internal elastic lamina is clear, while
external elastic lamina is not distinguished
 the tunica media contains 3~9 layers of smooth muscles
Arterioles:

Less than 0.5mm in

diameter. Have similar and
simpler structure as that of
muscular artery.
Several layers of smooth
muscle in tunica media.
Responsible for the
presence of blood pressure.
Specialized Artetrial Sensory Structures

• Carotid Sinus

• Carotid Body

• Aortic Body
Carotid Sinus

• Situated in “Tunica Adventitia” of the

“Internal Carotid Artery”
• Innvervated by CN IX(Glossopharyngeal)
• Acts as a “Baroreceptor”(Monitors blood
pressure)
• Vasomotor center reponse is to preserve
normal blood pressure(Homeostasis).
Carotid Body

• Situated at the bifurcation of the common

carotid artery.
• Innvervated by CN IX(Glossopharyngeal) and
CN X(Vagus)
• Acts as a “Chemoreceptor”(Monitors CO2,
O2 and H+ blood levels.
• Composed of two Cell Types:
• Glomus cells(Type I)
• Sheath Cells(Type II)
Aortic Bodies

• Situated in the arch of the AORTA

• Innvervated by CN IX(Glossopharyngeal) and
CN X(Vagus)
• Acts as a “Chemoreceptor”(Monitors CO2,
O2 and H+ blood levels as well)
• Composed of two Cell Types:
• Glomus cells(Type I)
• Sheath Cells(Type II)
Regulation of Arterial Blood Pressure

Controlled by:

-Neural Pathway

-Biochemical Pathway
 Vasomotor Center(Neural)

-Causes the smooth muscles of tunica

Media under constant TONUS.

-Maintains Blood Pressure:

90-120/60-80 mm/Hg
 Vasomotor Center(Neural)
Cont’d

-If BP decreases:

-Sympathetic NS releases
Norepinephrine increasing artery
muscle contraction.
 Vasomotor Center(Neural)
Cont’d

-If BP is too high:

-Parasympathetic NS releases
Acetylcholine to signal endothelial cells
to release Nitric Oxide(NO). Decreases
TONUS.
 Kidney(Biochemical)

-If BP decreases: Vasoconstriction.

-Kidney release Renin to the

Bloodstream.
-Cleaves circulating angiotensinogen
into angiotensin I and is then converted
to angiotensin II by
angtiotensin-converting enzyme.
 Pituitary(Biochemical)

-If BP decreases: Vasoconstriction.

-releases potent vasoconstrictor

Vasopressin(ADH).
 Elastic Membranes(Mechanical)

Modulates blood pressure by making a

recoil effect and limiting the velocity of
blood flow and preventing rapid
changes in blood pressure.