Arteries - circulation, Biology

Assignment Help:

Arteries - Circulation

The arteries deliver blood from the heart. Figure shows the structure of arteries and the different layers of the vessel wall. The thick walls of these blood vessels, except those of the smallest, are supplied by their own capillary network called vasa vasoram. The arteries serve four main functions:

  1. To act as a conduit for blood between heart and capillaries,
  2. To act as a pressure reservoir for forcing blood into small diameter arterioles,
  3. To produce a more or less even flow of blood through the capillaries,
  4. To control distribution of blood to different capillary networks via selective constriction of the terminal branches

 

 

143_Arteries - Circulation.png

Figure: Major structures in peripheral blood circulation in mammals. Blood flows from the arteries through the capillaries into the veins (id is internal diameter).

There is a precise control on arterial blood pressure. The nature of the arterial wall and the volume of blood pumped into the arteries determine the pressure. If any of these are changed, the pressure will also change. Normally, arterial blood pressure varies very little as cardiac output and capillary flow is evenly matched.

The elastic properties of arterial walls vary. Close to the heart the arteries are elastic and dampen the oscillations in pressure and flow generated by the contractions of the heart. As the heart relaxes the pressure in the arteries is maintained by a reduction in vessel volume. If the arteries were rigid tubes then the same pressure fluctuations would be experienced by peripheral vessels as that observed when blood leaves the heart.


Related Discussions:- Arteries - circulation

How big of container would need to hold, Assume you were given a mixture co...

Assume you were given a mixture consisting of one molecule each of all possible sequences of a smallish protein of molecular weight 4800 daltons. If the average molecular weight of

Explain about chlorophylls - natural pigments, Explain about Chlorophylls ...

Explain about Chlorophylls Chlorophylls are used as colourants in a range of foodstuffs and both natural chlorophyll (containing magnesium as the central metal ion) and 'coppe

List a few applications of starches in the food industry, List a few applic...

List a few applications of starches in the food industry. A few applications of starches in the foods industry include thickener, a fat sparing agent, adhesive, binder,

Show the paleobotanical evidence, Q. Show the Paleobotanical Evidence? ...

Q. Show the Paleobotanical Evidence? Paleobotany deals with the study of fossil records of plants and animals. New techniques and approaches to the study of fossil flowering pl

What is g-protein, Which of the following is true for a G-protein? A. A...

Which of the following is true for a G-protein? A. After the ATP-ase of the alpha subunit of a G protein converts the ATP bound to the alpha subunit to ADP and inorganic phosph

Cell biology, explain the relationship between concentration gradient and a...

explain the relationship between concentration gradient and active and passive transport

In what ways is genomic imprinting similar to x-inactivation, Based on the ...

Based on the simplified two-gene model for eye colour, explain using genotypes how two blue-eyed parents could produce a brown-eyed child. In what ways is genomic imprinting sim

Define species of biological species concept, Define species according to t...

Define species according to the biological species concept. What two problems often make this definition impractical?

What is the phase of the menstrual cycle, Q. In general what is the phase o...

Q. In general what is the phase of the menstrual cycle when copulation may lead to fecundation? Although this is not a rule, to be effective fecundation in general must occur w

Who was charles darwin, Who was Charles Darwin? Charles Darwin was an Eng...

Who was Charles Darwin? Charles Darwin was an English naturalist born in 1809 and considered the father of the theory of evolution. At the end of the year 1831, before turning 23

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd