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

Calculate the volume of blood plasma, If one determines the concentration o...

If one determines the concentration of cortisol in the blood plasma to be 10 ugrams/ml and that in a 24 hour period a person excretes 10 mgs of cortisol, calculate the volume of bl

Valvular heart diseases, Valvular heart diseases :  Congenital and acquire...

Valvular heart diseases :  Congenital and acquired valvular heart diseases often require surgical intervention. 1 is well known that conservative surgery by valve repair gives bet

What are some common laboratory techniques, What are some common laboratory...

What are some common laboratory techniques? During the course of these laboratory sessions, you will be usual to become proficient in the performance of the following laborator

Explain mendels law of dominance, Which one of the following cannot be expl...

Which one of the following cannot be explained on the basis of Mendel's Law of Dominance? 1. The discrete unit controlling a particular character is called a factor 2. Out o

Zoology, difference between one girl and lungs two ribosomes and lysosomes ...

difference between one girl and lungs two ribosomes and lysosomes ?

What are worm infections, Q. What are worm infections? The Worm infecti...

Q. What are worm infections? The Worm infections are human diseases caused by nematodes(roundworms) or platyhelminthes (flatworms).

Genetically modified foods-maize, Normal 0 false false fals...

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Is the epithelium vascularized, Q. Is the epithelium vascularized? How do o...

Q. Is the epithelium vascularized? How do oxygen and nutrients reach the epithelium? Why is this feature an important evolutionary acquisition? Epithelia are not vascularized c

Single pair of alleles, Give three examples of human disorders which are ca...

Give three examples of human disorders which are caused by the action of a single pair of alleles. In every case say whether the harmful allele is dominant or recessive to the non-

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