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

Define recommended dietary allowance for pyridoxine (rda), Define Recommend...

Define Recommended Dietary Allowance for pyridoxine (RDA)? Average requirements for pyridoxine vary with age, sex and physiological conditions such as protein status, pregnan

Define bioactive materials, Q. Define Bioactive materials? Bioactive ma...

Q. Define Bioactive materials? Bioactive materials: Certain glasses, ceramics, and glass-ceramics that contain oxides of silicon, sodium, calcium and phosphorus (SiO 2 , Na 2

Why is the aids treatment often done with a drug cocktail, Q. Why is the AI...

Q. Why is the AIDS treatment often done with a drug cocktail? The treatment of obtain immune deficiency syndrome is often done with one or more anti-retroviral drugs of differe

Post removal technique using prs kit, Post removal Technique using PRS kit ...

Post removal Technique using PRS kit -Transmetal efficiently doming the post head . -Select suitable sized trephine . -Place drop of RC prep on the post head as lubrican

Zoonotic diseases-yellow fever, Yellow fever Yellow fever also known a...

Yellow fever Yellow fever also known as Black Vomit and American plaque is a viral disease primarily of monkeys and transmitted to man by female Aedes mosquitoes. It is caused

How do the availability of water and light affect population, How do the av...

How do the availability of water and light and the climate affect the growth of a population? The availability of water and light and the climate are abiotic factors that limi

Physical map, Physical map is the map of locations of the identifiable lan...

Physical map is the map of locations of the identifiable landmarks on DNA (for example restriction of the enzyme cutting sites, genes), regardless of their inheritance. Distance i

Describe splitting of in second heart, Describe Splitting of S 2 ? On...

Describe Splitting of S 2 ? On inspiration: The split widens as both A, and Pi move away from each other with p, moving out more. The negative intrathoracic pressure during

What are the major morphological features of arthropods, Q What are the maj...

Q What are the major morphological features of arthropods? Arthropods present three distinguishing features: they are metameric beings (segmented body), they present articulate

Describe about the term - bacterial infections, Describe about the term - B...

Describe about the term - Bacterial Infections Bacterium is a loose generic name for any microorganism (typically one celled) that has no chlorophyll and multiplies by simple d

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