Download Anatomy - Blood vessels

Anatomy ‐ Blood vessels
Summary: The circulatory system is made up of the heart together with the blood vessels. The heart is the pump while the blood vessels make up a continuous loop to supply all of the tissues of the body with blood containing nutrients and oxygen. There are three types of blood vessels.
1. Arteries – takes oxygenated blood from the heart to the tissues
2. Capillaries – smallest blood vessels, located in the tissues, allow the nutrients like oxygen to leave the blood
3. Veins – takes deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart
Clinical anatomy: 1. Artery
Smooth muscle – Thick layer of smooth muscle to allow the artery to maintain the blood pressure and so maintain the flow of blood towards the tissues
3. Vein
Smooth muscle – Thinner layer of smooth muscle to keep the pressure low and easily allow blood to enter the veins after leaving the tissues
Valves – Because veins have a Endothelial cells – A thin layer of flat smooth cells that stop the blood cells from sticking to the inside of the blood vessel. Endothelial cells are present throughout the circulation, in arteries, veins and capillaries as well as on the inside of the heart. thinner smooth muscle layer they cannot generate enough pressure to push the blood therefore they have valves which stop the blood from moving in the wrong direction. When a doctor wants to examine the blood pressure he can feel the pulse. The pulse is the pressure generated by the heart pushing blood into the arteries. Pulses can be felt at various locations around he body. Carotid
felt just under the jaw. This pulse is easily felt as the artery is large and close to the surface. Radial
felt on the inside of the wrist just above the thumb. This is the most commonly examined pulse point
Popliteal
2. Capillaries Capillaries are made up entirely of endothelial cells. They have a very thin and delicate wall that allows nutrients and oxygen in the blood to move out of the blood and into the tissues. At the same time the capillaries can collect and carbon dioxide and waste products produced by the tissues are take them away. behind the knee (is difficult to feel as the artery is deep in the leg buried under muscle)
Dorsalis pedis
felt over the arch of the front of the foot. This is felt to check blood flow to the lower limb.