Circulatory System

What is the circulatory system?

• Pumps and directs blood cells and substances

carried in blood to all tissues of the body. (gases,
nutrients, wastes)
• It includes both the blood and lymphatic vascular
system.
• In adults total length of vessel is estimated
between 100,000 to 150,000 km.

Components of blood vascular or cardiovascular system

• Heart- propels blood through the system

• Arteries- series of blood vessels efferent from the
heart become smaller as they branch into various
organs, carry blood to the tissue. (oxygenated
blood)
• Capillaries- smallest vessel; site of O2, CO2, Heart
nutrient and waste product exchange.
Microvasculature (microvascular bed): complex
network of thin, anastomosing tubules of
capillaries.
• Veins- enlarges as it goes back to the heart; it
carries the blood that should be pumped again.
(deoxygenated blood)

Cardiovascular system

The internal surface of all components of blood and

lymphatic systems is lined by simple squamous epithelium
called the endothelium.
• Made up of four chambers (LV, LA, RV, RA)
o LV- pump blood from heart to systemic
circulation
o RV- pump blood from heart to
pulmonary circulation
o RA- receives blood from the body to the
heart
o LA- receives blood from pulmonary to
the heart
• It is a Cardiac muscle
• Four chambers contract rhythmically
Pulmonary Circulation- From the Organs to the Lungs • Pump blood to the circulatory system
(blood gets oxygenated)

Systemic Circulation- From the lungs to the Organ (blood

Three Major Layers of the Heart
delivers nutrients to the tissues)
• Inner ENDOCARDIUM of the endothelium and
subendothelial connective tissue.
o Thin inner layer
o It has a supporting layer of fibroelastic
connective tissue with scattered fibers
of smooth muscle, and a deeper layer of
connective tissue (continuous with that
of the myocardium and often called
SUBENDOCARDIAL LAYER: conducting
signals/send signals to myocardium)
surrounding variable numbers of
modified cardiac muscle fibers which
comprise the heart’s impulse
conducting system.
 • The middle MYOCARDIUM of cardiac muscle Endocardium, myocardium, and fibers of the
o Muscular middle layer subendocardial conducting network.
o Made up of the contractile cardiac
muscle
o Responsible for pumping
o The myocardium in the ventricle is
thicker, particularly the left, than the
atrial walls.
• The external EPICARDIUM, connective tissue with
many adipocytes and covered mesothelium.
o Outer protective layer
o Simple squamous mesothelium
o Supported by loose connective tissue
o Contains blood vessels and the nerves.
o It corresponds to the visceral layer of
the pericardium.
o Where the large vessels enter and leave
the heart, the epicardium is reflected
back as the parietal layer lining the
pericardium.

Other Structure of the Heart

• Cardiac Skeleton- prominent dense irregular

connective tissue that is responsible for the Tissues of the Vascular Wall
overall function of moving the blood
• Cardiac Conducting System- stimulates rhythmic - Wall of all blood vessels except
contractions capillaries contain smooth muscle and connective
o Consists of Sinoatrial (SA) and tissue in addition to the endothelial lining.
Atrioventricular (VA) nodes,
Atrioventricular bundles, left and right
bundle branches, and PURKINJE Fibers. The amount and arrangement of these tissues in vessels are
• Purkinje Fibers- pale staining fiber, larger than the influenced by:
adjacent contractile fibers (found in
myocardium), with sparse, peripheral myofibrils, - Mechanical factors: primarily blood
and much glycogen. pressure
o Specialized conducting fibers - Metabolic factors (nutrients): reflecting
composed of electrically excitable cells. the local needs of the tissues.
o It mingles distally with contractile -
muscle fibers of each ventricle and
trigger waves of contraction through Endothelium- is a specialized epithelium that acts as a
both ventricles simultaneously. semipermeable barrier between two major internal
compartments: Blood and Interstitial tissue fluid

Vascular Endothelial cells- squamous, polygonal, and

elongated with the long axis in the direction of blood flow.

Endothelium with its basal lamina is highly differentiated to

mediate and actively monitor the bidirectional exchange of
molecules by simple active diffusion, receptor-mediated
endocytosis, transcytosis, and other mechanism.
 1. Tunica Intima- innermost layer; includes
endothelium, connective tissue, and an internal
Functions of the endothelial cells elastic lamina in a larger vessels.
1. A non-thrombogenic surface- will secrete natural 2. Tunica Media- the middle layer; contains
anticoagulant (heparin) to avoid blood clotting alternating layers of smooth muscle and collage
2. Regulate local vascular tone and blood flow; or elastic lamellae
secretes ACE, Nitric Oxide, and Prostacyclin. 3. Tunica Adventitia- external layer; it contains
3. Roles in inflammation and local response- P- connective tissue, small (vasa vasorum), and
selectins will emerge to the endothelial layer. nerves.
o consisting principally of type I
• Weibel-Palade bodies: unique
collagen and elastic fibers.
elongated granules that fuse with
the cell membrane and express
the P-selectin.
• Interleukins: affect the activity of
local WBCs during inflammation.
4. Secretes various growth factors- protein
promotes proliferation of the different wbc and
cells that makes up the lining.
a. Vasculogenesis- formation of the
vascular system from embryonic
mesenchyme
b. Angiogenesis- maintain the vasculature
in adults, and promote capillary
sprouting and outgrowth from small
existing vessels.
c. Angiopoietins- stimulate endothelial
cells to recruit smooth muscle cells and
fibroblast to form the other tissues of
the vascular wall.

Vasa Vasorum (“vessels of the vessel”); arterioles,

capillaries, and venules in the adventitia and outer part of
Smooth Muscle
the media. It provides metabolites to cells in those tunics in
- Occurs in the walls of all vessels larger larger vessels because the wall is too thick to be nourished
than capillaries and are arranged helically in solely by diffusion from the blood in the lumen.
layers.
- In small vessels, the smooth muscle
cells are connected by many more gap junctions Arteries- grouped by size and wall composition.
and permit vasoconstriction and vasodilation that
1. Large Elastic Arteries- with fenestrated
are of key importance in regulating the overall
elastic laminae in the thick tunica media.
blood pressure.
o Aorta, the pulmonary artery, and
Connective Tissue conducting arteries
o major role is to carry blood to
- Present in vascular walls in variable smaller arteries
amounts and proportions based on local 2. Muscular, medium-sized arteries:
functional requirements. Distributing artery.
• Collagen Fibers – Found in the subendothelial layer, o Distribute blood to the organs
bet. the smooth muscle layers, and in the outer and help regulate blood pressure
covering. by contracting or relaxing the
• Elastic Fibers- provide resiliency required for the smooth muscle in the media.
vascular wall to expand under pressure. o The intima has a thin
• Elastin- major component in large arteries where it subendothelial layer and
forms parallel lamellae, regularly distributed bet. prominent internal elastic lamina
the muscle layers. 3. Small Arteries- with fewer than 10
layers of smooth muscle in the media.
o Arterioles
o Only have one or two smooth
Vasculature
muscle layers
It includes arteries, veins, and capillaries o Beginning of Microvasculature-
exchange of blood gases between
blood and tissue fluid.
Layers of the Blood Vessels
 Capillary
Arterial Sensory Structures
• Permit and regulate metabolic exchange bet.
• Carotid sinuses- slight dilations of the bilateral
blood and surrounding tissue.
internal carotid arteries where they branch from
• Capillaries are composed of simple layer of
the (elastic) common carotid arteries.
endothelial cells rolled up as a tube in surrounded
▪ They acts as important
by basement membrane.
baroreceptors monitoring
• Average diameter is 4-10 micrometer; length is 50
arterial blood pressure.
micrometer
▪ The brain’s vasomotor
• Makes up 90% of the body’s vasculature.
centers process these
afferent impulses and adjust Capillary beds
vasoconstriction, maintaining
normal blood pressure. • Smallest blood vessels; size and overall shape
• Chemoreceptor- monitor CO2, O2, pH. conforms to that of the structure supplied.
• Paraganglia- carotid bodies and aortic bodies are • Tissues with high metabolic rates, such as the
part of this autonomic nervous system kidney, liver, and cardiac and skeletal muscle,
have abundant capillaries; the opposite is true of
tissues with low metabolic rates such as the
smooth muscle and connective tissue.
Microvasculature
• Metarterioles- Capillary beds are supplied
Too small for surgical manipulation permeates most organs. preferentially by one or more terminal arteriole
branches.
Consists of:

1. Arterioles- with one to three smooth muscle

layers
2. Capillaries- consisting only of an intima
endothelial layer
3. Venules- with large lumens and thin walls, which
drain capillaries.
Types of Capillaries

1. Continuous capillaries- many tight

junction so that all exchange may occur through
the cells
o Most common
o Found in muscle, connective
tissue, lungs, exocrine glands, and
nervous tissue.
o Show numerous vesicles
(transcytosis)
2. Fenestrated Capillaries- with small
pores or fenestration through the cells (e.g.
glomerulus, muscle of the intestine) Lymphatic Vascular System
o Where rapid interchange of
substances happens • Major distributor of lymphocytes, antibodies, and
3. Discontinuous Capillaries (Sinusoid)- other immune components.
with larger lumens, large spaces between • Gathering interstitial fluid as lymph
endothelial cells, and discontinuous basal lamina.
o Found in the liver, spleen, some
endocrine organs, and bone - Lymphatic capillaries- a system of very thin-walled
marrow. channels, which collects the excess interstitial fluid from the
Pericytes- mesenchymal cells with long cytoplasmic tissue spaces as Lymph and return it to the blood.
processes partly surrounding the endothelial layer. It o originate locally as tube of very thin
secretes many ECM components and form their own basal endothelial cells which lack tight
laminal, which fuses with the basement membrane of the junctions and rest on discontinuous
endothelial cells. basal lamina.
- Lymph- rich in lightly staining but does not normally
contain RBC, although lymphocytes and other WBC may
normally be present.
Venules
- Lymphatic Vessels- where lymphatic capillaries
- The transition from capillaries to venules occurs converge. It has a thin walls and increasing amount of
gradually. connective tissue and smooth muscle which can never form
clearly distinct outer tunics.
- Postcapillary venules are similar to capillaries with
o It has valves comprised of complete
pericytes but larger.
intimal folds.
- Postcapillary venules converge into larger collecting o Converge as two large trunks: Thoracic
venules that have more distinct contractile cells.
Duct and the Right Lymphatic Duct,
- Muscular venules- surrounded by tunica media with which empty lymph back into the
two or three smooth muscle layers. blood.
Veins - Lymph Nodes- where lymph is processed by cells of
the immune system.
• Carry blood back to the heart from microvasculature all
over the body.
• Classified as small or medium veins with a diameters of
10mm or less
MEDICAL APPLICATIONS
• These veins are usually located close and parallel to
corresponding muscular arteries. 1. Heart Murmur: Abnormal heart sound caused
by valve defect.
2. Thrombus: intravascular clot. It has a fibrin
Large Veins framework quickly forms to stop blood loss
from the damage vessels.
- Big venous trunks, paired with elastic arterioles 3. Emboli: Large thrombi. Solid mass that may
close to the heart detach and be carried by the blood to obstruct
- Have well developed intimal layers, but relatively distant vessels. In both cases vascular flow
thin media with alternating smooth muscle and may be blocked, producing a potentially life
connective tissue threatening condition.
- Have valves, which consist of thin, paired folds of 4. Atherosclerosis: a disease of elastic arteries
tunica intima projecting across the lumen, rich in and large muscular arteries. Initiated by
elastic fibers and covered on both sided by damaged or dysfunctional endothelial cells
endothelium. oxidizing LDL in tunica intima, which induces
adhesion and intima entry of
monocytes/macrophages to remove modified
LDLs.
 • Foam cells: Lipid-filled
macrophages
• Fatty streaks: Pathologic sign of
early atherosclerosis caused by
foam cells and free LDL.
• Fibro-fatty plaques/atheromas:
progression of fatty streaks.
Consists of a gruel-like mic of
smooth muscle, collagen fibers, and
lymphocytes with necrotic regions
of lipid debris, and foam cells.
5. Aneurysms: In elastic arteries atheromas produce
localized destruction within the wall, weakening it
and causing arterial bulges.
6. Ischemic heart disease: atheromas occluding the
blood flow to downstream vessels.
7. Hypertension: elevated blood pressure may
occur secondarily to renal or endocrine problems, but
is more commonly essential hypertension, due to a
wide variety of mechanisms that increase arteriolar
constriction.
8. Hyperglycemia: excessive blood sugar that occurs
with diabetes commonly leads to DIABETIC
MICROANGIOPATHY.
9. Diabetic microangiopathy: diffuse thickening of
capillary basal laminae and the concomitant decrease
in metabolic exchange at these vessels, particularly in
kidneys, retina, skeletal muscle, and skin.
10. Edema: loss of fluid in endothelial cells of
microvasculature and postcapillary venules during
inflammation.
11. Lymphedema: Swelling in tissues of the affected
region caused by the removal of lymph nodes that
disrupts the lymphatic drainage.