CH 14 Blood Vessels, Blood Flow, and Blood Pressure

What is a pressure gradient? Where are pressure gradients present in the vasculature?

What are some factors that affect resistance in the vasculature? How does resistance affect blood flow?

Name the 3 types of tissue commonly found in blood vessel walls. Compare the wall thickness of the different blood vessels (in order from thickest to thinnest).

Define compliance. How does the compliance of arteries contribute to their function as a pressure reservoir?

Define vasodilation and vasoconstriction. How do they affect resistance to blood flow?

Explain the different functions of intrinsic and extrinsic controls of arteriole radius.

Name some intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect radius.

How do fenestrated capillaries differ from continuous capillaries?

Of the following changes, which would tend to cause an increase in the rate at which fluid is filtered from capillaries? Choose all that apply: a decrease in plasma osmotic pressure; a decrease in interstitial fluid osmotic pressure; an increase in venous pressure; an increase in plasma protein concentration

Does an increase in venous pressure tend to increase or decrease cardiac output? Explain.

Compare the compliance of arteries and veins, and explain the functional significance of their differences.

What is a baroreceptor? Where are arterial baroreceptors located? Where are low-pressure baroreceptors located? What is the baroreceptor reflex?

Indicate whether each of the following autonomic nervous activities increases or decreases when arterial pressure falls: sympathetic nervous activity; parasympathetic nervous activity; heart rate; myocardial contractility; vascular resistance (in most tissues); venomotor tone

Name 2 organs whose vascular resistance is generally unaffected by baroreceptor reflexes. Why is this beneficial?

What is respiratory sinus arrhythmia?

What is a chemoreceptor? Which cardiovascular changes are triggered when chemoreceptors detect a drop in arterial oxygen levels?

When body temperature rises, does vascular resistance in the skin increase or decrease? How does this change help the body regulate its temperature?