Histology of Heart and Blood Vessels

1. Tunica adventitia
   1. connective tissue
   2. In contact with ECF
   3. Gives support

      Anotações:

      • important to maintain shape
2. Tunica media
   1. smooth muscle
   2. allows tone

      Anotações:

      • gives elasticity and contractility
   3. regulates blood pressure
   4. thicker in arteries

      Anotações:

      • thickest in aorta and pulmonary arteries - lots of elastic lamellae to stretch and recoil in response to pulse
   5. elastic lamellae

      Anotações:

      • look dark under a microscope
   6. Dissecting aneurism of aorta

      Anotações:

      • blood enters t. media due to wall rupture
3. Tunica intima
   1. endothelium
   2. collagen
   3. in contact with blood
   4. selectively permeable
   5. makes mediators of inflammation and tone
   6. Regulates adhesion of platelets

Anotações:

• e.g. carotid, iliac,brachial

1. distribute blood
2. not elastic
3. contractile
   1. regulate flow
   2. regulate pressure
4. Lots of collagen in adventita
5. layer of elastic lamina between media/intima and media/adventitia

1. microscopic
2. regulate flow
3. regulate pressure

1. mainly endothelial cells
2. exchange
3. Continuous
   1. NO gaps in walls
4. Fenestrated
   1. pores
5. Sinusoids

   Anotações:

   • in liver and spleen
   1. WIDE fenestrations

1. thin/flexible walls
2. more prominent adventitia
3. thin/no t.media
4. valves
5. longitudinal smooth muscle between valves

   Anotações:

   • assists flow against gravity

1. pumps blood
2. regulates BP
   1. secretes ANP

      Anotações:

      • atrial natriuretic peptide
      1. stimulated by over stretched atria
      2. Increases water and sodium uptake to urine

         Anotações:

         • = lowers blood volume
3. valves
   1. elastic fibres
   2. collagen
4. Epicardium

   Anotações:

   • (visceral pericardium)
   1. fatty, loose connective tissue
      1. nerves
      2. vessels
      3. coronary arteries
      4. mesothelium
         1. simple cuboidal
         2. adipose tissue
5. Myocardium
   1. part which contracts
6. Endocardium
   1. endothelium
   2. loose connective tissue
   3. lots of Purkinje fibres