Vascular System Quiz

Blood Vessels and Circulation

• Arteries carry blood from the heart to the tissues.
• Arterioles are small arteries that branch off from larger arteries and lead to capillaries.
• Capillaries play a crucial role in the circulatory system by allowing oxygen and nutrients to diffuse from the blood into the tissues and waste products to diffuse from the tissues into the blood.

Venules and Veins

• Venules connect capillaries to larger veins.
• Veins are responsible for carrying blood back to the heart from the tissues.

Capillary Function

• The primary function of capillaries is to facilitate the exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste products between the blood and tissues.
• Capillary walls are thin and permeable, allowing for the diffusion of substances across the capillary wall.
• The most important method of capillary exchange is diffusion.

Venules and Veins

• Venules play a crucial role in the cardiovascular system by returning blood from capillaries to the heart.
• Valves in veins prevent backflow and ensure that blood flows in one direction, towards the heart.

Blood Pressure Regulation

• Hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and vasopressin can affect blood pressure and blood flow by altering cardiac output, changing systemic vascular resistance, or adjusting the total blood volume.
• Autoregulation is the ability of tissues to regulate their own blood flow despite changes in blood pressure.

Pulse and Blood Pressure

• The radial artery is most commonly used to feel the pulse.
• The normal resting pulse (heart) rate is 70-80 beats per minute.
• The normal blood pressure of a young adult male is approximately 120/80 mmHg.