The Circulatory System

(Lecture Notes)
Basic Histology
L C Junqueira & J Carneiro
10th edition
2003

The Circulatory System

Comprises :
1. Blood Vascular System
a. Heart
b. Arteries
c. Capillaries
d. Veins
2. Lymphatic Vascular System
a. Lymphatic
Capillaries
b. Lymphatic Vessels
c. Thoracic and
Lymphatic Duct

Blood Capillaries
Composed of :
- average diameter 7 9 um
- (a single) layer of endothelial
cells
- basal lamina
- pericytes
Four types of blood capillaries :
1. continuous (somatic) capillary
2. fenestrated (visceral) capillary
3. fenestrated capillary devoid of
diaphram
4. discontinuous sinusoidal
capillariy

The Structural Layers of Blood Vessels

1.

Tunica Intima
a. (a single) endothelial cells layer
b. subendothelial layer, connective
tissue
c. internal elastic layer
2.Tunica Media
a. smooth muscle cells layers,
intermingled with
elastic and reticular fibers and
proteoglycans
b. external elastic lamina
3.Tunica Externa
a. connective tissue
or
b. perforated elastic laminae

Metarterioles
Composed of :
a. (a single layer) of endotelial
cells
b. discontinuous layer of smooth
muscle cells

Arterioles
Structure of wall :
a. Diameter 0.5 mm or less
b. (single) endothelial cells layer
c. subendothelial layer, very thin
d. internal elastic lamina, absent
e. media, one or two circularly
smooth muscle cells
f. external elastic lamina, absent
g. adventitia, thin

Small Arteries
Layers of wall :
a. (single) endothelial cells layer
b. media more developed and thicker
c. adventitia, thin
Medium (Muscular) Arteries
Layers of wall:
a.
b.
tissue, thicker
c.
d.
muscle cells,
reticular fibers

(single) endothelial cells layer

subendothelial layer, connective
internal elastic lamina, prominent
media, up to 40 layers of smooth
intermingled with elastic and

and proteoglycans
e. external elastic lamina, present
f. adventitia, connective tissue, thicker

Large (Elastic) Arteries

Structure of wall :

elastic lamina,
layers in adult),
reticular fibers,

a. (single) endothelial cells layer

b. subendothelial layer, thicker
c. media consists of perforated
(40 layers in new born and 70
with smooth muscle cells,
proteoglycans and glycoprotein
d. adventitia, underdeveloped

Carotid Bodies
Structure :
artery

a. located in bifurcation of common carotid

b. consists of :

and

serotonin

1. glomus cells (type I cells)

2. sheath cells (type II cells)
c. vascular supply of fenestrated capillaries
d. nerve supply of afferent fibers
e. type I cells : dopamine, norepineph. and

Aortic Bodies
Structure :

bodies

a. located on arch of aorta

b. structure and function similar to carotid

Carotid Sinuses
Structure :

in

endings

a. dilatation (slightly) of internal carotid arteries

b. arterial media is thinner (to respond to changes
blood pressure)
c. intima and adventitia, rich in afferent nerve

d. baroreceptor (detect changes in blood pressure

Arteriovenous Anastomoses
Structure :
venules

nerves

a. direct communication between arterioles and

b. vessel has glomus (glomera)

c. when arteriole penetrates glomus :
1. it loses internal elastic lamina
2. developes thick muscular wall
3. small lumen
d. innervated by sympathetic and parasympathetic

e. regulate blood pressure, blood flow and

temperature

Postcapillary Venules
Structure :

tissue

a. diameter of 0.2 -1 mm
b. (single) endothelial cells layer
c. subendothelial layer, thin of connective
d. media contains only contractile pericytes
e. adventitia has few smooth muscle cells

Small and Medium-sized Veins

Structure :
tissue

a. (single) endothelial cells layer

b. subendothelial layer, thin of connective

c.
cells,

media with small bundles of smooth muscle

intermixed with reticular and elastic fibers

d. adventitia, well developed with collagenous
fibers
I

Large Veins
Structure :
a. (single) endothelial cells layer
b. well-developed tunica intima
c. media, thin with :
1. few layers of smooth muscle cells
2. abundant connective tissue
d. adventitia, thickest with :
1. longitudinal bundle of smooth
muscle cells
e. have valves in their interior, consist of :
1. two semilunar folds of tunica
intima
2. composed of connective tissue,
rich in
elastic fibers
3. lined on both sides by endothelial
cells
4. numerous in veins of limbs

Heart
Structure of walls :
A. Endocardium, homologous with intima of blood
vessels
1. (single) layer of squamous endothelial
cells
2. subendothelial layer of :
a. connective tissue with elastic,
collagen fibers
b. smooth muscle cells
3. subendocardial layer of :
a. connective tissue contains :
aa. veins, nerves
bb. Purkinje cells (impulseconducting
system of heart)

Heart (cont.)
Structure of walls (cont.) :
B. Myocardium, homologous with media of blood
vessels
1. thickest of tunics
2. consists of cardiac muscle cells
a. arranged in layers, surround
heart chambers
in a complex spiral
b. insert themselves to cardiac
skeleton
C. Epicardium, consists of :
1. simple squamous mesothelium
2. connective tissue, thin layer
3. subepicardial layer, consists of :
a. loose connective tissue with
veins, arterioles,
nerves
b. adipose tissue layer

Heart (cont.)
Structure of walls (cont.) :
D. Pericardium, consists of :
1. serous membrane in which heart
lies
2. between epicardium (visceral
layer) and pericardium (parietal layer) of serous
membrane
of heart is found small amount of
fluid
E. Cardiac (fibrous) skeleton, consists of :
1. dense connective tissue, i.e.
a. septum membranaceum
b. trigona fibrosa
c. annuli fibrosa

Heart (cont.)
Structure of walls (cont.) :
F. Cardiac valves , consist of :
1. central core of dense fibrous
connective tissue
(collagen and elastic fibers)
2. both sides lined by endothelial
cells layer
3. base of valves attached to
annuli fibrosi and cardiac
fibrous skeleton

Heart (cont.)
G.Specialized system to generate rhytmic stimulus :
1. sinoatrial node
a. modified cardiac muscle cells
aa. fusiform, smaller size, fewer myofibrils
2. atrioventricular node
a. modified cardiac muscle cells
aa. similar to those of sinoatrial node
bb. cytoplasmic projections forming
network
3. atrioventricular bundle
a. similar to those of atrioventricular node
b. cardiac muscle cells, so called Purkinje
cells,
aa. two central nuclei, cytoplasm rich in
mitochondria and glycogen
bb. myofibril are sparse, located in
periphery of cells

Heart (cont.)
H. Innervation of heart
1. autonomic innervation
a. both sympathetic and parasympathetic
division
b. do affect heart rhythm, such as during
exercise
and emotional stress
c. stimulation of vagus (parasympathetic)
slow
heart beat, of sympathetic accellerates
rythm
2. afferent free nerve endings, found in myocardium
a. related to sensibility and pain, such as in,
aa. angina pectoris
bb. cardiac muscle (myocardial)
infarction

Lymphatic Vascular System

1. Lymphatic capillaries
a. closed-ended vessels
b. consists of single layer of endothelial cells
c. incomplete basal lamina
d. held open by microfibrils of elastic system
of surrounding
connective tissue
2.Lymphatic vessels
a. structure similar to that of small of veins,
but thinner walls
b. no clear-cut seperation between intima,
media and
adventitia
c. more numerous internal valves

Lymphatic Vascular System

(cont.)
3. Lymphatic ducts
a. i.e. thoracic duct and right lymphatic
duct
b. similar to that of vein, but,
aa. reinforced by smooth muscle
cells in media,
circularly and longitudinally
arranged
bb. adventitia is underdeveloped,
also with vasa vasorum and
nerve fibers