Histology of The Circulatory System

Histology of the cardiovascular
System
By
Prof.Dr.Khaled Mazher
Objectives
1. Define the cardivascular system and mention its
component
2. Identify the 3 layers of the heart – endocardium,
myocardium, epicardium and cardiac valves
3. Describe the impulse conducting system of the heart
and its function
4. Differentiate between arteries and veins
5. Identify the 3 layers of the vascular wall and
describe their characteristics in each type of blood
vessel
6. Classify the means of connection between arteries
and veins
Blood Flow Through the Heart
*Which valves are passed at which points?

Circulation in mammals and birds
• Pulmonary Circuit:
– Blood vessels that carry
blood to and from the
lungs
• Systemic Circuit:
– Blood vessels that carry
blood to and from the
rest of the body
• 1. The wall of the heart consists of:
• a. Inner layer = endocardium
• b. Middle Layer = myocardium
• c. Outer layer = epicardium
• 2. The wall of blood vessel consists of:

• a. Inner layer = tunica intima
• b. Middle layer = tunica media
• c. Outer layer = tunica adventita
• Notice
• Mesothelium (simple squamous epithelium) covers the outer
surface of the heart (except where the arteries leave and the
great veins enter the heart). This covering epithelium closely
resembles the mesothelial covering of the other thoracic and
abdominal organs.
• The myocardium is thickest in the ventricular region, especially

the left ventricle, and contains more cardiac muscle in the
ventricles than in the atrium. The myocardium around the
valves contains only dense collagenous CT which forms the
cardiac skeleton.
• In the atria, the cardiac muscle cells produce atrial natriuretic

peptide (ANP), a hormone which influences blood pressure by
affecting kidney function
The Heart has 4 Valves
• 2 atrioventricular valves:
– R atrioventricular (= tricuspid) valve (3 cusps)
– L atrioventricular (= mitral or bicuspid) valve (2 cusps)
• 2 semilunar valves (each with 3 cusps):

– Pulmonary semilunar valve (between R ventricle and
pulmonary trunk)
– Aortic semilunar valve (between L ventricle and aorta)
• Cusps are flaps made of endocardium and reinforced by cores of

dense CT
Superior View of Heart Valves
The Cardiac Cycle
• Systole= the period of ventricular contraction
• Diastole= the period of ventricular relaxation

The impulse Conducting System of the
Heart
• 1-Sinoatrial (SA) node SA
node
• Internodal pathway fibers AV
node
• 2-Atrioventricular (AV) node
• 3-AV bundle (= Bundle of

Hiss)
AV
Bundl
• 4-R and L bundle branches
e
Bundle
and Purkinje fibers
branches
Purkinje
Conducting System of the Heart
Histologic structure:
• Nodal cells and the cells of the AV bundle are
small, but typical cardiac muscle cells
• Purkinje fibers they are modified cardiac
muscle cells,
1-wider in diameter,
2-lighter in stain
3- the myofibrils are peripherally arranged
4- sometimes binucleated
5- specialized for conduction than contraction
Structure of vessel walls
• Walls of arteries and veins contain three distinct

layers
– Tunic intima…1- lamina endothelialis
2-lamina subendothelialis
3-lamina elastica interna
– Tunica media…...circularely arranged SMF and
collagen fibers
– Tunica externa…dense fibroelastic CT contain vasa
vasorum and nervi vasorum
Histological Structure of Blood
Vessels
A Comparison of a Typical Artery and
a Typical Vein
Large arteries (also called elastic arteries or conducting
arteries)
• include the aorta and its largest main branches.
• A- Tunica intima - thin (relative to other layers in this type of vessel)
• (1) Endothelium
• (2) Subendothelial layer contains elastic fibers, collagen fibers
• (3) Internal elastic lamina – well developed
• B- Tunica media – thick formed of 40 - 60 distinct, concentrically
arranged fenestrated elastic membranes intermingled with fibroblasts,
elastic fibers, collagen fibers, and circular smooth muscle
• C- Tunica adventita - thin; consists mainly of collagen fibers, blood

vessels, nerves; some elastic fibers, fibroblasts, macrophages.
• Function = to conduct blood from the heart to smaller arteries and to

even out blood pressure and flow. The presence of elastic laminae gives
these vessels elastic properties. They expand as the heart contracts (to
modulate blood pressure and store energy) and recoil during ventricular
relaxation (to maintain more even pressure in large arteries).
Medium arteries (also called muscular arteries)
• A-Tunica intima - thin

• (1) Endothelium
• (2) subendothelial layer consisting of scattered fine collagen and elastic
fibers and a few fibroblasts
• (3) Internal elastic lamina - very distinct, usually folded
• B- Tunica media - thick
• (1) Circular smooth muscle, 5 - 40 layers
• (2) Small amount of CT with collagen fibers and elastic fibers (longitudinal
orientation) between muscle
• (3) Thickness decreases as diameter of vessel decreases
• External elastic lamina (May be indistinct in smaller muscular arteries)
• C-Tunica adventita - thick; loose FECT
• Function - to distribute blood to smaller arterial vessels. The muscular
wall resists damage due to relatively high blood pressure in these vessels
Medium artery and vein
Artery
Vein
Arterioles
1. Structure:
• Tunica intima - very thin consisting only of endothelium
• Internal elastic lamina - usually present except in smaller arterioles
• Tunica media - 1 to 5 layers of smooth muscle, some elastic fibers
• Tunica adventita - thin, consisting of longitudinally arranged
collagen and elastic fibers
2. Function:
• to redistribute blood flow to capillaries and to control blood
pressure by altering peripheral resistance to blood flow. Arterioles
are referred to as peripheral resistance vessels.
Venules
Size varies from 10 microns (post-capillary venules) to 1 mm

(muscular venules)
2. Post-capillary venules
• a. Structure - larger diameter than capillaries; consist of
endothelium surrounded by pericytes
• b. Functions
• (1) Collect blood from capillaries
• (2) Respond to vasoactive agents (e.g., histamine, serotonin) by
altering permeability
• (3) Site of exit of WBCs from blood into tissue

Small to medium veins
• 1. Structure
• a. Tunica intima - thin
• (1) Endothelium
• (2) Thin subendothelial layer
• (3) May be folded to form valves
• b. Tunica media - thin; circular smooth

muscle, collagen fibers, some elastic
fibers
• c. Tunica adventita - well developed;

loose FECT with longitudinally
arranged collagen and elastic fibers.
Large veins - vena cavae and larger branches
• 1. Structure
• a. Tunica intima - thicker
• (1) Endothelium
• (2) Thin subendothelial layer
• b. Internal elastic lamina - usually

distinguishable
• c. Tunica media – thin formed of
circular smooth muscle and collgen
fibers
• d. Tunica adventita - very thick;

formed of collagen fibers, elastic
laminae, longitudinal smooth muscle
Means of connection between
arteries and veins
• 1- blood capillaries
a- continuous blood capillaries
b- fenestrated blood capillaries
c- sinusoidal capillaries
2- blood sinusoids
3- arteriovenous anastomosis
Capillaries and AVA
Capillaries
1. Structure - consist only of endothelium, but may be partially surrounded by pericytes.

•Three types of capillaries may be distinguished
•a. Continuous (type I) capillaries have relatively thick cytoplasm and the capillary wall is continuous.
Lateral cell surfaces of cells are characterized by zonula occludens (tight junctions), so materials move across cells
via pinocytosis or diffusion. These capillaries occur in most organs .
•b. Fenestrated (type II) capillaries have thin cytoplasm and the capillary wall is perforated at intervals by
pores or fenestrations. These capillaries are found in the kidney and in endocrine glands.
•c. Sinusoidal capillaries are larger in diameter than the other types and have wide spaces between the
lateral edges of the adjacent endothelial cells. Sinusoidal capillaries are found in the spleen, liver, and
bone marrow.
2. Functions
•a. Capillaries are the site of normal exchange of materials between blood and tissue fluid.
•b. Capillaries may be a site of exit of WBCs from blood into tissue under some conditions, although this is
probably more frequent in venules.
Capillary Structure
• Blood sinusoids
• They are wide and irregular blood spaces lined by
endothelial cells and phagocytic cells.
• They are present in endocrine glands,spleen, bone marrow
and liver
Arteriovenus anastomosis
It is a direct shunt or connection between arteries and veins
where the blood pass directly from arteriole to venule
Structure:
In this shunt the part connected to the arteriole has its
structure. Also the part connected to the veniole has its
structure. The middle part called glomus where the
smooth muscles of the tunica media become rounded and
changed into epitheloid cells
Heart of fish
Circulation in fish

Histology of The Circulatory System

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Histology of The Circulatory System

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Histology of The Circulatory System

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Histology of the cardiovascular

*Which valves are passed at which points?

• 2. The wall of blood vessel consists of:

• The myocardium is thickest in the ventricular region, especially

• In the atria, the cardiac muscle cells produce atrial natriuretic

• 2 semilunar valves (each with 3 cusps):

• Cusps are flaps made of endocardium and reinforced by cores of

• Systole= the period of ventricular contraction

• Diastole= the period of ventricular relaxation

• 3-AV bundle (= Bundle of

• Walls of arteries and veins contain three distinct

• C- Tunica adventita - thin; consists mainly of collagen fibers, blood

• Function = to conduct blood from the heart to smaller arteries and to

• A-Tunica intima - thin

Size varies from 10 microns (post-capillary venules) to 1 mm

• (3) Site of exit of WBCs from blood into tissue

• b. Tunica media - thin; circular smooth

• c. Tunica adventita - well developed;

• b. Internal elastic lamina - usually

• d. Tunica adventita - very thick;

1. Structure - consist only of endothelium, but may be partially surrounded by pericytes.

via pinocytosis or diffusion. These capillaries occur in most organs .

You might also like