Capillaries are the smallest of a body's blood vessels, measuring 5-10 μm. They connect arteries and veins, and most closely interact with tissues. Capillaries have walls composed of a single layer of cells, the endothelium. This layer is so thin that molecules such as oxygen, water and lipids can pass through them by diffusion and enter the tissues. Waste products such as carbon dioxide and urea can diffuse back into the blood to be carried away for removal from the body. Capillary permeability can be increased by the release of cer ...

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Capillary - Types Capillary - Details

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Spleen - Anatomy Spleen - Disorders Spleen - Absence Spleen - Etymology and cultural views

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It is an organ derived from mesenchyme and lying in the mesentery. The organ consists of masses of lymphoid tissue of granular appearance located around fine terminal branches of veins and arteries. These vessels are connected through the splenic pulp by modified capillaries called splenic sinuses. Cross sections of the spleen reveal a red soft surface which is divided into red and white pulp. Red pulp corresponds to the sinuses which are usually filled with blood. The white pulp shows white nodules, called Malpighian corpuscles. Under the microscope, these areas correspond to lymphoid follicles, rich in B-lymphocytes, and the periarteriolar lympho ...

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Spleen, Spleen - Anatomy, Spleen - Disorders, Spleen - Absence, Spleen - Etymology and cultural views

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The exact anatomy of the myocardial blood supply varies considerably from person to person. A full evaluation of the coronary arteries requires cardiac catheterization. In general there are two main coronary arteries, the left and right. Both of these arteries originate from the beginning (root) of the aorta, immediately above the aortic valve. As discussed below, the left coronary artery originates from the left aortic sinus, while the right coronary artery originates from the right aortic sinus. See also:

Coronary circulation, Coronary circulation - Coronary anatomy, Coronary circulation - Left coronary artery, Coronary circulation - Right coronary artery, Coronary circulation - Coronary artery dominance, Coronary circulation - Blood supply of the papillary muscles, Coronary circulation - Coronary flow

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The coronary circulation consists of the blood vessels that supply blood to, and remove blood from, the heart. The vessels that supply blood high in oxygen to the heart are known as coronary arteries. The vessels that remove the deoxygenated blood from the heart are known as cardiac veins. The coronary arteries that run on the surface of the heart are called epicardial coronary arteries. These arteries, when healthy, are capable of autoregulation to maintain coronary blood flow at levels appropriate to the needs of the heart mu ...

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Coronary circulation - Coronary anatomy
Coronary circulation - Left coronary artery Coronary circulation - Right coronary artery Coronary circulation - Coronary artery dominance
Coronary circulation - Blood supply of the papillary muscles Coronary circulation - Coronary flow

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Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). Medical terms related to blood often begin in hemo- or hemato- (BE: haemo- and haemato-) from the Greek word "haima" for "blood". The main function of blood is to supply nutrients (oxygen, glucose) and constitutional elements to tissues and to remove waste products (such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid). Blood also enables cells (leukocytes, abnormal tumor cells) and different su ...

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Blood - Anatomy of blood Blood - Physiology of blood
Blood - Production and degradation Blood - Transport of oxygen Blood - Transport of carbon dioxide Blood - Transport of hydrogen ions Blood - Color
Blood - Health and disease
Blood - Ancient medicine Blood - Diagnosis Blood - Pathology Blood - Treatment
Blood - Mythology and religion
Blood - Indo-European paganism Blood - Judaism Blood - Christianity Blood - Jehovah's Witnesses Blood - Vampire legends Blood - Chinese and Japanese culture

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The blood vessels are part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body. The most important types, arteries and veins, are so termed because they carry blood away from or towards the heart, respectively. Blood vessel - Types. Blood vessels exist in varying calibers: Arteries Aorta (the largest artery, carries blood out of the heart) Branches of the aorta, such as the carotid artery, the subclavian artery, the celiac trunk, the mesenteric arteri ...

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Blood vessel - Types Blood vessel - Anatomy Blood vessel - Physiology Blood vessel - Role in disease

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In biology, a vein is a blood vessel which returns blood from the microvasculature to the heart. Veins form part of the circulatory system. The vessels carrying blood away from the heart are known as arteries. Vein - Biological Vein. Veins have one-way valves to prevent backflow caused by gravity. In systemic circulation de-oxygenated blood from the capillary blood vessels is taken by veins to the right part of the heart. Differently, in the pulmonary circulation oxygenated blood from the lun ...

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Vein - Biological Vein

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Angiography or arteriography is a medical imaging technique in which an X-ray picture is taken to visualize the inner opening of blood filled structures, including arteries, veins and the heart chambers. Its name comes from the Greek words angeion, "vessel", and graphien, "to write or record". The X-ray film or image of the blood vessels is called an angiograph, or more commonly, an angiogram. The Portuguese physician and neurologist Egas Moniz, Nobel Prize winner in 1949, developed in 1927 th ...

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Angiogram - Types of angiographs

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Arteries are muscular vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the tissues and organs of the body (The vessels which return blood to the heart are veins). The circulatory system is extremely important in sustaining life. Its proper functioning is responsible for the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to all cells, as well as the removal of carbon dioxide, waste products, maintenance of optimum pH, and the mobility of the elements, proteins and cells, of the immune system. In First World countries the two leading causes of ...

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Artery - Description Artery - Anatomy Artery - Types of arteries:
Artery - Pulmonary arteries Artery - Systemic arteries Artery - The Aorta Artery - Arterioles Artery - Arterioles and blood pressure Artery - Capillaries
Artery - Blood pressure Artery - See Also

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Physical examination - Temperature. Temperature recording gives an indication of core body temperature which is normally tightly controlled (thermoregulation) as it affects the rate of chemical reactions. It does though vary with time of day and body conditions but prolonged significant temperature elevation (hyperthermia) or depression (hypothermia) are incompatible with life. See also:

Physical examination, Physical examination - Vital Signs, Physical examination - Temperature, Physical examination - Blood pressure, Physical examination - Pulse, Physical examination - Basic biometrics, Physical examination - Height, Physical examination - Weight, Physical examination - Pain, Physical examination - Structure of the written examination record, Physical examination - General appearance, Physical examination - Organ systems, Physical examination - Special examinations

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The exact anatomy of the myocardial blood supply varies considerably from person to person. A full evaluation of the coronary arteries requires cardiac catheterization. In general there are two main coronary arteres, the left and right. Both of these arteries originate from the beginning (root) of the aorta, immediately above the aortic valve. As discussed below, the left coronary artery originates from the left aortic sinus, while the right coronary artery originates from the right aortic sinus. See also:

Coronary circulation, Coronary circulation - Coronary anatomy, Coronary circulation - Left coronary artery, Coronary circulation - Right coronary artery, Coronary circulation - Coronary artery dominance, Coronary circulation - Blood supply of the papillary muscles, Coronary circulation - Coronary flow

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Veins have one-way valves to prevent backflow caused by gravity. In systemic circulation de-oxygenated blood from the capillary blood vessels is taken by veins to the right part of the heart. Differently, in the pulmonary circulation oxygenated blood from the lungs is taken to the left part of the heart by pulmonary veins. Another special case is portal circulation where the portal vein transports blood rich in products of digestion from the intestines to the liver. Names of important veins: Pulmonary veins Portal vein Superior vena cava Inferior vena cava Femoral v ...

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Vein, Vein - Biological Vein

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Artery - Pulmonary arteries. The pulmonary arteries carry oxygen deficient blood that has just returned from the body to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen. Artery - Systemic arteries. Systemic arteries deliver blood to the arterioles, and then to the capillaries, where nutrients and gasses are exchanged. Artery - The Aorta. The aorta is the root systemic artery. It receives blood directly ...

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Artery, Artery - Description, Artery - Anatomy, Artery - Types of arteries:, Artery - Pulmonary arteries, Artery - Systemic arteries, Artery - The Aorta, Artery - Arterioles, Artery - Arterioles and blood pressure, Artery - Capillaries, Artery - Blood pressure, Artery - See Also

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Blood vessels exist in varying calibers: Arteries Aorta (the largest artery, carries blood out of the heart) Branches of the aorta, such as the carotid artery, the subclavian artery, the celiac trunk, the mesenteric arteries, the renal artery and the ileac artery. Arterioles Capillaries (the smallest blood vessels) Venules Veins Large collecting vessels, such as the subclavian vein, the jugular vein, the renal vein and the iliac vein. Venae cavae (the 2 largest veins, carry bl ...

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Blood vessel, Blood vessel - Types, Blood vessel - Anatomy, Blood vessel - Physiology, Blood vessel - Role in disease

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Blood - Production and degradation. Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow; the process is termed hematopoiesis. The proteinaceous component is produced overwhelmingly in the liver, while hormones are produced by the endocrine glands and the watery fraction maintained by the gut and the kidney. Blood cells are degraded by the spleen and the Kupffer cells in the liver. The liver also clears proteins and amino acids (the kidney secretes many small proteins into the urine). Erythrocytes usually live up to 120 days before they are systematically replaced by new erythroc ...

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Blood, Blood - Anatomy of blood, Blood - Physiology of blood, Blood - Production and degradation, Blood - Transport of oxygen, Blood - Transport of carbon dioxide, Blood - Transport of hydrogen ions, Blood - Color, Blood - Health and disease, Blood - Ancient medicine, Blood - Diagnosis, Blood - Pathology, Blood - Treatment, Blood - Mythology and religion, Blood - Indo-European paganism, Blood - Judaism, Blood - Christianity, Blood - Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood - Vampire legends, Blood - Chinese and Japanese culture

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Physical examination - Height. Height is the anthropometric longitudinal growth of an individual. A statiometer is the device used to measure height although often a height stick is more frequently used for vertical measurement of adults or children older than 2. The patient is asked to stand barefoot. Height declines during the day because of compression of the intervertebral discs. Children under age 2 are measured lying horizontally. Physical examination - Weight. Weight is the anthropometric ...

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Physical examination, Physical examination - Vital Signs, Physical examination - Temperature, Physical examination - Blood pressure, Physical examination - Pulse, Physical examination - Basic biometrics, Physical examination - Height, Physical examination - Weight, Physical examination - Pain, Physical examination - Structure of the written examination record, Physical examination - General appearance, Physical examination - Organ systems, Physical examination - Special examinations

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Blood - Ancient medicine. Hippocratic medicine considered blood one of the four humors (together with phlegm, yellow bile and black bile). As many diseases were thought to be due to an excess of blood, bloodletting and leeching were a common intervention until the 19th century (it is still used for some rare blood disorders). In classical Greek medicine, blood was associated with air, springtime, and with a merry and gluttonous (sanguine) personality. It was also believed to be produced exclusively by the liver. ...

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Blood, Blood - Anatomy of blood, Blood - Physiology of blood, Blood - Production and degradation, Blood - Transport of oxygen, Blood - Transport of carbon dioxide, Blood - Transport of hydrogen ions, Blood - Color, Blood - Health and disease, Blood - Ancient medicine, Blood - Diagnosis, Blood - Pathology, Blood - Treatment, Blood - Mythology and religion, Blood - Indo-European paganism, Blood - Judaism, Blood - Christianity, Blood - Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood - Vampire legends, Blood - Chinese and Japanese culture

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Blood vessels play a role in virtually every medical condition. Cancer, for example, cannot progress if the tumor does not cause angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) to supply the malignant cells' metabolic demand. Atherosclerosis, the formation of lipid lumps (atheromas) in the blood vessel wall, is the prime cause of cardiovascular disease, the main cause of death in the Western world. Blood vessel permeability is increased in inflammation. Damage, due to trauma or spontaneously, may lead to hemorrhage. In contrast, occlusi ...

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Blood vessel, Blood vessel - Types, Blood vessel - Anatomy, Blood vessel - Physiology, Blood vessel - Role in disease

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Blood vessels do not actively engage in the transport of the blood (they have no appreciable peristalsis), but arteries - and veins to a degree - can regulate their caliber by contraction of the muscular layer. This determines the blood flow to particular downstream organs, and is determined by the autonomic nervous system. Vasodilation and vasoconstriction are also used antagonistically as a method of thermoregulation in homeotherms. Oxygen (bound to hemoglobin in red blood cells) is the most critical nutrient carried by the blood. I ...

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Blood vessel, Blood vessel - Types, Blood vessel - Anatomy, Blood vessel - Physiology, Blood vessel - Role in disease

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