|
| 1. | abdominal aorta | portion of the aorta inferior to the aortic hiatus and superior to the common iliac arteries |
| 2. | adrenal artery | branch of the abdominal aorta; supplies blood to the adrenal (suprarenal) glands |
| 3. | adrenal vein | drains the adrenal or suprarenal glands that are immediately superior to the kidneys; the right adrenal vein enters the inferior vena cava directly and the left adrenal vein enters the left renal vein |
| 4. | anaphylactic shock | type of shock that follows a severe allergic reaction and results from massive vasodilation |
| 5. | angioblasts | stem cells that give rise to blood vessels |
| 6. | angiogenesis | development of new blood vessels from existing vessels |
| 7. | anterior cerebral artery | arises from the internal carotid artery; supplies the frontal lobe of the cerebrum |
| 8. | anterior communicating artery | anastomosis of the right and left internal carotid arteries; supplies blood to the brain |
| 9. | anterior tibial artery | branches from the popliteal artery; supplies blood to the anterior tibial region; becomes the dorsalis pedis artery |
| 10. | anterior tibial vein | forms from the dorsal venous arch; drains the area near the tibialis anterior muscle and leads to the popliteal vein |
| 11. | aorta | largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle and descending to the abdominal region where it bifurcates into the common iliac arteries at the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra; arteries originating from the aorta distribute blood to virtually all tissues of the body |
| 12. | aortic arch | arc that connects the ascending aorta to the descending aorta; ends at the intervertebral disk between the fourth and fifth thoracic vertebrae |
| 13. | aortic hiatus | opening in the diaphragm that allows passage of the thoracic aorta into the abdominal region where it becomes the abdominal aorta |
| 14. | aortic sinuses | small pockets in the ascending aorta near the aortic valve that are the locations of the baroreceptors (stretch receptors) and chemoreceptors that trigger a reflex that aids in the regulation of vascular homeostasis |
| 15. | arterial circle | (also, circle of Willis) anastomosis located at the base of the brain that ensures continual blood supply; formed from branches of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries; supplies blood to the brain |
| 16. | arteriole | (also, resistance vessel) very small artery that leads to a capillary |
| 17. | arteriovenous anastomosis | short vessel connecting an arteriole directly to a venule and bypassing the capillary beds |
| 18. | artery | blood vessel that conducts blood away from the heart; may be a conducting or distributing vessel |
| 19. | ascending aorta | initial portion of the aorta, rising from the left ventricle for a distance of approximately 5 cm |
| 20. | atrial reflex | mechanism for maintaining vascular homeostasis involving atrial baroreceptors: if blood is returning to the right atrium more rapidly than it is being ejected from the left ventricle, the atrial receptors will stimulate the cardiovascular centers to increase sympathetic firing and increase cardiac output until the situation is reversed; the opposite is also true |
| 21. | axillary artery | continuation of the subclavian artery as it penetrates the body wall and enters the axillary region; supplies blood to the region near the head of the humerus (humeral circumflex arteries); the majority of the vessel continues into the brachium and becomes the brachial artery |
| 22. | axillary vein | major vein in the axillary region; drains the upper limb and becomes the subclavian vein |
| 23. | azygos vein | originates in the lumbar region and passes through the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity on the right side of the vertebral column; drains blood from the intercostal veins, esophageal veins, bronchial veins, and other veins draining the mediastinal region; leads to the superior vena cava |
| 24. | basilar artery | formed from the fusion of the two vertebral arteries; sends branches to the cerebellum, brain stem, and the posterior cerebral arteries; the main blood supply to the brain stem |
| 25. | basilic vein | superficial vein of the arm that arises from the palmar venous arches, intersects with the median cubital vein, parallels the ulnar vein, and continues into the upper arm; along with the brachial vein, it leads to the axillary vein |
| 26. | blood colloidal osmotic pressure | (BCOP) pressure exerted by colloids suspended in blood within a vessel; a primary determinant is the presence of plasma proteins |
| 27. | blood flow | movement of blood through a vessel, tissue, or organ that is usually expressed in terms of volume per unit of time |
| 28. | blood hydrostatic pressure | force blood exerts against the walls of a blood vessel or heart chamber |
| 29. | blood islands | masses of developing blood vessels and formed elements from mesodermal cells scattered throughout the embryonic disc |
| 30. | blood pressure | force exerted by the blood against the wall of a vessel or heart chamber; can be described with the more generic term hydrostatic pressure |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|