1.

Histology: Circulatory System 8

INTRODUC TION o 2 ventricles inferiorly
 Right (pump for pulmonary
 In this transcription, we’ll be looking at circulation)
the general overview of the Circulatory  Left (pump for systemic
System in a histologic point of view. This circulation)
includes the heart, the veins, arteries, and  Interventricular septum
the lymphatic system. (separates 2 ventricles)
 Right atrioventricular orifice (tricuspid
TABLE OF CONTENTS orifice)
o Guarded by the tricuspid valve
1. Heart
a. Pericardium o Where the right atrium and right
b. Layers of the heart ventricle communicate
c. Skeleton of the heart
d. Cardiac valves *Why is it called tricuspid? Because it
2. Blood vascular system is easier to say than Right
a. Histologic layers of arteries and veins
atrioventricular (Doc Gonzales)
b. Sensory organs associated with
arteries
c. Veins  Left atrioventricular orifice (bicuspid
d. Modification in the blood vessels orifice or mitral orifice)
3. Lymph Vascular System o Guarded by bicuspid valve (AKA
Mitral valve)
o Where the Left atrium and Left
ventricle communicate
 Semilunar orifices
o Guarded by semilunar valves
HEART  Pulmonary orifice
o Guarded by pulmonary valve
o Between the right ventricle and
pulmonary artery
 Aortic orifice
o Guarded by aortic valve
o Between the Left ventricle and
aorta
o The valves ensures blood flow in
one direction only

PERICARDIUM

Image 1. The Heart with its parts

 Located in central mediastinum

 Pump that propels blood to the arteries of
Image 2. Layers of the Pericardium
both (systemic & pulmonary) circulations.
 Envelops the heart
 4 chambers:
 2 pouches:
o 2 atria superiorly
o Fibrous pericardium
 interatrial septum
 More external
(Separates the 2 atria)

TRANSCRIBERS: Group 1A 1
SUBTRANSHEAD: RJ Beltran
  Lines central mediastinum numerous in the
 Dense connective tissue interventricular septum)
o Serous pericardium  Subendocardium
 2 layers:  Loose connective tissue
1. Parietal pericardium  Has blood vessels and
 adheres to fibrous nerves
pericardium  Purkinje fibers (comprise
 loose connective tissue the impulse-conducting
 Covered by mesothelium system of heart)
 Serous secreting
 For making pericardial fluid MYOOCARDIUM
 Synonymous with epicardium
2. Visceral pericardium o Thickest
 Adheres to the heart o Varies in different parts
 Pericardial Cavity o Thickest in left ventricle (main
o Has pericardial fluid contractile part)
 15-50mL o Thinnest in atria
 Reduces friction in percardium o Cardiac muscle fibers wind around
 Lubricant atria and ventricles in spiraling course
 Mesothelial Cells
o Serous secreting and elaborates o Cardiac skeleton originate and insert
pericardial fluid here
 Cardiac Muscle cells in atria and
LAYERS OF THE HEART interventricular septum:
o Have endocrine functions
o Atrial natriuretic polypeptide & Brain
natriuretic polypeptide
 Both participate in cardio-renal
homoeostasis
 Target organs:
o Kidneys, Adrenals, Pituitary, Brain

EPICARDIUM

o Synonymous with visceral epicardium

o Loose connective tissue lies deep to
Image 3. The Layers of the heart mesothelium
o Lined by mesothelium on external
ENDOCARDIUM surface
o Elastic fibers, blood vessels, nerves
o Thinnest o Innermost elements anchor
o Lines all internal surfaces epicardium to myocardium
o Continuous with innermost layer of o Has adipocytes at areas of heart where
great vessels that enter and exit the there are bigger branches of the
heart coronary arteries
o 4 layers
 Endothelium SKELETON OF THE HEART
 simple squamous  Dense Connective tissue
 Subendothelium  Central support
 Deep in the endothelium  Where cardiac muscles and valves are
 Loose connective tissue attached
 Layer of denser  3 components:
connective tissue o Septum membranaceum
 Thickest portion of  In interventricular septum
endocardium o Annuli fibrosi
 Contains collagen fibers,  Surrounds AV and semilunar
fibroblasts, elastic orifices
elements, smooth
muscles (mostly and

TOPIC: 1. Histology: Circulatory System 2

LECTURER: Dr. E. Gonzales
 o Trigona fibrosa  3 Internodal Tracts (bundles of
 Between semilunar and AV Purkinje fibers)
orifices  Anterior internodal
tract (of Bachman)
CARDIAC VALVES  Middle internodal
tract (of Wenkebach)
 Posterior internodal
tract (of Thorel)
 Cells are slightly smaller than
those found outside
kung maliit ka, ikaw mag-
initiate ng impulse, kung malaki
ka, coconduct ka lang

o AV node
 6mm long
 2-3mm wide
 Smaller than SA node
 located in myocardium of
Image 4. Valves of the Heart posterior lower part of
interatrial septum
 AV and Semilunar valves are similar in
structure microscopically o AV bundle of His
 Consist of reduplicated endocardia and  In dense connective of
core of dense connective tissue trigonum fibrosum
(continuous with the annuli fibrosi)  Course downward to ventricles
 Normally avascular  Bifurcates at septum
membranaceum
IMPULSE CONDUCTING SYSTEM  Right and left bundle
branches
 NOTE: Nervous System – does not control
the impulse conducting system of the o Bundle branches
heart, it only REGULATES but does not  Right
initiate.  Runs downward along
 Electrical impulses from purkinje fibers periphery of septum
which are noncontractile fibers membranaceum
o Purkinje fibers  In subendocardium of
 Larger, paler, has more Right Ventricle
glycogen in the cytoplasm  To Interventricular
compared to the cardiac muscle septum
cells  Splits into branches in
 Has desmosomes, gap musculature of Right
junctions, fascia adherens Ventricle
 Do not contract but INITIATE  Left
and CONDUCT electrical  Subendocardium of Left
impulses that controls Ventricle
contraction of the heart  Supply myocardium of
Left Ventricle
 COMPONENTS: o Purkinje fibers
o Sinoatrial node (SA Node)  Vessels of heart (supplies the
 Cardiac Pacemaker (initiates heart compartments with blood
cardiac contraction) for the heart’s use)
 Dense network of interwoven o Ascending aorta
purkinje fibers (smaller)  Right and left coronary arteries
 Generate impulse that is  Main ones located in inner
transmitted throughout the epicardium
heart  Smaller ones into myocardium
 Located Subepicardially (at  Terminate as capillaries
boundary of RA and SVC)  Functionally, end arteries

TOPIC: 1. Histology: Circulatory System 3

LECTURER: Dr. E. Gonzales
 Impulse direction: SA node -> Atrial  Secrete blood clotting
Musculature -> via (internodal tracts) factors - Von Willebrand
AV node -> AV bundle of his factor
o Cardiac Veins  Secrete endothelins,
 Empty into coronary sinus à prostacyclins, NO, other
Right atrium substances that mediate
 Some drain directly into the inflammatory response
Right atrium  Exhibit phagocytosis
o Lymph channels  Have mitotic capability
 Associated with musculature  Capillaries
 Abundant in myocardium, o Connect arteries to vein
subendocardium, o Site of gas exchange between
subepicardium blood and tissues
o CN X (Inhibitory) o Endothelial tube with a diameter of
o Sympathetic division of ANS 7-9 µm
(Stimulatory) o RBCs pass through in a single file
o Nerves not in direct contract with with difficulty
muscle fibers o Wall has single endothelial cell
 Located a short distance away  Elongated or ovoid nucleus
 Release neurotransmitters (bulges to lumen)
 Attenuated cytoplasm is
clear to finely granular
o Pericytes
 slender , elongated cells
that is similar to fibroblasts
in H&E staining
 Envelope the wall of
capillaries
 Contractile cells containing
actin, myosin,
tropomyosin, desmin
 Influences luminal size of
capillaries
Image 5: Direction of Impulses in the heart  May be source of new
endothelial cells
BLOOD VASCULAR SYSTEM  Types of Capillaries

Image 6: Overview of the Blood Vascular System

Image 7: Types of Capillaries with organs where
they are found
 Lumen is lined by endothelium o Continuous (Type I)
o Facilitates flow of blood  Muscles, lungs, CNS, skin
o Regulates diffusion of substances
 Uninterrupted endothelium
o Endothelial cells

TOPIC: 1. Histology: Circulatory System 4

LECTURER: Dr. E. Gonzales
  Endothelial cells adhere to  Tunica Intima
each other mainly  Analogous to endocardium
interdigitating  Innermost layer of arteries and
 Cytoplasm has fine veins
filaments and vesicles  Endothelium
depending on location  Simple squamous epi.
 Cells rest on basal lamina
o Fenestrated (Type II)  Secretes components of
 Mucous membranes of GIT, underlying CT
endocrine glands, pancreas,  Secretes important
and renal glomerulus regulatory substances of
 Cytoplasm of endothelial CVS
cells is very thin, pierced at  Prostacyclin -
intervals by pores inhibits platelet
 Pores activation and
 Bridged by a promotes
diaphragm that is vasodilation
thinner than a cell  Nitric Oxide
membrane (endothelium-
 pores have no derived relaxing
diaphragm in renal factor or EDRF) -
glomerulus promotes
vasodilation
o Sinusoidal (Sinusoids)  Endothelins - group of
 Parenchyma of liver, spleen, polypeptides, endothelin I,
bone marrow, endocrine a very potent
glands vasoconstrictor
 Irregular and cross-  Von Willebrand Factor
sectional outlines  Blood clotting factor
 Endothelium formed by  Synthesized by
mixture of phagocytic and endothelium of all
nonphagocytic cells that blood vessels but
rest on discontinuous basal stored only in
lamina endothelium of
arteries
HISTOLOGIC LAYERS OF ARTERIES AND  Stored as rod-
VEINS shaped cytoplasmic
inclusions called
Weibel-Palade
bodies
 Subendothelial Layer
o Loose CT that may have occasional
smooth muscle cells
 Internal Elastic Lamina
o Only in some arteries
o Consists of elastin
o Demarcates tunica intima from
tunica media
 Tunica Media
 Analogous to myocardium; middle
histologic coat of arteries and veins
 Concentrically arranged smooth
muscle fibers
 CT that include collagen and elastic
fibers
 External elastic lamina
 In arteries that have
Image 8: General layers of blood vessels relatively large calibers
 Layer of elastin

TOPIC: 1. Histology: Circulatory System 5

LECTURER: Dr. E. Gonzales
 Demarcates tunica media
 o Smallest are <0.5 mm; biggest are
from tunica adventitia brachial and femoral arteries
 Tunica Adventitia o Tunica Intima
 Analogous to o Endothelium
epicardium;outermost o Subendothelium
 Chiefly made up of connective  Elastic and collagen
tissues fibers and few
 Cells are arranged longitudinally fibroblasts
 Internal elastic
membrane
o Prominent; into
folds
o Tunica Media
 Up to 40 layers of
circularly arranged
smooth muscle fibers
 Prominent external
elastic membrane
o Tunica Adventitia
 Loose connective tissue
 Cellular and fibrous
elements are oriented
longitudinally or
Image 9: Overview of the difference between obliquely
arteries and veins.  As thick or thicker than
Arteries media
 Small Arteries (Arterioles) o Vasa Vasorum
o Diameter from 40-400 µm  Small blood vessels
o Thick walls and narrow lumens that within wall of large
offer considerable resistance to blood vessels
blood flow  Supply the tissues that
o Metarteriole are unable to get
o Segment of a blood vessel that oxygen and nutrients
is in between a capillary and an by diffusion
arteriole  In veins, may be
o Muscle fibers do not form present in adventitia
continuous layer yet and media
o Tunica Intima  In arteries, confined to
o Endothelium-only layer in adventitia
small vessels
o Thin subendothelium  Large Arteries (Conducting Arteries;
o Internal elastic lamina in Elastic Arteries)
larger vessels
o Tunica Media
o 1-5 complete layers of
smooth muscle cells
o External elastic lamina not
well defined
o Tunica Adventitia
o Thinner than tunica media
o Loose connective tissue
 Medium Arteries ( Muscular Arteries;
Distributing Arteries)
o Comprise practically all the named
arteries of the body, except elastic
ones Image 10: Histological slide of an Artery
o Distribute blood
o Well-developed tunica media

TOPIC: 1. Histology: Circulatory System 6

LECTURER: Dr. E. Gonzales
 o Aorta is the best example o Has more cytoplasmic
o Wall relatively thin compared to vessel processes than glomus
size 2. Carotid Sinus
o Wall is yellow in fresh specimens  Slightly dilated area in the left and right
because of abundant elastin internal carotid arteries shortly after
o Tunica Intima branching off from Common Carotid
o Endothelium Artery
o Subendothelium - made up of  Tunica Media
LCT, smooth muscle cells o Attennuated
o Indistinct internal elastic  Tunica Adventitia
membrane o Thick
o Tunica Media o Contains numerous sensory fibers
o Thickest that form networks
o 40-60 elastic lamellae arranged o Nerve fibers come from CN IX
concentrically o Act as baroreceptors – senstitive
o Smooth muscle cells synthesize to stretch and able to detect
the precursors for the elastin changes in blood pressure within
o External elastic membrane the arteries
indistinct in large arteries
because it abuts on the VEINS
outermost elastic lamella of 1. Small veins (venules)
tunica media  Diameter is 1.0 mm or less
o Tunica Adventitia  Smallest venules are capillaries
o Relatively thin  Function like capillaries
o Contains vaso vasorum  Sites for gas and substance
o Serve as the pump of the CVS during exchange between blood and
diastole tissues
o Elastic recoil responsible for the flow of  Tunica media can only be
blood through the blood vessels during appreciated
diastole 2. Medium Veins
 Tunica Intima
SENSORY ORGANS ASSOCIATED WITH o Consists of an endothelium
ARTERIES and thin subendothelial
1. Carotid and Aortic bodies layer
 Carotid bodies: Embedded in the  Tunica Media
tunica adventitia at the bifurcation o Has small bundles of
of each common carotid artery circularly-arranged smooth
o Nerve ending: CN IX muscle cells
 Aortic bodies: located adjacent to o Thinner than tunica media
the subclavian arteries near aortic of arteries
arch  Tunica Adventitia
o Nerve ending: CN X o Thickest
 Both have similar structure & o Made up of connective
function tissue
 Consists of glomus cells and sheath 3. Large Veins
cells  Inferior Vena Cava, Superior Vena
 Glomus cells: pale-staining, Cava, Pulmonary and Portal veins
round/oval  Tunica Intima is thicker than
o Few cytoplasmic processes smaller veins
o Has large nucleus  Tunica Media is poorly developed
o Resemble the chromaffin o Has few smooth muscle
cells of the adrenal medulla fibers
 Sheath cells o Vasa vasorum exists
o Glial-like  Tunica Adventitia is very thick
o Function as supportive cells o Has 3 zones:
o Has irregular nucleus  Internal zone of
o Do not contain dense-core dense fibroelastic
granules in the cytoplasm connective tissue

TOPIC: 1. Histology: Circulatory System 7

LECTURER: Dr. E. Gonzales
  Middle zone of anterior and posterior lobe of the
smooth muscle fibers gland.
that are arranged Portal system of Kidney
longitudinally  The kidneys have an artery in between
 Outer zone with a two capillary beds where efferent
course network of arteriole is formed when glomerular
collagen & elastic capillaries fused
fibers
o Well supplied with vasa LYMPH VASCULAR SYSTEM
vasorum

MODIFICATION IN THE BLOOD VESSELS

1. Arteriovenous Anastamoses (AV
Anastamoses)

Image 12: Overview of Lymph Vascular System

Image 11: Arteriovenous Anastomoses (Shunt)  Tubular system that collects the
plasma protein leaks and return them
 That connects small arteries directly to
small veins to the venous side of the circulation.
 Normal Blood flow: Blood  arteries   Fluid enters through interstitial space
capillary beds  Vein (drain) via Lymphatic capillaries
 Activation of AV Shunt: Blood   Lymph is a milky substance which,
arteries  Vein aside from water and proteins,
o Capillaries are by-passed
contains lymphocytes and fat droplets
 Regions of the body: skin of the palm,
(chylomicra).
sole, lip, ear and nose, mucous
membrane of the nose and digestive  Lymphatic capillaries
tract, erectile tissue, and tongue Lymphatic vesels unite to form
 Glomera – AV anastomoses in the skin larger vessels Lymphatic ducts
of the hand and feet, which supplied drains into the veins at the base of
with nerve fibers. the neck

2. Portal System
 Artery/vein is interposed between LYMPHATIC CAPILLARIE S
two sets of capillary beds and exist
in the digestive system and pituitary
gland.
 Portal vessels
 Artery/vein that is in between
the capillaries
Portal Vein (digestive tract)


They drain the capillaries then breaks
into sinusoids in the liver.
Hypohyseoportal system (pituitary gland) Image 13: Lymphatic Capillaries in the Tissue
 Plexus of veins which drains the Spaces
capillaries of the median eminence
then breaks up. Into sinusoids in the

TOPIC: 1. Histology: Circulatory System 8

LECTURER: Dr. E. Gonzales
Present in all parts of the body EXCEPT cartilage, LYMPHATIC DUCTS
bone and bone marrow, teeth , placenta, and the  Drainage of fluid from lypmhatics vessels
central nervou system. all over the body.
Blood capillaries Lymphatic  Tunica media has more muscle fibers than
Capillaries large veins
They are connected They start as blind  Tunica adventitia of the thoracic duct are
at either end of the tubes that merge to
provided with small blood vessels similar
areteries or veins. form lymphatic
to vaso vasorum of large blood vessel.
vessels.
Has endothelium Thinner  2 Lymph ducts
endothelium
Has pericyte No pericyte
The anatomose and
branch are free and
variable in shape
and caliber.

LYMPHATIC VESSELS

Image 14: Lymphatic Vessel

 Small lymphatic vessel

- thicker than the wall of lymphatics
capillaries. Image 15: 2 lymph ducts
- Has endothelium, connective tissue (mad
1.) Right Lymphatic Duct
up of collagen and elastic fibers)  Shorter and smaller than
 Medium Lymphatic vessels thoracic duct
- With valves
 Fluid is collected from the right
- The vavles are reduplication of the tunica side of the body above the
intima that encloses an internal
diapghram.
framework of the dense connective tissue.  They drain into right
 Large lymphatic vessel brachiocephalic vein at the
 Three layers
junction of the internal jugular
1.) Tunica intima
and subclavian veins.
 Endothelium
2.) Thoracic Ducts
 Connetive tissue
 Collects the lymph from the left
2.) Tunica media
side part of the and the
 Smooth muscle
remainder part that not
3.) Tunica adventitia
collected by right lyphatic duct
 Elastic
 Drains in the left jugular and
 Collagen fibers
subclavian veins.

TOPIC: 1. Histology: Circulatory System 9

LECTURER: Dr. E. Gonzales
 REFERENCES:

1. Lecture Notes
2. Google Images
3. Doc Ed’s PPT
4. Doc Ed’s Book

Don’t worry about anything; instead,

pray about everything. Tell God what
you need, and thank him for all he
has done. Then you will experience
God’s peace, which exceeds anything
we can understand. His peace will
guard your hearts and minds as you
live in Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 4:6-7 NLT-

TOPIC: 1. Histology: Circulatory System 10

LECTURER: Dr. E. Gonzales