HISTOLOGY OF

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
IKA MURTI - HISTOLOGI FK UNSOED

Outlines

Introduction
General structure of blood vessel
Arteries
Capillaries
Veins
Heart

Outlines

Introduction
General structure of blood vessel
Arteries
Capillaries
Veins
Heart
Lymphatic vascular system

Introduction

Circulatory system

Cardiovascular system

Cardiovascular system
Lymphatic vascular system
Heart
Pulmonary circuit
Systemic circuit

Circuit

Arteries
Capillaries
Veins

Pulmonary & Systemic

Circuit

Fig 22.9

elastic arteries
large vein
medium-sized
vein

muscular
arteries
arterioles

capillaries
venules
Arteries ALWAYS carry blood away from
heart
Veins ALWAYS return blood to heart,
contain about 2/3 body's blood at any given

Functions

Oxygen transportation
Nutrition transportation
Hormone transportation
Waste products transportation

Outlines

Introduction
General structure of blood vessel
Arteries
Capillaries
Veins
Heart

General structure of blood

vessels

Tunica intima

Tunica media

Innermost
Endothel cell flattened, single
layer
Subendothelial connective tissue
Internal elastic lamina
Middle layer
Smooth muscle layer concentric
External elastic lamina

Tunica adventitia

Outermost
Blends into surrounding
connective tissue

3 layers of the blood vessel

Contd

Vasa vasorum

Small arteries nourish cell in the tunica

media and adventitia

Innervation to blood vessel

Autonomic nervous system

Smooth muscle of blood vessel
Norepinephrine

General Structure of Blood

Vessels

Outlines

Introduction
General structure of blood vessel
Arteries
Capillaries
Veins
Heart

Arteries

Blood vessels carry blood away from the

heart
Classification:

Elastic arteries
Muscular arteries
Arterioles

Gradual changes in diameter

Gradual changes in morphological
characteristics

Elastic arteries

Conducting arteries
Aorta and the branches
from aortic arch
Common iliac arteries
Pulmonary trunk

Elastic artery

Elastic arteries

Tunica intima

Endothelium contain Weibel-Palade bodies

containing von Willebrand factor
Subendothelial connective tissue
Smooth muscle cell (occasional)
Internal elastic lamina

Elastic artery

Elastic arteries:
endothelium

Elastic arteries

Tunica media

Fenestrated membranes alternating with

smooth muscle
40-70 lamellae of elastin
Increase thickness elastin >>, smooth
muscle cells <<
External elastic lamina

Elastic artery

Elastic artery

Elastic arteries

Tunica adventitia

Thin
Loose fibroelastic connective tissue
Vasa vasorum >>>

Elastic artery

Muscular arteries

Distributing arteries
Most vessel arising from
the aorta
Most of arteries

Muscular arteries

Tunica intima

Thinner than in elastic arteries

Endothel with Weibel-Palade bodies
Subendothelial layer
Internal elastic lamina bifid internal
elastic lamina

Muscular arteries

Muscular arteries

Tunica media

Smooth muscle cells >>

3-40 layers of smooth muscle cells
External elastic lamina

Muscular arteries

Muscular arteries

Tunica adventitia

Elastic & collagen fibers

Lymphatic vessel, vasa vasorum

Arterioles

Terminal arteries regulate blood flow to

capillary beds
Diameter + equal to the wall width
Tunica intima

Tunica media

Single smooth muscle cell layer

Tunica adventitia

Endothelium with Webel-palade bodies

Internal elastic lamina (thin)

Fibroelastic connective tissue

Metarterioles

Arteriole that supply blood to capillary bed

 Arterioles are microvessels with a

tunica intima (I) that consists only
of the endothelium (E), in which the
cells may have rounded nuclei
They have tunica media (M) with
only one or two layers of smooth
muscle, and usually thin,
inconspicuous adventitia (Ad).
X350. Masson trichrome

Arterioles

Arterioles

Artery

Tunica intima

Tunica media

Tunica
adventitia

Elastic artery

Endothelium,
basal lamina,
subendothelial
layer, incomplete
internal elastic
lamina

40-70 fenestrated
elastic
membranes,
smooth muscle
interspersed
between elastic
membranes, thin
external elastic
lamina, vasa
vasorum in outer
half

Thin layer of
fibroelastic
connective tissue,
vasa vasorum,
lymphatic vessel,
nerve fiber

Muscular artery

Endothelium,
basal lamina,
subendothelial
layer, thick
internal elastic
lamina

Up to 40 layers of
smooth muscle
cells, thick
external elastic
lamina

Thin layer of
fibroelastic
connective tissue,
vasa vasorum not
very prominent,
lymphatic vessel,
nerve fiber

Arteriole

Endothelium,
basal lamina,
subendothelial
layer not very

One or two layer

of smooth muscle
cells

Loose connective
tissue, nerve fiber

Outlines

Introduction
General structure of blood vessel
Arteries
Capillaries
Veins
Heart

Capillaries

General structure

0,25 m 1 m long
Lumen diameter 8-10 m
Formed by single layer of squamous
endothel cell
Flattened, nucleus bulging to lumen
Basal lamina
Pericytes surrounding capillaries replace
tunica media

Pericytes

Derived from undifferentiated

mesenchymal cell
Surround endothelial cell of capillaries
and small venules
Posses characteristic of smooth muscle
cell & endothelial cell
Under certain condition differentiate
into smooth muscle cell/endothelial cell

Capillary

Capillary and pericytes

Classification of capillaries

Continuous capillaries
Muscle, nervous, connective tissue,
brain
Fasciae occludentes
Fenestrated capillaries
Pancreas, intestines, endocrine glands
Have pores in the wall (60-80 m),
covered by pore diphragm
Sinusoidal capillaries/sinusoid

Capillaries

endothelium
Variably
permeable

~ 8 m

Characterized by circular fenestrae or

pores that penetrate the endothelium
-permit exchange of larger molecules.
somewhat
permeable

Most body regions

Intestinal mucosa, choroid

plexus,

Continuous capillaries
the most common type
have tight, occluding junctions
sealing the intercellular clefts
between all the endothelial
cells to produce minimal fluid
leakage
all molecules exchanged
across the endothelium must
cross the cells by diffusion or
transcytosis

Continuous capillary

Fenestrated capillary

have tight junctions, but

perforations (fenestrae) through
the endothelial cells allow
greater exchange across the
endothelium
found in organs where
molecular exchange with the
blood is important, such as
endocrine organs, intestinal
walls, and choroid plexus.

Fenestrated capillary

Fenestrated capillary

Sinusoids

Resemble fenestrated capillaries, yet

1.

irregular shapes

2.

have longer pores without diaphragm

3.

Discontinuous endothelial cell

4.

thinner (or no) basement membranes

Blood movement very slow

Bone marrow, liver, spleen, lymphoid

organs, some endocrine glands

Sinusoids
have a wider diameter than the
other types of capillaries
have discontinuities between the
endothelial cells, large fenestrae
through the cells, and a partial,
discontinuous basement
membrane
found in organs where exchange
of macromolecules and cells
occurs readily between tissue and
blood, such as in bone marrow,
liver, and spleen

Sinusoids

Capillarie
s

Capillary Bed

Capillary region supplying a body area

Regulation of blood flow into capillary bed:
Metarteriole - shunt - preferred channel through a
capillary bed - precapillary sphincter - closes bed
temporarily to redistribute blood flow
thoroughfare channel small venule

Arteriovenous anastomosis

Outlines

Introduction
General structure of blood vessel
Arteries
Capillaries
Veins
Heart

Veins

Vessel return blood to the heart

Outnumber arteries
Larger luminal diameter
70% total blood in the vein
Classification:

Large veins
Small & medium vein
Venules

Large vein

Vena cava, pulmonary, portal, renal,

internal jugular, iliac, azygos veins
Tunica intima:

Tunica media:

Endothel
Thick subendothelial connective tissue
Seldom present

Tunica adventitia:

Well developed
Elastic +collagen fibers
Smooth muscle

Wall of large vein with

valve

Vena cava
1. Tunica media
2. Connective
tissue septa
3. Tunica externa
4. Lamina propria
intimae
Stain: van Gieson
iron hematoxylinpicrofuchsin;
magnification: 15

Medium vein

Less than 1 cm in diameter

Most of veins
Tunica intima

Tunica media

Endothelium
Internal elastic lamina (-)
Smooth muscle cell

Tunica adventitia

The most thickest layer

Collagen+elastic fibers

Medium vein

Medium vein

Micrograph of a medium vein containing

blood and showing valve folds (arrows)
X200. Masson trichrome

Small vein & venules

Postcapillary venules
Similar with capillaries
15-20 m in diameter
Thin endothelium
Reticular fiber and pericytes
High endothelial venules spesific

Endothel cell: cuboid

Lymphoid organs

Small vein

Valves of veins

Prevent backflow of blood

Against the force of gravity
Two leaflets intima jutting to the
lumen

Venous Valves

1 Leaflet valve
2 Valve sinus
3 Endothelium of the orbital sinus
Scanning electron microscopy; magnification: 180

Distinguishing Arteries from

Veins:

Artery walls thicker (more muscle and

elastic fibers)

Additional: internal & external elastic

membranes

Artefacts when fixing slides:

Arterial walls contract, rounded shape

Veins collapse, blood cells in the lumen ++

Artery vs vein

Artery vs vein

Largest, conducting arteries lead

directly from heart, subject to high
pressures

Superior & inferior

vena cava and their
tributaries

Pulmonary trunk & aorta

and their major branches

 2 - 9 mm
External and internal
jugular, brachial &
femoral veins

~ 4 mm
External and internal
carotids, brachial &
femoral arteries

 ~ 10-50 m
~ 30 m

Outlines

Introduction
General structure of blood vessel
Arteries
Capillaries
Veins
Heart

Heart

Four-chambered pump

Heart valves

2 atria
2 ventricles
2 Atrioventricular valves
2 Semilunar valves

Heart great vessel

Aorta
Pulmonary artery
Pulmonary vein
Vena cava

Heart valves

Layers of the heart wall

Endocardium

Endothelium
Simple

squamous epithelium
Subendocardial conective tissue

Myocardium

The thickest layer

Cardiac muscle cells

Epicardium

Visceral layer of the pericardium

Connective tissue
Adipose tissue

Endocardium
Simple
squamous
epithelium
Connective
Tissue
Smooth
muscle

Myocardium

Cardiac Muscle

Intercalated Disc

Epicardium

Adipose Tissue
Coronary vessels
and cardiac nerves
Mesothelium

Conducting system of the

heart

Sinoauricular node

Atrioventricular node

Septal wall above tricuspid valve

Bundle of His

Pacemaker
Junction of the superior vena cava and the right
atrium
70 times/minute

Conduct impulse to cardiac muscles

Purkinje fibers

Modified cardiac muscle

Conducting System of the Heart

Purkinje fiber

Purkinje Fibers

Muscle

Lymphatic System

3 basic functions:

Transports interstitial (tissue) fluid back to

the blood.
Transports absorbed fat from small
intestine to the blood.
Helps provide immunological defenses
against pathogens.

Lymphatic system

Lymphatic capillaries:
Closed-end tubules that form vast
networks in intercellular spaces.
Lymph:
Fluid that enters the lymphatic capillaries.
Lymph carried from lymph capillaries, to
lymph ducts, and then to lymph nodes.
Lymph nodes filter the lymph before
returning it to the veins.

Lymphatic system

Thank you