CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM HİSTOLOGY
Assist. Prof. Ender Deniz Asmaz
OVERVIEW OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM
• The cardiovascular
system carries blood and
lymph to and from the
tissues of the body.
• The elements of these
fluids include cells,
nutrients, waste
products, hormones, and
antibodies.
The cardiovascular system includes :
The heart pumps the blood through the arterial system under significant
pressure.
The blood vessels are delivered blood from the heart to the tissues of the
body.
lymphatic vessels: Most of the fluid reenters the distal or venous end of the
blood capillaries.
• The remaining fluid enters lymphatic capillaries as lymph and returned to
the bloodstream through lymphatic vessels
• Two pathways of circulation are formed by
the blood vessels and the heart:
1. Pulmonary circulation conveys
blood from the heart to the
lungs and from the lungs to the
heart.
2. Systemic circulation conveys
blood from the heart to other
tissues of the body and from
other tissues of the body to the
heart.
HEART
▪The heart lies obliquely,
about two-thirds on the
left side of the thoracic
cavity
▪It is surrounded by the
pericardium, which also
contains the great vessels
entering and leaving the
heart.
The heart contains four chambers
▪the right and left atria
▪right and left ventricles
▪Valves preventing backflow of blood.
▪An interatrial septum and an
interventricular septum separate the
right and left sides of the heart.
Pulmonary Circulation
▪The right atrium receives blood
returning from the body by the
inferior and superior venae
cavae.
▪The right ventricle receives
blood from the right atrium and
pumps it to the lungs by the
pulmonary arteries for
oxygenation.
Systemic circulation
▪The left atrium receives the
oxygenated blood returning
from the lungs by pulmonary
veins.
▪The left ventricle receives
blood from the left atrium
and pumps it into the aorta
for distribution to the body.
The heart contains the following:
1. cardiac muscle for contraction
2. fibrous skeleton that consists of four fibrous rings surrounding the valve
orifices.
3. conducting system for rhythmic cardiac muscle contractions.
4. coronary vasculature that consists of two coronary arteries and cardiac
veins
fi
The wall of the heart is composed of three
layers, the outside to the inside,
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
I. Epicardium
▪epicardium also known as the visceral layer of
serous pericardium, adheres to the outer surface of
the heart.
▪It consists of a single layer of mesothelial cells and
underlying connective and adipose tissue.
[Link]
▪consisting of cardiac muscle
▪The myocardium of the atria is thinner
than that of the ventricles.
▪The atria receive blood from the large veins
and deliver it to adjacent ventricles, a
process that requires relatively low
pressure.
▪The myocardium of the ventricles is thicker
because of the higher pressure required to
pump the blood through the pulmonary and
systemic circulations
Cardiac Muscle
▪Cardiac muscle has the same types
and arrangement of contractile
filaments as skeletal muscle.
▪cardiac muscle cells exhibit cross-
striations evident in routine
histologic sections.
▪The cardiac muscle nucleus present
in the center of the cell.
Purkinje fibers
▪modified cardiac muscle cells
larger than ventricular muscle cells.
▪Their myofibrils are located at the periphery
of the cell.
▪The nuclei are round and are
larger than the nuclei of the
cardiac muscle cells in the myocardium.
▪Intercalated disks are present in
purkinje fibers
▪They are positive for periodic acid–
Schiff (PAS) staining because of the
large amount of glycogen they contain.
CARDIAC MUSCLE
▪Cardiac muscle fibers exhibit specialized
attachment sites between adjacent cells. called
intercalated discs
▪In the light microscope, the disc appears densely
staining cross- bands, is oriented transversely to the
muscle fiber.
the intercalated disc contain specialized cell-to-cell junctions
between adjoining cardiac muscle cells:
1. Fascia adherens (FA): is the transverse component of intercalated disc.
2. Maculae adherentes bind the individual muscle cells to one another.
▪They reinforce the fascia adherens and are found in both the transverse
and lateral components of the intercalated discs
3. Gap junctions structural element of the lateral
component of the intercalated disc.
▪Gap junctions allowing macromolecules to pass from
cell to cell.
[Link]
▪consists of an inner layer of
[Link]
[Link] : dense connective tissue
[Link] layer: a middle
,deeper layer of connective tissue
▪is continuous with the myocardium.
Heart valves
▪Heart valves are composed of connective tissue with overlying
endocardium.
▪the tricuspid valve in the right ventricle and the mitral
valve in left ventricle
Each valve is composed of three layers
1. The spongiosa is loose connective tissue located on
the atrial side of each valve.
2. The fibrosa : the dense irregular connective tissue
of the skeletal rings of the heart.
3. The ventricularis: It contains dense connective
tissue with many layers of elastic fibers.
GENERAL FEATURES OF ARTERIES AND
VEINS
▪The walls of arteries and veins are composed of three layers of the vascular wall, from
the lumen outward are the following.
▪tunica intima
▪tunica media
▪tunica adventitia
The tunica intima
The tunica intima is the innermost layer of the vessel,
consists of:
[Link] a single layer of squamous epithelial cells
[Link] lamina: composed of collagen, proteoglycans, and
glycoproteins
[Link] layer consisting of loose connective tissue.
The tunica media
consists primarily of smooth muscle cells layer
In arteries, this layer is relatively thick and extends from the internal elastic membrane to the
external elastic membrane.
The external elastic membrane is a layer of elastin that separates the tunica media from the tunica
adventitia.
▪Variable amounts of elastin, reticular fibers, and proteoglycans are present between the smooth
muscle cells
▪All of the extracellular components of the tunica media are produced by the smooth muscle cells.
The tunica adventitia
▪The tunica adventitia outermost connective tissue layer,
is composed of longitudinally arranged collagenous tissue
and a few elastic fibers.
▪The tunica adventitia ranges from relatively thin in most
of the arterial system to quite thick in the venules and
veins.
▪the tunica adventitia of large arteries and veins contains
vessels called the vasa vasorum that supplies blood to
the vascular walls themselves,
Vascular Endothelium
▪In the adult human body, a circulatory system consists of different-sized vessels that are lined by a
simple squamous epithelium called endothelium.
▪At the luminal surface, they express a variety of surface adhesion molecules and receptors.
▪Endothelial cells participate in the structural and functional integrity of the vascular wall.
ARTERIES
▪Traditionally, arteries are classified into three types on the basis
of size and the characteristics of the tunica media.
[Link] arteries or elastic arteries
[Link] arteries or muscular arteries
[Link] arteries and arterioles
-capillaries
1. Large Arteries (Elastic Arteries)
▪Elastic arteries have multiple sheets of elastic
lamellae in their walls.
The walls of the elastic arteries are composed of three
layers
▪from the lumen outward are the following.
[Link] intima:of the elastic artery consists
of
-endothelium,
-subendothelial connective tissue,
- internal elastic membrane
[Link] media
[Link] adventitia
[Link] tunica intima
▪The tunica intima of elastic arteries is
relatively thick and consists of the
following.
-In the endothelial lining with its basal
lamina, the cells are typically flat and
elongated.
- the epithelial cells are joined by zonula
occludens and gap junctions.
-The subendothelial layer of connective
tissue in larger elastic arteries consists of
connective tissue with both collagen and
elastic fibers.
•the smooth muscle cell.
-The internal elastic membrane in elastic arteries is not
outstanding because it is one of many elastic layers in the
wall of the vessel.
[Link] Media
▪consists of multiple layers of smooth muscle cells separated
by elastic lamellae.
▪The tunica media is the thickest of the three layers of elastic
arteries and consists of the following.
I. Elastin
[Link] muscle cells
[Link] fibers and
ground substance
[Link] tunica adventitia
▪The tunica adventitia in the
elastic artery is a relatively thin
connective tissue layer.
▪It consists of the following.
[Link] fibers and elastic
fibers
[Link] and macrophages
[Link] vasa vasorum (blood
vessels) and nervi vascularis
(autonomic nerves called that control contraction of
(nerves) the smooth muscle in the vessel walls.)
The vasa vasorum (blood vessels)
and nervi vascularis (nerves)
▪The vasa vasorum (blood vessels) and
nervi vascularis (nerves) include arterial
branches and veins
▪provide nutrients and remove waste
products from the outer portion of the
arterial wall.
[Link] arteries
▪Generally, in or of
the region muscular arteries
transition
between elastic arteries and large
muscular arteries.
▪The walls of the muscular arteries are
composed of three layers
▪from the lumen outward are the
following.
[Link] intima:consists of
-endothelium,
-subendothelial connective tissue,
-internal elastic membrane
[Link] media
[Link] adventitia
-external elastic membrane
[Link] tunica intima
▪The tunica intima is relatively thinner in
muscular arteries than in elastic arteries and
▪consists of an endothelial lining with its
basal lamina, subendothelial layer of
connective tissue, and a prominent internal
elastic membrane.
▪In histologic sections, the internal elastic
membrane usually appears as a well-
defined, wavy structure.
[Link] tunica media
▪The tunica media of muscular
arteries is composed almost
entirely of smooth muscle,
with little elastic material.
▪The smooth muscle cells are
arranged in a spiral in the
arterial wall.
[Link] tunica adventitia
▪The tunica adventitia of muscular arteries is
relatively thick and is often separated from the
tunica media by a recognizable external elastic
membrane.
▪The tunica adventitia of muscular arteries
consists of fibroblasts, collagen fibers, elastic
fibers, and, in some vessels, scattered adipose
cells.
▪Compared with elastic arteries, the tunica
adventitia of muscular arteries is relatively thick
[Link] arteries have more smooth
muscle and less elastin in the tunica
media than do elastic arteries.
[Link], a prominent internal elastic
membrane becomes apparent,
helping to distinguish muscular
arteries from elastic arteries.
[Link] tunica adventitia of muscular
arteries is relatively thick and is
often separated from the tunica
media by a recognizable external
elastic membrane.
[Link] arteries and arterioles
▪are distinguished from one another by
the number of smooth muscle layers in
the tunica media.
▪arterioles have one or two layers, and
small arteries may have eight layers of
smooth muscle in their tunica media.
▪the tunica intima of a small artery has an
internal elastic membrane, whereas this
layer may or may not be present in the
arteriole.
[Link] arteries
▪Diameter 0.1mm-2mm
1. The tunica intima: Endotel + thin subendotelial connective tissue
▪İnternal elastic membrane
[Link] Media: as many as eight layers of smooth muscle in their tunica
media.
[Link] Adventitia : Loose connective tissue
[Link]
•10-100 micrometer in diameter
1. The tunica intima: Endotel + thin
subendotelial connective tissue
▪İnternal elastic membrane may or may not be
present in the arteriole.
[Link] Media: have only one or two layers of
smooth muscle in their tunica media.
[Link] Adventitia : Loose connective
tissue
[Link]
▪Capillaries form blood vascular networks that allow
fluids containing gases, metabolites, and waste
products to move through their thin walls.
▪Each consists of a single layer of endothelial cells
and their basal lamina
Classification of Capillaries
▪Capillary structure varies in different tissues and organs.
▪On the basis of their morphology, three types of capillaries are described:
I. continuous capillaries,
[Link] capillaries,
[Link] capillaries (sinusoidal capillaries ).
[Link] capillaries
▪Continuous capillaries are typically found in muscle, lung, and the CNS.
▪Occluding junctions can be seen in the continuous capillary.
▪They only allow the passage of relatively small molecules (less than 10,000
daltons) between adjacent endothelial cells
Pericytes
▪In some continuous capillaries and
postcapillary venules, pericytes may be
associated with the endothelium .
▪The pericyte, surrounds the capillary, with
branching cytoplasmic processes, and is
enclosed by a basal lamina that is
continuous with that of the endothelium
▪They provide vascular support
▪Histologically, pericytes
display features of
mesenchymal stem
cells with large nuclei
rich in heterochromatin
[Link] capillaries
▪Fenestrated capillaries are
typically found in endocrine glands
and sites of fluid and metabolite
absorption such as the gallbladder,
kidney, and intestinal tract.
▪They are characterized by
fenestrations, that provide
channels across the capillary wall
[Link] capillaries
▪Discontinuous capillaries (also called
sinusoidal capillaries or sinusoids) are
typically found in the liver, spleen, and bone
marrow.
▪They are larger in diameter and more
irregularly shaped than other capillaries.
VEINS
▪The tunics of veins are not as distinct or well defined as the
tunics of arteries.
▪veins are divided into four types on the basis of size.
I. Venules
[Link] veins
[Link] veins
[Link] veins
▪Although large and medium veins
have three layers:
I. Tunica intima
[Link] media
[Link] adventitia
▪these layers are not as distinct as they
are in arteries.
▪Large- and medium-sized veins usually
travel with large- and medium-sized
arteries;
▪arterioles and muscular venules also
travel together, thus allowing comparison
in histologic sections.
▪veins have thinner walls than their
accompanying arteries, and the lumen of
the vein is larger than that of the artery.
▪The arteriole lumen is
usually patent; that of the
vein is often collapsed.
▪Many veins, contain valves
that allow blood to flow in
only one direction, back
toward the heart.
▪The valves consisting of a
thin connective tissue
core covered by
endothelial cells.
1. Venules and Small Veins
1.1. Postcapillary venules
Postcapillary venules possess an endothelial lining
with its basal lamina and pericytes.
postcapillary venules have no tunica media
[Link] venules
▪postcapillary venules have no tunica media
whereas muscular venules have one or two layers
of smooth muscle that constitute a tunica media.
▪These vessels also have a thin tunica adventitia.
▪pericytes are not found in muscular venules.
• The postcapillary venules
in the lymph nodes are
also called high
endothelial venules
(HEVs) because of the
prominent cuboidal
appearance of their
endothelial cells and their
ovoid nuclei.
2. Medium Veins
▪Medium veins have a
diameter of as much as
10 mm.
▪Valves are a
characteristic feature of
these vessels to prevent
backwards movement of
blood because of gravity
The three tunics of the venous wall are most
prominent in medium-sized veins
1. The tunica intima consists of
▪an endothelium with its basal lamina,
▪a thin subendothelial layer with
occasional smooth muscle cells in the
connective tissue elements
▪in some cases, a thin internal elastic
membrane.
[Link] tunica media
▪The tunica media of medium-sized
veins is much thinner than the same
layer in medium-sized arteries.
▪It contains several layers of circularly
arranged smooth muscle cells with
collagen and elastic fibers.
[Link] tunica adventitia
▪The tunica adventitia is typically thicker than the
tunica media and consists of collagen fibers and
networks of elastic fibers.
3. Large Veins
▪Veins with a diameter
greater than 10 mm are
classified as large veins.
▪In large veins, the tunica
media is relatively thin, and
the tunica adventitia is
relatively thick.
1. The tunica intima
▪The tunica intima consists of:
▪an endothelial lining with its basal
lamina,
▪a small amount of subendothelial
connective tissue, and some smooth
muscle cells.
[Link] tunica media
▪The tunica media is relatively
thin and contains smooth muscle
cells, collagen fibers, and some
fibroblasts.
[Link] tunica adventitia
▪The tunica adventitia of large veins
is the thickest layer of the vessel wall.
▪Along with the usual collagen and elastic fibers and
fibroblasts, the tunica adventitia also contains
longitudinally smooth muscle cells
Large Vein Coronary arter
LYMPHATIC VESSELS
▪In addition to blood vessels, another set of
vessels circulates fluid called lymph through
most parts of the body.
▪Unlike the blood vessels, which convey
blood to and from tissues, the lymphatic
vessels are unidirectional, conveying fluid
only from tissues.
