what are reticular fibres?
a type of fibre in connective tissue composed of type III collagen secreted by reticular cells.
crosslink to form a fine meshwork (reticulin).
what is a reticular cell?
a type of fibroblast that synthesizes collagen alpha-1(III) (type III collagen) and uses it to produce reticular fibers
describe the paracortex of the lymph node.
does not contain any lymphatic nodules
mainly a site for mostly T lymphocytes to aggregate.
what is a masson’s trichrome stain?
three-colour staining protocol
useful for distinguishing cells from surrounding connective tissue
what is the brachial artery?
major blood vessel of the upper arm
where is the ulnar nerve?
arm
what colour is collagen in the masson’s trichrome stain?
green
what is the capillary lumen about the size of?
a red blood cell
what is the capillary comprised of?
a single layer of endothelial cells
how are elastic arteries different from muscular arteries?
contain more elastic tissue in tunica media
bigger
what is morphology?
essentially the 3D form of anatomy.
what is thrombosis?
the formation of a stationary blood clot (thrombus) in the blood vessel.
what is an embolism?
the blockage of blood vessel by an embolus. The embolus that causes the blockage is often a blood clot or thrombus but can also be air bubbles or foreign materials.
where can an embolism occur?
lungs (PE)
brain (cerebral embolism)
heart (coronary embolism)
what are the most common connective tissue cells?
fibroblasts adipocytes chondrocytes osteocytes leukocytes
what are the most common GAGs?
hyaluronic acid
chondroitin sulphate
beratin sulphate
where is connective tissue proper found?
fat. ligaments, tendons.
what is atherosclerosis?
progressive disease characterised by build up of lipids and fibrous elements in the large arteries.
what is the no1 cause of death globally?
CVD-~30% of all deaths. vast majority happen in low income countries.
what are the modifiable risk factors of CVD?
- hypercholesterolaemia (high cholesterol) esp more LDL
- smoking
- hypertension
- diabetes
- obesity
- sedentary lifestyle
- unhealthy diet
- alcohol
what are the non modifiable risk factors of CVD?
- male gender
- increasing age
- low birth weight
- family history
what is the leading risk factor for heart and circulatory disease in the UK?
hypertension.
where is blood pressure usually measured?
brachial artery.
what is syncope?
fainting
what is the most likely presentation of carotid sinus hypersensitivity?
falls and syncope
In England, it is estimated that for every 10 people diagnosed with hypertension, how many others have undiagnosed hypertension?
7
what does QRISK3 assess the risk of?
heart attack or stroke over the next 10 years.
what is the drug class of indapamide?
thiazide-like diuretic
what is the main effect of thiazide-like diuretics?
at low doses, as used in hypertension, thiazide-like diuretics have more prominent vasodilation actions.
diuretic effects only become more apparent at higher doses.
what is coarctation of the aorta?
also called aortic narrowing- congenital condition where the aorta is narrow.
what happens in aortic dissection?
where there is damage to the inner wall of the aorta and so blood can move between the layers of that aortic wall forcing them apart.
what is pre-enclampsia?
refers to new-onset hypertension in pregnancy, alongside new-onset proteinuria (most cases) or other signs and symptoms.
what does the common carotid artery split into?
internal and external carotid arteries
define: connective tissue
a type of tissue which binds and supports structures in the body.
define: extracellular matrix.
a non cellular matrix of ground substances and fibres that provides structural and biochemical support to the surrounding cells.
what is a fibroblast?
type of cell found in connective tissue that produces and maintains the extracellular matrix and produces collagen.
what are the nervi vascularis?
small unmyelinated sympathetic nerves that traverse the tunica adventitia and release noradrenaline.
what provides nutrients to the tunics of the large vessels?
vasa vasorum (‘vessels of vessels’). found in border between media and adventitia or just in the adventitia.
what is blood flow in diastole driven by?
the elastic recoil of the major arteries
When a person moves from a supine position to a standing position, what compensatory mechanisms occur?
Increased heart rate mediated by a decrease in parasympathetic tone via the vagal nerve and the release of catecholamines by the adrenal medulla.