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In fluids with relatively low viscosity there is an almost linear, inverse relationship between temperature and surface tension. [13] The decrease in surface tension increases the wettability of the capillary walls, making it easier for the fluid to flow through the capillary. Heat also effects the viscosity of a fluid inside a capillary.
Most vessels of the microcirculation are lined by flattened cells of the endothelium and many of them are surrounded by contractile cells called pericytes.The endothelium provides a smooth surface for the flow of blood and regulates the movement of water and dissolved materials in the interstitial plasma between the blood and the tissues.
The Fåhræus–Lindqvist effect (/ f ɑː ˈ r eɪ. ə s ˈ l ɪ n d k v ɪ s t /) or sigma effect [1] describes how the viscosity of blood changes with the diameter of the vessel it travels through. In particular there is a decrease in viscosity as the vessel diameter decreases, but only at small diameters of 10–300 micrometers (mainly ...
The relatively uniform pressure in the arteries indicate that these blood vessels act as a pressure reservoir for fluids that are transported within them. Pressure drops gradually as blood flows from the major arteries, through the arterioles, the capillaries until blood is pushed up back into the heart via the venules, the veins through the ...
The viscosity of blood is in the range of 3 to 6 cP, or 0.003 to 0.006 Ns/m2. [4] Blood is a non-Newtonian fluid, which means that the viscosity of blood is not a constant with respect to the rate of shearing strain. In addition to the rate of shearing strain, the viscosity of blood is also dependent on temperature and on the volume percentage ...
Blood viscosity is a measure of the resistance of blood to flow. It can also be described as the thickness and stickiness of blood. This biophysical property makes it a critical determinant of friction against the vessel walls, the rate of venous return, the work required for the heart to pump blood, and how much oxygen is transported to tissues and organs.
In a healthy vascular system, the endothelium lines all blood-contacting surfaces, including arteries, arterioles, veins, venules, capillaries, and heart chambers. This healthy condition is promoted by the ample production of nitric oxide by the endothelium, which requires a biochemical reaction regulated by a complex balance of polyphenols, various nitric oxide synthase enzymes and L-arginine.
Pulmonary (lung) circulation undergoes hypoxic vasoconstriction, which is a unique mechanism of local regulation in that the blood vessels in this organ react to hypoxemia, or low levels of dissolved oxygen in blood, in the opposite way as the rest of the body. While tissues and organs tend to increase blood flow by vasodilating in response to ...