30. The circulation
30. The circulation
- Gillian Pocock, Gillian PocockSenior Lecturer in Clinical Science, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK
- Christopher D. RichardsChristopher D. RichardsEmeritus Professor of Experimental Physiology, Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- and David A. RichardsDavid A. RichardsAssociate Professor, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Husson University School of Pharmacy, Bangor, Maine, USA
Abstract
This chapter examines the detailed physiology of systemic circulation. It deals with the relationship between pressure and flow in circulation and looks at the factors that regulate blood flow through particular tissue beds. It also discusses hypertension, and the specific features of several regional circulations, namely that of the heart, the skin, the skeletal muscles, and the brain. The chapter reviews specific adaptations of the blood supply to the respiratory, renal, and gastrointestinal systems. The flow of blood through any part of the circulation is driven by the difference in pressure between the arteries that supply the region in question and the veins that drain it.
