Dr. D. M. Yordy   

Community College of Rhode Island

Biology 1020: Human Physiology

Learning Objectives

XIII. Learning Objectives: Blood Pressure

 

  1. You should be able to define the following terms: pressure, blood pressure, total peripheral resistance, hypotension, hypertension, and baroreceptor.
  2. You should be able to explain the relationship between blood pressure, cardiac output, stroke volume, heart rate, and total peripheral resistance.
  3. You should be able to explain how vasoconstriction and vasodilations are related to and control resistance.
  4. You should be able to explain how pressure differences and resistance are related to flow.
  5. You should be able to explain why blood pressure decreases as blood moves through the circulatory system.
  6. You should be able to explain what is meant by the terms systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.
  7. You should be able to explain how the "sounds of Karotkoff" are generated.
  8. You should be able to calculate pulse pressures and mean arterial pressures.
  9. You should be able to explain why the arteries act as "pressure reservoirs" .
  10. You should be able to explain how the arterioles control blood pressure and blood flow to the various tissues and organs.
  11. You should be able to discuss the extrinsic controls over blood pressure through the control over cardiac output, stroke volume, heart rate, arteriole radius.
  12. You should be able to discuss the role of the baroreceptors in maintaining control over blood pressure.
  13. You should be able to discuss the intrinsic controls over blood flow and arteriole diameter and explain active and reactive hyperemia.
  14. You should be able to explain how pressure and concentration gradients, at the level of the capillaries are maintained and cause movement of materials out of the circulation.
  15. You should be able to explain the mechanisms involved in getting blood back to the right ventricle, including the skeletal muscle pump and the respiratory pump.
  16. You should be able to discuss how blood volume affects blood pressure.
  17. You should be able to distinguish between long and short tem control over blood pressure.

At the end of this section you should understand how blood pressures are determined, and the importance of maintaining the blood pressure at an acceptable level. You should be able to explain how blood pressure is affected by cardiac output and total  peripheral resistance. You should also understand how blood pressure is controlled both intrinsically and extrinsically.