Distributing artery
Encyclopedia
Distributing arteries are medium-sized arteries that draw blood from an elastic artery
and branch into "resistance vessels" including small arteries and arterioles. In contrast to the mechanism elastic arteries use to store energy generated by the heart's contraction, distributing arteries contain layers of smooth muscle
.
Under the microscope distributing arteries can be identified by their clearly defined internal elastic lamina
. In constricted vessels the elastic lamina of distributing arteries appears thick and kinky. The elastic lamina is best visualized using Verhoeff's stain, but can be easily detected in specimens stained using other techniques as a well-defined negative staining region.
Examples of distributing arteries include the radial artery
and the splenic artery
.
Elastic artery
An elastic artery is an artery with a large number of collagen and elastin filaments in the tunica media, which gives it the ability to stretch in response to each pulse...
and branch into "resistance vessels" including small arteries and arterioles. In contrast to the mechanism elastic arteries use to store energy generated by the heart's contraction, distributing arteries contain layers of smooth muscle
Smooth muscle
Smooth muscle is an involuntary non-striated muscle. It is divided into two sub-groups; the single-unit and multiunit smooth muscle. Within single-unit smooth muscle tissues, the autonomic nervous system innervates a single cell within a sheet or bundle and the action potential is propagated by...
.
Under the microscope distributing arteries can be identified by their clearly defined internal elastic lamina
Internal elastic lamina
The internal elastic lamina or internal elastic lamella is a layer of elastic tissue that forms the outermost part of the tunica intima of blood vessels. It readily visualized with light microscropy in sections of muscular arteries, where it is thick and prominent, and arterioles, where it is...
. In constricted vessels the elastic lamina of distributing arteries appears thick and kinky. The elastic lamina is best visualized using Verhoeff's stain, but can be easily detected in specimens stained using other techniques as a well-defined negative staining region.
Examples of distributing arteries include the radial artery
Radial artery
In human anatomy, the radial artery is the main blood vessel, with oxygenated blood, of the lateral aspect of the forearm.-Course:The radial artery arises from the bifurcation of the brachial artery in the cubital fossa. It runs distally on the anterior part of the forearm...
and the splenic artery
Splenic artery
In anatomy, the splenic artery is the blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to the spleen. It branches from the celiac artery, and follows a course superior to the pancreas.-Branches:...
.