In five pages artery wall structures are discussed in an examination of how smoking, exercise, obesity, and cholesterol can affect the internal diameter of these walls through narrowing. Four sources are cited in the bibliography.
Name of Research Paper File: CC6_KSarteries.rtf
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eat right, dont drink, dont smoke. This is the perennial advice of health care providers at all levels given for the purpose of avoiding arterial disease or lessening the
effects of arterial disease that already exists. The rationale for the advice can be found in the structure of arteries and the functions of those structures. Anatomical Structure
Arteries are not only hollow tubes through which blood travels from the heart to other areas of the body. They consist of three
primary layers. These layers are referred to in a variety of ways, ranging from the original Latin designations of tunica adventitia, tunica media and tunica intima (Arteries) to the
more informal references to outer, middle and interior layers. Tunica adventitia. This is the strong outer covering of blood vessels and is
common to both arteries and veins. The adventitia layer contains connective tissue as well as collagen and elastin. The combination allows arteries to stretch while yet protecting against
overexpansion (Arteries). The action of the hearts pumping initiates the flow of blood through the arteries; the smooth muscles of the arteries contributes to continuation of the movement.
Tunica media. This is the middle layer of the artery wall, composed of smooth muscle and elastin. It is the muscle of
the middle layer of the artery that continues the movement initiated by the hearts pumping. Tunica intima. This is the innermost layer
of the artery wall, and the one that gains the greatest attention in assessing abnormalities. This layer contains elastin as well, in the form of a membrane lining.
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