My kaplan book say that there is more blood in the venous system than in the arterial system at any point because veins have less smooth muscle in the wall, allowing more stretching to store more blood. But I thought arteries are more elastic(and hence more strechable?) BECAUSE it has more smooth muslce in their wall. Why is this?
Smooth muscle in vein vs artery and elasticity
- Thread starter m25
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Arteries having more smooth muscle is related to their ability to contract and withstand higher pressures. They also have more elastin that allows them to return to their original shape.
I think you are confusing elasticity with distendability.
Veins are less elastic and contain less muscle tissue so they are more likely to stay distended and not return to their original shape. This means that blood is more likely to "pool" within the venous circulation.
I think you are confusing elasticity with distendability.
Veins are less elastic and contain less muscle tissue so they are more likely to stay distended and not return to their original shape. This means that blood is more likely to "pool" within the venous circulation.
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Yup, it's this. It's counter-intuitive, but elasticity is a measure of something's resistance to stress. Think of the elastic moduli from physics which are stress/strain. The more elastic something is, the greater stress it can experience with a lesser strain.
