vasodilation problem

[bluelamin]

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so nitric oxide induces vasodilation which results in an increase in arterial blood volume and a corresponding decrease in blood pressure. how does this make sense? if pressure is dependent on force/area and there's a greater volume of blood passing then wouldnt that mean that pressure exerted on the blood vessel walls would be greater??

 

[Cawolf]

NO has less effect on intravascular fluid volume, it is a vasodilator (as you said). It functions to relax vascular smooth muscle tone.

Therefore, with a greater cross-sectional area and unchanging volume, the pressure exerted on the vascular wall will decrease.

 

[bluelamin]

i see your logic. but this is from a kaplan test question and they said that there is an increase in arterial blood volume. so does that imply that vasodilation always leads to a decrease in pressure?

 

[bluelamin]

actually the area im referring to is the area of the blood vessel wall itself but you're referring to the cross sectional area of the vessel.

 

[aldol16]

so nitric oxide induces vasodilation which results in an increase in arterial blood volume and a corresponding decrease in blood pressure. how does this make sense? if pressure is dependent on force/area and there's a greater volume of blood passing then wouldnt that mean that pressure exerted on the blood vessel walls would be greater??

Why do you assume that greater volume = greater force?

 

[wizzed101]

Uhm.... vasodilation leads to increased arterial blood volume? Please explain.

As for the pressure, vasodilation leads to increased flow rate. Per Bernoulli's principle, increased flow rate leads to decreased pressure.

 

[bluelamin]

yo i dont know the reasoning im just telling you what kaplan's explanation was

 

[bluelamin]

could it also be thought about like this: vasodilation leads to decreased resistance and since resistance is proportional to pressure then the pressure will also decrease?