As blood goes from the left ventricle through the arteries and veins of the human body, both its speed and pressure change. The arteries and arterioles can either constrict, reducing the area, or dilate, increasing the area, in response to certain conditions. Both of these changes can affect blood flow and blood pressure. An artery can also develop a permanent narrow area (stenosis) or a permanent wide area (aneurysm). Both of these changes can have significant health consequences. Sustained exercise can increase the blood flow rate of the heart by a factor of 5 with only a modest increase in blood pressure. This is a large change in flow. Although several factors come into play, which of the following physiological changes would most plausibly account for such a large increase in flow with a small change in pressure?A. A decrease in the viscosity of the bloodB. Dilation of the smaller blood vessels to larger diametersC. Dilation of the aorta to larger diameterD. An increase in the oxygen carried by the blood
Fluid Pressure
The term fluid pressure is coined as, the measurement of the force per unit area of a given surface of a closed container. It is a branch of physics that helps to study the properties of fluid under various conditions of force.
Gauge Pressure
Pressure is the physical force acting per unit area on a body; the applied force is perpendicular to the surface of the object per unit area. The air around us at sea level exerts a pressure (atmospheric pressure) of about 14.7 psi but this doesn’t seem to bother anyone as the bodily fluids are constantly pushing outwards with the same force but if one swims down into the ocean a few feet below the surface one can notice the difference, there is increased pressure on the eardrum, this is due to an increase in hydrostatic pressure.
As blood goes from the left ventricle through the arteries and veins of the human body, both its speed and pressure change. The arteries and arterioles can either constrict, reducing the area, or dilate, increasing the area, in response to certain conditions. Both of these changes can affect blood flow and blood pressure. An artery can also develop a permanent narrow area (stenosis) or a permanent wide area (aneurysm). Both of these changes can have significant health consequences.
Sustained exercise can increase the blood flow rate of the heart by a factor of 5 with only a modest increase in blood pressure. This is a large change in flow. Although several factors come into play, which of the following physiological changes would most plausibly account for such a large increase in flow with a small change in pressure?
A. A decrease in the viscosity of the blood
B. Dilation of the smaller blood vessels to larger diameters
C. Dilation of the aorta to larger diameter
D. An increase in the oxygen carried by the blood
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