Physiology of the Arterial Wall

Arterial, venous, and lymphatic vessel walls are organized in three concentric layers that are composed of specialized cells and matrix components, allowing a vessel to function both as a conduit for fluid flow and regulate tone, control passage of cells and molecules to the interstitium and have the capacity to remodel after injury. The arrangement and proportions of these components vary depending on the location of a particular vessel within the circulation; variations allow specialization to accommodate pulsatile flow, regulate peripheral resistance, facilitate immune surveillance, or transport nutrients and metabolic waste. In addition to understanding the biology of the vessel wall and its role in pathology, a knowledge of the development of the vascular system and the various consequences of deviation from normal development will aid in identifying and treating a diverse range of vascular diseases. This review contains 5 figures, 1 table, and 44 references.   keywords: artery, adventitia, angiogenesis, arteriogenesis, arteriole, intima, media, physiology, vasculogenesis