ANP 1105 UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
MIDTERM 1 2026 TEST PAPER
VERIFIED QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
◉ Innermost tunica intima. Answer: Simple squamous epithelium to
allow a low friction surface
◉ Middle tunica media. Answer: Smooth muscle and elastic tissue to
control the diameter
◉ Outermost tunica externa. Answer: Nerve and elastic fibers
◉ Vasa vasorum. Answer: Tiny blood vessels that supply blood for
larger ones
◉ Vasoconstriction. Answer: Smooth muscle constricts to decrease the
diameter
◉ Vasodilation. Answer: Smooth muscle relaxes to increase the
diameter
,◉ Elastic arteries. Answer: Thick walled and near the heart. They have
the largest lumens and are considered to be the conducting vessels (send
blood from heart to medium arteries)
◉ Atherosclerosis. Answer: Hardening of the arteries. Blood flow
gushes/trickles as the heart beats, causing the vessel walls to weaken or
eventually balloon out (aneurysm), or burst
◉ Muscular arteries. Answer: Considered to be the distributing vessels
(deliver blood to organs). Diameter ranges greatly
◉ Arterioles. Answer: The resistance vessels: diameter determines blood
flow to capillaries as a mechanism of homeostasis that responds to
neural, hormonal, and chemical influences
◉ Capillaries. Answer: Microscopic vessels with thin walls. They allow
the exchange of gasses, nutrients and hormones between the blood and
the interstitial fluid (then to the tissues)
◉ Continuous capillaries. Answer: Least permeable and most common
◉ Fenestrated capillaries. Answer: Fenestrations increase permeability
◉ Sinusoid capillaries. Answer: Most permeable to allow large cells to
pass. Incomplete basement membrane and large intercellular cleft
, ◉ Capillary beds. Answer: Connections between terminal arterioles and
postcapillary venules. True capillaries are the exchange vessels and the
vascular shunt (thoroughfare channel) bypasses tissue cells
◉ Precapillary sphincter. Answer: A smooth muscle cuff that regulates
blood flow (like a valve)
◉ Veins. Answer: Return blood to the heart from the venules. Have thin
walls because of the low pressure, and large lumens so that blood can be
returned to the heart at the same rate that it is pumped out
◉ Venous valves. Answer: Prevent blood from flowing backwards,
made from folds of tunica intima and are mostly in the lower limbs
◉ Venous sinuses. Answer: Specialized veins with thick endothelium
walls (example is the coronary sinus)
◉ Varicose veins. Answer: Homeostatic imbalance - dilated veins
caused by incompetent valves. The blood pools in lower limbs and
causes valves to weaken
◉ Stages of atherosclerosis. Answer: Endothelium is injured, lipids
accumulate and oxidize in the tunica intima, smooth muscle cells
proliferate and then the plaque enlarges and becomes unstable
MIDTERM 1 2026 TEST PAPER
VERIFIED QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
◉ Innermost tunica intima. Answer: Simple squamous epithelium to
allow a low friction surface
◉ Middle tunica media. Answer: Smooth muscle and elastic tissue to
control the diameter
◉ Outermost tunica externa. Answer: Nerve and elastic fibers
◉ Vasa vasorum. Answer: Tiny blood vessels that supply blood for
larger ones
◉ Vasoconstriction. Answer: Smooth muscle constricts to decrease the
diameter
◉ Vasodilation. Answer: Smooth muscle relaxes to increase the
diameter
,◉ Elastic arteries. Answer: Thick walled and near the heart. They have
the largest lumens and are considered to be the conducting vessels (send
blood from heart to medium arteries)
◉ Atherosclerosis. Answer: Hardening of the arteries. Blood flow
gushes/trickles as the heart beats, causing the vessel walls to weaken or
eventually balloon out (aneurysm), or burst
◉ Muscular arteries. Answer: Considered to be the distributing vessels
(deliver blood to organs). Diameter ranges greatly
◉ Arterioles. Answer: The resistance vessels: diameter determines blood
flow to capillaries as a mechanism of homeostasis that responds to
neural, hormonal, and chemical influences
◉ Capillaries. Answer: Microscopic vessels with thin walls. They allow
the exchange of gasses, nutrients and hormones between the blood and
the interstitial fluid (then to the tissues)
◉ Continuous capillaries. Answer: Least permeable and most common
◉ Fenestrated capillaries. Answer: Fenestrations increase permeability
◉ Sinusoid capillaries. Answer: Most permeable to allow large cells to
pass. Incomplete basement membrane and large intercellular cleft
, ◉ Capillary beds. Answer: Connections between terminal arterioles and
postcapillary venules. True capillaries are the exchange vessels and the
vascular shunt (thoroughfare channel) bypasses tissue cells
◉ Precapillary sphincter. Answer: A smooth muscle cuff that regulates
blood flow (like a valve)
◉ Veins. Answer: Return blood to the heart from the venules. Have thin
walls because of the low pressure, and large lumens so that blood can be
returned to the heart at the same rate that it is pumped out
◉ Venous valves. Answer: Prevent blood from flowing backwards,
made from folds of tunica intima and are mostly in the lower limbs
◉ Venous sinuses. Answer: Specialized veins with thick endothelium
walls (example is the coronary sinus)
◉ Varicose veins. Answer: Homeostatic imbalance - dilated veins
caused by incompetent valves. The blood pools in lower limbs and
causes valves to weaken
◉ Stages of atherosclerosis. Answer: Endothelium is injured, lipids
accumulate and oxidize in the tunica intima, smooth muscle cells
proliferate and then the plaque enlarges and becomes unstable
