3B MICROanatomy Artery and Vein

Manufacturer Description:

The artery and vein model shows a medium-sized muscular artery with two adjacent veins from the antebrachial area with adjoining fat tissue and muscle enlarged 14 times. The MICROanatomy circulatory system model illustrates the reciprocal anatomical relationship of artery and vein and the basic functional techniques of the venous valves ("valve function" and "muscle pump"). The left vein and the middle artery are fenestrated in the upper anterior segment, revealing the various layers of the wall structure in a cross and longitudinal section and in top view. The right vein is opened throughout in the anterior segment, revealing the orifice of a feeder vein and two venous valves, i.e. "flap valves" formed by a duplication of the tunica intima. On the rear of the artery and vein model, the relief of two veins is shown to illustrate the functional aspect of the venous valves. A great tool for teaching about the human circulatory system. Artery and vein supplied on base.

Product Videos

Artery & Vein Layering Model (2:26 Minutes)

Video Transcription

Let's take a look at this model which is going to show the layering of arteries and veins. If we look at the artery which is this pink structure here in the middle and we got a vein on either side of it. This artery has blood represented with red in the middle that would be flowing in this direction based on the way the valves are oriented in the veins, so blood flowing this direction. In contact with that blood is endothelium and then just outside or superficial to the lumen from there is a subendothelial layer or subendothelium, right here, it's kind of bluish hand color, wrapped around that subendothelial layer is an internal elastic membrane followed by the tunica media or the smooth muscle portion of the artery and then for this artery around the smooth muscle is an external elastic membrane and then finally, the whole artery gets wrapped in adventitia. Veins are slightly different. The artery has no valves anywhere through there but if we take a cross section of the vein, you can see that it does have valves which are going to force blood to flow just in one direction. If any blood was trying to push this way, it would close the cusps on this valve and prevent it from flowing backwards. That's helpful because there's not nearly as much pressure in veins as there are in arteries so the pressure radiant really helps things flow easily in arteries whereas with veins, we rely on skeletal muscle contraction that kind of milk the blood back towards the heart. Layering, veins still have an endothelium and a subendothelial layer. They still have the internal acid membrane and a tunica media but they lack an external elastic membrane. So, you'll notice this layer which is on the artery is not present on the vein. Also noticed, that the veins tunica media, that smooth muscle, is much thinner than it was on the artery. Of course, it still has an adventitia to wrap the whole thing.