Anatomy & Physiology › Section R · Blood vessels and circulation › Topic R.3
Capillary exchange
Everything the circulation does comes down to what crosses a capillary wall. Gases, nutrients and wastes move by diffusion, while a tug of war between two kinds of pressure decides whether fluid leaves the blood or returns to it.
In this topic
- Where exchange happens
- Diffusion across the wall
- Two pressures that push and pull
- Net filtration pressure
- Worked example: two ends of a capillary
- Where the extra fluid goes
- Edema: when fluid builds up
- Worked example: low plasma protein
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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