Almost all vascular conduits in the human body, being flexible, collapse elastically to a non-circular cross-section when the external pressure sufficiently exceeds the internal. Examples include the brachial artery (sphygmomanometry), veins (everyday manoeuvres), pulmonary airways (forced expiration), pulmonary capillaries (zones 1 and 2), and the urethra (micturition). Venous collapse is involved in regulation of venous return, which in turn regulates cardiac output.
Volume Subject Area:
Fluid Mechanics in Healthy and Pathological States
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