Vasculogenesis basics
This is the process of forming blood vessels from scratch using mesodermal cells.
What is vasculogenesis?
First step in vessel formation involving clustered cells.
What are blood islands?
Formation of new vessels from existing vessels.
What is angiogenesis?
These vessels carry blood away from the heart.
What are veins?
Early vascular networks begin as this type of system.
What is a capillary plexus?
This occurs around day 18 and begins during embryonic folding.
What is vasculogenesis?
These structures are lumenless before forming vessels.
What are endothelial vesicles?
Type of angiogenesis involving endothelial proliferation and migration.
What is sprouting angiogenesis?
These vessels act as capacitance vessels.
What are veins?
Increased flow promotes development of this vessel type.
What are arteries?
These precursor cells differentiate into endothelial cells
What are angioblasts?
This process converts solid cords into patent vessels.
What is lumen formation (cord hollowing)?
Type involving splitting of an existing vessel.
What is intussusceptive angiogenesis?
Primary structural feature of arteries.
What are thick, muscular walls?
Disconnected vessels remodel into this system.
What is the venous network?
These structures form when angioblasts cluster together early in development.
What are blood islands?
This network forms when cords coalesce and branch.
What is the vascular plexus?
These regulate vessel growth.
What are growth factors?
Key factor determining arterial vs venous identity.
What is flow dynamics/shear stress?
Ability of endothelial cells to change identity.
What is endothelial plasticity?
These elongated structures form after vesicles merge and align.
What are endothelial cords?
Final outcome: this system connects the embryo to the primitive heart tube.
What is the primitive circulatory system?
Primary physiological driver of angiogenesis.
What is oxygen demand?
Why oxygenation is NOT used to define arteries vs veins.
What is classification based on direction of flow?
Vessel identiy depends on this combination.
What are structure + function + signaling?