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Related Concept Videos

Capillary Exchange01:28

Capillary Exchange

The cardiovascular system's chief role is to disseminate gases, nutrients, waste, and other substances to the body's cells. Small molecules like gases, lipids, and lipid-soluble substances directly diffuse through capillary wall endothelial cell membranes. Glucose, amino acids, and ions, including sodium, potassium, calcium, and chloride, use transporters for facilitated diffusion via membrane-specific channels. Glucose, ions, and bigger molecules may also pass through intercellular clefts.
Fluid Movement Between Compartments01:18

Fluid Movement Between Compartments

The force applied by fluids against a surface, known as hydrostatic pressure, initiates the transfer of fluid among different compartments. Within our blood vessels, the blood's hydrostatic pressure is a result of the heart's pumping action. At the arteriolar end of capillaries, hydrostatic pressure (capillary blood pressure) exceeds the opposing colloid osmotic pressure created primarily by plasma proteins like albumin. This discrepancy in pressure propels plasma and nutrients from the...
Capillary Beds01:20

Capillary Beds

Capillary beds are networks of tiny blood vessels that play a crucial role in the circulatory system. These beds are where the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products occurs between the blood and surrounding tissues. Each capillary bed consists of numerous capillaries, which are the smallest blood vessels in the body, typically only one cell-thick. This thinness allows for the efficient diffusion of substances.
Capillaries connect arterioles, small branches of arteries, to venules,...
Capillarity in Fluid01:19

Capillarity in Fluid

Capillarity describes the movement of liquid in small spaces without external forces acting on it. The capillarity is driven by surface tension and adhesive interactions between the liquid and surrounding solid surfaces. This effect is often seen in narrow tubes, porous materials, and fine particles.
Surface tension is crucial to capillarity. It results from cohesive forces between liquid molecules at the liquid-air boundary, forming a skin that resists external forces. When the capillary tube...
Physiological Pharmacokinetic Models: Blood Flow-Limited Versus Diffusion-Limited Models00:57

Physiological Pharmacokinetic Models: Blood Flow-Limited Versus Diffusion-Limited Models

Physiological pharmacokinetic models, often called flow-limited or perfusion models, typically assume a swift drug distribution between tissue and venous blood, creating a rapid drug equilibrium. This premise is based on the idea that drug diffusion is extremely fast, and the cell membrane presents no barrier to drug permeation. In this scenario, where no drug binding occurs, the drug concentration in the tissue equals that of the venous blood leaving the tissue. This greatly simplifies the...
Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube01:18

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

When very thin cylindrical tubes, called capillaries, are dipped in a liquid, the liquid rises or falls in the tube compared to the surrounding liquid. This phenomenon is called capillary action. Capillary action occurs due to the combination of two opposing forces: the cohesive forces of the liquid, which cause it to stick to itself and form a rounded shape, and the adhesive forces between the liquid and the walls of the container, which cause the liquid to be attracted to the container walls.

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Distensibility of capillaries in the bat wing.

Blood vessels·1989
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Cessation and onset of muscle capillary flow at simultaneously reduced perfusion and transmural pressure.

International journal of microcirculation, clinical and experimental·1987
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Pressure regulation in muscle of unanesthetized bats.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces
08:05

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces

Published on: September 9, 2022

Dynamics of transcapillary fluid exchange.

C A Wiederhielm1

  • 1Microcirculation Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, 98105.

The Journal of General Physiology
|October 30, 2009
PubMed
Summary

This study simulated capillary fluid balance using computer analysis, revealing that interstitial protein dilution is key to preventing edema. Reduced plasma oncotic pressure or elevated venous pressure can lead to fluid accumulation.

Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Biophysics
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Capillary fluid balance is crucial for maintaining tissue homeostasis.
  • Understanding fluid and protein exchange at the capillary level is essential for diagnosing and treating edema.
  • Previous models have limitations in capturing regional differences in capillary properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a computer simulation of fluid balance at the capillary level.
  • To investigate the factors influencing fluid and protein fluxes in the interstitial space.
  • To analyze the determinants of edema formation and prevention.

Main Methods:

  • An analogue computer program was developed using experimental data on capillary permeability, surface area, and hydrostatic pressures.

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A Computational Modeling Approach to Investigate the Influence of Hyperthermia on the Tumor Microenvironment

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Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces
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Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces

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A Computational Modeling Approach to Investigate the Influence of Hyperthermia on the Tumor Microenvironment

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  • The model incorporated fluid and protein fluxes into and out of the interstitial space.
  • Simulations were performed for various physiological conditions and disease states.

    • Main Results:

    • The simulation accurately predicted tissue hydrostatic pressure, tissue fluid osmotic pressure, interstitial space volume, and lymph flow.
    • A significant finding was that dilution of interstitial plasma proteins, reducing oncotic pressure, is a major edema prevention mechanism.
    • Edema occurs if plasma oncotic pressures decrease by 10-15 mm Hg or venous pressures increase similarly.
    • Computer analysis consistently yielded positive tissue pressures, aligning with experimental needle puncture data.
    • Negative tissue pressures observed in capsules were replicated by modeling the interface as a semipermeable membrane.

    Conclusions:

    • Computer simulation provides a valuable tool for studying capillary fluid dynamics.
    • Interstitial protein concentration plays a critical role in regulating fluid balance and preventing edema.
    • The model offers insights into the pathophysiology of edema and potential therapeutic targets.