High School

Which of the following has the greatest effect on peripheral resistance?

A. Blood vessel diameter
B. Viscosity
C. Viscosity, blood vessel length, and blood vessel diameter affect peripheral resistance equally
D. Blood vessel length

Answer :

Final answer:

Out of the options provided, the diameter of a blood vessel has the greatest effect on peripheral resistance. Changes in diameter dramatically impact the resistance to blood flow due to the principles of Poiseuille's law, which expresses the inverse relationship between vessel diameter and resistance.

Explanation:

The factor that has the greatest effect on peripheral resistance among the options provided is blood vessel diameter. The diameter of a blood vessel can constantly change in response to neural and chemical signals, leading to vasodilation (increase in diameter) and vasoconstriction (decrease in diameter). The change in diameter has a dramatic effect on resistance; for example, if the radius of a blood vessel decreases to half its original size, resistance to blood flow increases 16-fold. Conversely, if the radius doubles, resistance decreases to 1/16th of its original value, effectively increasing flow 16 times.

This effect is due to the inverse relationship between vessel diameter and resistance, where less blood contacts the vessel wall when the diameter is larger, resulting in less friction and resistance to blood flow. The principle is referred to as Poiseuille's law and can be expressed mathematically as R = 1/r⁴, with r representing the radius or half the diameter.

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