Chet has had nerve damage to his right leg, so it is getting no autonomic innerv

Question

Chet has had nerve damage to his right leg, so it is getting no autonomic innervation. When Chet undergoes sympathetic activation to his left leg:

A. Will the diameter of the vessels in Chet’s left leg increase, not change, or decrease?

B. Will the quantity of blood flowing through Chet’s left leg change more, the same as, or less than the quantity flowing through his right leg?

C. Will the quantity of blood flowing through his left leg increase, not change, or decrease?

D. Will the pressure of blood flowing through Chet’s left leg change more, the same as, or less than the quantity flowing through his right leg?

E. Will the pressure of blood in his left leg increase, not change, or decrease?

F. Suppose Chet starts crutching his way across campus, using his left leg a lot. What effect, if any, will that have the diameter of vessels in his left leg?

Explanation / Answer

A: When sympathetic activation occurs, it constricts the blood vessels (in order to attain increased blood pressure), so the diameter of the vessels in Chet’s left leg decrease.

B:  The quantity of blood flowing through Chet’s left leg will be more than the quantity flowing through his right leg because lack of innervation at the right leg slows down the blood flow to the right leg.

C: The quantity of blood flowing through his left leg increase because sympathetic activation leads to increased cardiac output.

D: The pressure of blood flowing through Chet’s left leg change more than the quantity flowing through his right leg because as mentioned in point A, constriction of blood vessels because of sympathetic activation leads to increased blood pressure.

E. The pressure of blood in his left leg will decrease as the blood vessels will be dilated

F: If Chet uses his left leg a lot, then the pressure exerted there increase requiring more blood flow. This will cause an increase in diameter of the vessels.  Increased diameter means there is less blood contacting the vessel wall, thus lower friction and lower resistance, subsequently increasing the flow.

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