Starling resistor

Starling Resistor

The Starling resistor is a model used in physiology to describe the behavior of blood flow through collapsible vessels. It is named after the British physiologist Ernest Starling, who made significant contributions to the understanding of the circulatory system.

Concept

The Starling resistor consists of a collapsible tube that is enclosed within a chamber. The pressure within the chamber can be varied, which in turn affects the flow of fluid through the tube. This model is used to study the dynamics of blood flow in veins and other collapsible vessels in the body.

Mechanism

The behavior of the Starling resistor can be described by three key pressures:

• **Intraluminal pressure (P_in)**: The pressure inside the collapsible tube.
• **Extraluminal pressure (P_out)**: The pressure outside the tube, within the chamber.
• **Upstream pressure (P_u)**: The pressure at the entrance of the tube.

When the extraluminal pressure exceeds the intraluminal pressure, the tube collapses, and the flow of fluid is restricted. This phenomenon is crucial in understanding conditions such as venous return and capillary exchange.

Applications

The Starling resistor model is used in various fields of medicine and biomedical engineering to study:

• Venous return: The return of blood to the heart through the veins.
• Capillary exchange: The exchange of substances between blood and tissues.
• Respiratory physiology: The dynamics of airflow in the respiratory system.

Related Concepts

• Ernest Starling
• Circulatory system
• Venous return
• Capillary exchange
• Respiratory physiology

See Also

• Ernest Starling
• Circulatory system
• Venous return
• Capillary exchange
• Respiratory physiology