What is the term for pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels, usually measured with a sphygmomanometer?

What is the term for pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels, usually measured with a sphygmomanometer?

• A. Blood Pressure
• B. Carotid
• C. Depth in Respiration
• D. Diastolic

Answer: (A)

Blood pressure is the force that circulating blood exerts on the walls of the arteries. It’s what a sphygmomanometer measures when you wrap a cuff around the arm. Blood pressure is usually shown as two numbers: the systolic pressure, which is the pressure when the heart contracts, and the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure when the heart rests between beats. The term described here is the overall pressure of the blood on vessel walls. The other terms don’t fit: the carotid is a neck artery, depth in respiration is a breathing measure, and diastolic is just one part of the blood pressure reading, not the whole concept.

Blood pressure is the force that circulating blood exerts on the walls of the arteries. It’s what a sphygmomanometer measures when you wrap a cuff around the arm. Blood pressure is usually shown as two numbers: the systolic pressure, which is the pressure when the heart contracts, and the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure when the heart rests between beats. The term described here is the overall pressure of the blood on vessel walls. The other terms don’t fit: the carotid is a neck artery, depth in respiration is a breathing measure, and diastolic is just one part of the blood pressure reading, not the whole concept.