blood flow

flow (flo)

1. the movement of a liquid or gas.

2. the rate at which a fluid passes through an organ or part, expressed as volume per unit of time.

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blood flow 

1. circulation (of the blood).

2. circulation rate.

effective renal blood flow  (ERBF) that portion of the total blood flow through the kidneys that perfuses functional renal tissue such as the glomeruli.

effective renal plasma flow  (ERPF) the amount of plasma that perfuses the renal tubules per unit time, generally measured by the clearance rate of -aminohippurate.

forced expiratory flow  (FEF) the rate of airflow recorded in measurements of forced vital capacity.

maximum expiratory flow  the rate of airflow during a forced vital capacity maneuver, often specified at a given volume.

maximum midexpiratory flow  the average rate of airflow measured between exhaled volumes of 25 and 75 per cent of the vital capacity during a forced exhalation.

peak expiratory flow  (PEF) the greatest rate of airflow that can be achieved during forced exhalation beginning with the lungs fully inflated.

renal plasma flow  (RPF) the amount of plasma that perfuses the kidneys per unit time, approximately 10 per cent greater than the effective renal plasma flow.

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blood flow

the movement of blood through the vessels. It is pulsatile in the large arteries, diminishing in amplitude as it approaches the capillaries. In the veins it is nonpulsatile. The flow in arteries is the result of ventricular ejection; in the veins it is a result of a number of factors including respiratory movement, muscle compression and the small residuum of arterial pressure.

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laminar blood flow

blood flowing through a large blood vessel moves forward in a series of concentric laminae that slide over each other like a telescoping radio aerial. The central lamina moves fastest; the outer layer may be stationary.

turbulent blood flow

created when blood flows through a small caliber orifice. Is the cause of murmurs in the heart and large arteries.