Complete question:
The regulation of blood flow by local mechanisms within a capillary bed is called
A) autoregulation.
B) hormonal regulation.
C) hemoregulation.
D) vasoregulation.
E) neuroregulation.
Answer:
A) autoregulation.
Explanation:
Local changes regulate the flow of blood in each capillary bed. This occurs when the vasodilators trigger the local widening of arterioles and relaxation of precapillary sphincters to increase the blood flow into capillary networks. On the other hand, vasoconstrictors reduce blood flow. This ability of a tissue to control blood flow to meet its metabolic demands is called autoregulation.
For example, autoregulation increases the blood flow in the heart and skeletal muscle during physical activities to meet the increased demand for O2 and nutrients.
