During vasodilation, what happens to the lumen of blood vessels?

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Multiple Choice

During vasodilation, what happens to the lumen of blood vessels?

Explanation:
Vasodilation involves the relaxation of smooth muscle in the vessel walls, which widens the lumen—the internal space of the vessel. This larger diameter greatly lowers resistance to flow (flow increases roughly with the radius to the fourth power), so more blood can pass through to tissues. The viscosity of the blood doesn’t change with lumen size, and the lumen does indeed enlarge during vasodilation rather than staying the same or shrinking.

Vasodilation involves the relaxation of smooth muscle in the vessel walls, which widens the lumen—the internal space of the vessel. This larger diameter greatly lowers resistance to flow (flow increases roughly with the radius to the fourth power), so more blood can pass through to tissues. The viscosity of the blood doesn’t change with lumen size, and the lumen does indeed enlarge during vasodilation rather than staying the same or shrinking.

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