Blood Vessels Flashcards
What are the 3 types of blood vessels?
- Capillaries
- Coronary arteries
- Veins
What is the first type of blood vessel?
Capillaries
How thick are the walls of capillaries?
1 cell thick
Why are capillaries narrow and what does this mean?
They are narrow so only 1 cell can pass down at a time. This creates slow blood flow.
What blood vessel is the site of exchange and what does that mean?
Capillaries are the site of exchange because they allow diffusion (+ other).
What is the second type of blood vessel?
Coronary arteries
What is the arteries job?
To move blood away from the heart
What is the blood pressure like in arteries?
High blood pressure
What are the walls of arteries like?
Thick muscle + elastic
What is a bonus of the artery walls having thick muscles?
Allows them to modulate blood pressure
What is the bonus of the artery walls being elastic?
Allows to stretch + recoil
What are lumens?
A hollow passageway through which blood flows in the blood vessels
How big are the lumens of arteries?
Small lumens (smaller than veins)
What is a bonus of arteries having small lumens?
So they can maintain high blood pressure
What is the third type of blood vessel?
Veins
