Blood Vessels

Question 1

Relate the structure of arteries to their function

Answer 1

•Thick, muscular walls to handle high pressure
•Narrow lumen to maintain pressure

Question 2

Relate the structure of veins to their function

Answer 2

Thin walls due to lower pressure
Require valves to ensure no backflow
Less muscular and elastic tissue as they don’t have to control blood flow

Question 3

Relate the structure of capillaries to their function

Answer 3

Walls only one cell thick, short diffusion pathway
Very narrow so RBC lie flat against the walls, delivering oxygen to tissues
Numerous and branched providing a large surface area

Question 4

Relate the structure of arterioles and venules to their function

Answer 4

Branch off arteries and veins to allow blood flow into the capillaries
Smaller so can change the pressure more gradually for the capillaries