Blood Vessels Flashcards
(13 cards)
Three main types of blood vessels
Arteries, veins and capillaries
Function of arteries
Carry blood away from the heart
Function of veins
Carry blood to the heart
Function of capillaries
Tiny vessels where nutrients, oxygen, and waste are exchanged between blood and tissues
How do arteries differ structurally from veins?
Arteries have thicker, more muscular walls than veins
Why do arteries have thicker walls than veins?
To handle the the high pressure of blood pumped directly from the heart
What are arterioles
Small arteries that branch off from larger arteries
What are venules
Small veins that collect blood from arteries
Where does the exchange of gases, nutrients, and wastes occur?
In the capillaries
What structural feature do veins have that arteries typically lack?
Valves
What is the purpose of valves in veins
To prevent blood from flowing backwards
Descubre the structure of a capillary
Single layer of endothelial cells
Difference between pulmonary and systemic veins
Pulmonary veins carry blood with high oxygen from lungs to the heart; Systemic carry blood with low oxygen from the body back to the heart
