Blood Vessels Flashcards
What is the function of arteries?
They carry very high-pressure blood from the heart to the organs in the body.
What are some adaptations of arteries?
- Arteries have very thick, muscular walls which allow them to withstand the very high pressure of the blood.
- Blood passes through arteries in surges through your pulse. Elastic fibres stretch when the surge of blood passes through and then recoil in between surges which keeps the blood moving.
What is the function of the capillaries?
When the blood passes through capillaries, substances such as glucose and oxygen defuse from the blood to the cells. Carbon dioxide defuses from the cells back into the blood.
What are some of the adaptations of capillaries?
They have very thin walls, so the diffusion path is very short.
How does the blood get from the organs back to the heart?
It travels through veins.
What are some adaptations of veins?
They have thin walls because there is low blood pressure. Also, they have valves which shut when blood is moving backwards but open when it is moving the right way.
