Capillaries are a Really Small Flashcards
1
Q
What do arteries branch into?
A
Capillaries
2
Q
How big are capillaries?
A
Tiny - too small to see
3
Q
Why do they carry blood really close to every cell in the body?
A
Exchange substances with them
4
Q
Why do they have permeable walls?
A
So substances can diffuse in and out
5
Q
What do they supply?
A
Food and oxygen
6
Q
What do they take away?
A
Wastes like CO2
7
Q
How thick are their walls?
A
Usually only one cell thick
8
Q
How does the thickness of their walls increase the rate of diffusion?
A
Decreases the distance over which it happens
