SOC 16 : The Structure Of The Blood Vessels And The Heart

Question 1

Arteries (4 main characteristics)

Answer 1

● Arteries take blood away from the heart
● Arteries have thick walls and are more elastic than veins as they carry blood which is at a higher pressure than veins as they carry oxygenated blood
● The channel the blood flows through, called the lumen, can widen to allow more blood through when you so that when you exercise, it can reach the working muscles
● The pulmonary artery is different from other arteries as it carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs

Question 2

Veins (4 main characteristics)

Answer 2

● Veins carry blood into the heart
● Veins have much thinner walls, are less elastic and carry blood at a
lower pressure
● Veins contain many valves which helps deoxygenated blood flow to the heart
● The pulmonary vein is different to other veins as it carries oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the heart

Question 3

Capillaries (4 main characteristics)

Answer 3

● Capillaries are microscopic vessels - just one cell thick
● At one end, capillaries carry oxygenated blood which transfers oxygen
and nutrients to the muscles
● At the other end, they carry deoxygenated blood into the veins, picking up waste products and taking them around the body to dispose of them
● Capillaries are where gaseous exchange takes place