Types, structure and functions of the blood vessels LO1

Question 1

What are the 3 different types of blood vessels?

Answer 1

Arteries, veins and capillaries are the 3 different types of blood vessels that together comprise the transport system for the blood

Question 2

What do arteries do?

Answer 2

Arteries carry blood away from the heart. Their walls consist of several layers of thick, elastic fibres and muscle.

Question 3

In what sequence does blood move around the body

Answer 3

heart –> arteries –> capillaries –> veins –> heart

Question 4

What are veins?

Answer 4

Veins have large internal diameters and thinner walls then arteries. The blood flowing through them is not under pressure and so veins have valves through their length. They carry deoxygenated blood back to the lungs.

Question 5

What are capillaries?

Answer 5

They are the smallest blood vessels and have walls made of a single layer of cells. The thin walls so capillaries allow the exchange of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients and waste between blood and the surrounding tissues.

Question 6

Arteries

Answer 6

-blood is carried away from the heart
-the blood being carried is oxygenated
-blood flows quickly under high pressure
-blood flows in pulses
-the artery walls are thick, elastic and muscular
-arteries do not have valves except at the base of the large arteries leaving the heart
-the internal diameter is small
-an artery cross-section is round

Question 7

Veins

Answer 7

-blood is carried towards the heart
-the blood being carried is deoxygenated
-blood flows slowly under low pressure
-blood flows smoothly with a squeezing action
-the vein walls are thin, with little muscle
-veins have valves to prevent backflow
-the internal diameter is large
-a vein cross-section is oval