Understanding Blood Vessels: What Are Arteries, Capillaries and Veins?
Arteries are one of the most important vessels in the heart for transporting blood. Their function is to transport blood away from the heart so that it can be delivered to the body's tissues. When the heart contracts, it forces the blood into the arteries. They have a very thick wall that is composed of smooth fibers and a layer of smooth muscles. When a doctor checks a person's blood pressure, he or she is checking the amount of blood flow in the arteries.
Capillaries are a much smaller vessel used in the transportation of blood in the human body. They are very narrow, microscopic tubes that are made of only endothelium. The main function of capillaries is transport nutrients into tissues. Additionally, they are responsible for removing waste or other materials that the body no longer needs. Capillaries are all throughout the body, in fact, all cells within a person's body are less then a millimeter away from a capillary.
Veins are yet another way for the body to transport blood through the body. They are somewhat similar to arteries, but they are much smaller and have thinner walls. Unlike capillaries, they have their own set of valves that make sure that the blood flows the way it is supposed to, rather then returning back to where is came from when it isn't supposed to. Additionally, there is not as much pressure in them as there is in arteries. Venules are a type of vein, but they are very small.
Once blood has been pumped away from the heart, at some point it needs to return. One of the ways that this occurs is that skeletal muscles help push the blood back to the heart so that oxygen and nutrients can be added to it.
Source:
Benitz, Bill. Lecture: Human Biology. November 9, 2009
Published by John Smith
John has been writing online for several years. An avid hockey player and fan, he is enjoys writing sports articles, but is familiar with a wide variety of topics. View profile
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