Blood vessels

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  • Blood vessels
    • Arteries
      • Elastic fibres
        • Allows stretching and contracting
      • High blood pressure
      • Narrow lumen
      • Smooth endothelium
        • Reduce friction
      • Collagen in walls
        • provide strength
        • prevent too much stretching
      • Peripheral arteries = furthest from heart
        • Muscle fibres
      • Away from heart
    • Veins
      • Low blood pressure
      • To heart
      • Valves to prevent backflow
      • Few elastic fibres
      • Wide lumen
      • Large veins between blocks of muscle
        • Contraction of muscles squeezes blood along
      • Collagen in walls
        • provide strength
        • prevents too much stretching
    • Capillaries
      • Small and branching
        • Cells always near a capillary network
      • Small diameter
        • Opportunity of diffusion
      • 1 cell thick

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