Blood vessels
- Created by: Joanne
- Created on: 24-11-12 21:11
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- Blood vessels
- Artery
- Carry blood away from heart
- Thick walls with elastic tissue to withstand high pressure from heart
- Inner lining (endothelium) folded to allow artery to expand
- Small lumen to maintain high pressure
- Carries oxygenated blood except for pulmonary artery
- Caplliary
- One cell thick - endothelium
- Adapted for efficient diffusion
- Contains no elastic fibres as there is little pressure in capillaries
- Exchanges substances by diffusion e.g. oxygen and glucose into cells
- Vein
- Takes blood back to the heart
- Wide lumen as it is under low pressure
- Contain valves to stop blood flowing backwards
- Blood flow is helped by contraction of body muscles surrounding veins
- Carries deoxygenated blood except for pulmonary veins
- Artery
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