Blood vessels
- Created by: z_mills1
- Created on: 05-06-14 14:29
View mindmap
- Blood vessels
- Arteries and arterioles
- arteries are thick-walled, high pressure vessels which carry blood away from the heart (to the tissues)
- largest artery in the body is aorta
- constant subdivision decreases the diameter of the arteries - now become arterioles which are found further from the heart
- Veins and venules
- veins are thin-walled, low pressure vessels which have valves and carry blood to the heart
- venules are the smaller veins and transport blood from the capillary bed to the veins
- veins gradually increase in thickness the nearer they get to the heart
- veins contain pocket valves which prevent the back flow of blood
- Capillaries
- capillaries are tiny blood vessels supplying nutrients to cells and removing waste materials
- they are just thin enough to red blood cells to flow through their wall - allowing gaseous exchange to occur
- Structure of arteries and veins
- inner endothelium - allows blood to flow smoothly without friction
- middle layer of smooth muscle and elastic fibres
- outside fibrous layer
- Arteries and arterioles
Comments
No comments have yet been made