Blood Vessels, Arteries, Veins, Blood Capillaries

Table of Contents

• Blood Vessels
  • Arteries
  • Veins
  • Blood Capillaries
• Summary
• What’s Next?

In the previous segment, we learnt about Blood. In this segment, we will learn about blood vessels.

What are Blood vessels?

Blood vessels are the tubes that carry blood. There are three major types of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and blood capillaries.

What are Arteries?

• Arteries are the blood vessels that carry Oxygenated blood from the heart to all the cells in the body, except for pulmonary arteries.
• Arteries have Thicker walls to withstand the pressure of pumping.
• The walls of the arteries are elastic as compared to walls of veins.

What are Veins?

• Veins are the blood vessels that carry Deoxygenated blood from the body to the heart, except for pulmonary veins.
• Veins have Thinner walls as compared to arteries.
• They have valves to prevent the backflow of the blood.

What are Blood capillaries?

• Blood capillaries are the fine network of blood vessels.
• They are Small in Diameter which helps them to reach the cells and provide them with oxygen. They also carry out carbon dioxide from the cells.
• The walls of blood capillaries are made up of a single layer of epithelial cells. This aids in the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide through them.