Blood vessel

The blood vessels are part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body. The most important types, arteries and veins, are so termed because they carry blood away from or towards the heart, respectively.

Types

Blood vessels exist in varying calibers:

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• Arteries
• Aorta (the largest artery, carries blood out of the heart)
• Branches of the aorta, such as the carotid artery, the subclavian artery, the celiac trunk, the mesenteric arteries, the renal artery and the ileac artery.
• Arterioles
• Capillaries (the smallest blood vessels)
• Venules
• Veins
• Large collecting vessels, such as the subclavian vein, the jugular vein, the renal vein and the iliac vein.
• Venae cavae (the 2 largest veins, carry blood into the heart)

They are roughly grouped as arterial and venous, determined by whether the blood in it is flowing toward or away from the heart. The term "arterial blood" is nevertheless used to indicate blood high in oxygen, although the pulmonary artery carries "venous blood" and blood flowing in the pulmonary vein is rich in oxygen.

Related Topics:
Heart - Oxygen - Pulmonary artery - Pulmonary vein

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