Blood vessels

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Blood vessels

Blood vessels (/blʌd 'vɛsəl/) are the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the human body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which carry the blood away from the heart; the capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and the veins, which carry blood from the capillaries back towards the heart.

Etymology

The term "blood vessel" is derived from the Old English blōd and the Latin vasculum, meaning "small vessel".

Types of Blood Vessels

There are three main types of blood vessels in the human body:

  • Arteries (/ɑːr'tɪəriːz/): These are muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the tissues of the body. They are typically high-pressure vessels due to the pumping action of the heart.
  • Veins (/veɪnz/): These are blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart.
  • Capillaries (/kə'pɪləriːz/): These are the smallest blood vessels where the exchange of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and many other nutrients and waste chemical substances occurs between the blood and the tissues surrounding them.

Related Terms

  • Aorta (/eɪ'ɔːrtə/): The main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen.
  • Vena Cava (/ˈviːnə ˈkeɪvə/): The two largest veins in the body, the inferior and superior vena cava, return deoxygenated blood from the body back to the heart.
  • Endothelium (/ˌɛndoʊ'θiːliəm/): The thin layer of cells that lines the interior surface of blood vessels.
  • Vasoconstriction (/ˌvæsoʊkən'strɪkʃən/): The narrowing of blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels.
  • Vasodilation (/ˌvæsoʊdaɪ'leɪʃən/): The widening of blood vessels resulting from relaxation of the muscular wall of the vessels.

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