The Circulatory System: Blood and Blood Vessels
The cardiovascular system is essential for the transportation of blood and oxygen throughout the body. Without a proper network of veins and arteries, the body's organs would not be able to function properly. To ensure that this vital network of tubes is functioning optimally, it is important to take good care of our blood vessels, as any blockage or damage can lead to severe health complications.
Blood vessels are the pathways through which blood flows around the body. They are composed of three layers that work together to transport oxygen, nutrients, and hormones throughout our bodies. They also help regulate blood pressure and maintain healthy organs, tissues, and cells. Without functioning blood vessels, our bodies would be unable to survive. The three types of blood vessels are: arteries, veins, and capillaries.
There are three distinct varieties of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries.
1. The ARTERIES are the vessels responsible for transporting blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. They ensure that oxygen and other nutrients are delivered to all parts of our system, enabling us to function properly.
2. The CAPILLARIES play an important role in the transfer of different materials to and from the body's tissues.
3. The VEINS in the body are responsible for transporting blood to the heart.
What are Arteries?
Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. Blood is pumped out of the heart at high pressure, so the artery walls are strong and elastic. To be strong and flexible, they have thick layers of muscle and elastic fibres. Comparatively, the walls are thick in comparison to the hole down the middle, the lumen.
The arteries transport oxygenated blood around the body at high pressure.
1. To ensure a strong and elastic artery wall, the heart needs to pump blood at HIGH PRESSURE. This ensures the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system.
2. Despite its small diameter, the LUMEN is surrounded by thick walls, making for quite a sturdy structure.
3. Muscles in the body are densely packed to make them STRONG AND ELASTIC FIBRES enable them to be FLEXIBLE, STRETCHING and bouncing back.
What are Capillaries?
Capillaries branch off from arteries. In the body, the capillaries transport the blood close to each cell to exchange material at the tissue level. The cells get food and oxygen from them, as well as waste products such as carbon dioxide.