Anatomy of Blood Vessels

The vascular system is a circulatory network of arteries and veins essential for maintaining homeostasis.

The arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart, except for the pulmonary arteries, which channel deoxygenated blood to the lungs.

Large arteries, like the aorta, have thick, elastic walls to cushion the heart's pressure.

As arteries branch away from the heart, they become smaller vessels called arterioles,which control blood pressure and flow.

Capillaries, the smallest blood vessels, connect arterioles to venules.

Their thin walls facilitate the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and waste products between blood and tissues.

Next, venules then transport blood to veins, returning deoxygenated blood to the heart, except for pulmonary veins, which transport oxygenated blood from the lungs.

Veins have thinner walls and larger diameters than arteries, which allows them to function under low pressure and accommodate a higher blood volume.

The largest veins, the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava carry blood back to the heart.