BLOOD VESSELS

ARTERIES

 Carry blood away from the heart

 Thick elastic walls to withstand high pressure of blood and absorb some of the energy of the
pulse
 Blood pressure is high
 Blood flows rapidly in pulses created by contractions of the ventricles (this is the pulse you can
feel mist easily at your wrist)
 Carry oxygenated blood, except the pulmonary artery
 Lie deep within the body
 No valves present

VEINS

 Carry blood towards the heart

 Thin elastic walls
 Blood at low pressure
 Smooth and slow flow- the large lumen offers little resistance
 Carry deoxygenated blood, except the pulmonary vein
 Lie close to the body surface
 Valves prevent the back –flow of blood because the ‘push’ of the heart is not felt here

CAPILLARIES

 Carry blood to the cells of the tissues and organs

 Blood pressure decreases along the length of capillaries
 Blood flow is smoot and slow
 As it flows through a capillary network the blood loses oxygen to body cells and gains carbon
dioxide
 Run through the tissues
 It is one cell thick to enable diffusion
 No valves