Histology of Blood vessels

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Histology of Blood Vessels

Arteries

Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart and this blood is normally oxygenated. Pulmonary arteries are the arteries of the , which is the portion of the  which carries deoxygenated  away from the heart to the  and returns oxygenated blood back to the heart. The aorta is a main artery as it receives blood of the left ventricle of the heart through the aortic valve. The arterioles are the smallest of the arteries and they help regulate blood pressure by the contraction of the smooth muscle of their walls and their supply to the capillaries. The structure of the aorta and large arteries corresponds well to their function which serves as a blood reservoir and to stretch or recoil with the pumping action of the heart. The wall of the arterioles contains less elastic fibers but more smooth muscle cells than that of the aorta. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood at high pressure, so they are tough on the outside and smooth on the inside. The arteries have three layers and the smoothness of the inner layer enables blood to flow easily with no obstacles. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood at high pressure, so they are tough on the outside and smooth on the inside. The arteries have three layers and the smoothness of the inner layer enables blood to flow easily with no obstacles.

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Capillaries

The capillaries are where all of the important exchanges happen in the circulatory system. Capillaries are very thin, fragile blood vessels that receive oxygen-rich blood from arteries, exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide and then deliver the waste-rich blood to the veins. Capillaries are only one epithelial cell thick and blood can only flow through them in a single file. The red blood cells inside the capillary release their oxygen, which passes through the wall and into the surrounding tissue. The tissue releases its waste products, e.g. carbon dioxide, which pass through the wall and into the red blood ...

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