Blood Vessels

BIOLOGY 11

The length of your blood vessels is about 100,000km. To understand this distance the circumference of earth is about
40,000km. The distance between the earth the moon is about 300,000km. So if we take the blood vessels of 3 people, and
connect them edge to edge we could easily step where Neil Armstrong did!
There are 3 main types of blood vessels in the body. They are the ARTERIES, VEINS, and CAPILLARIES. There are differences
and similarities between all 3 types.

Arteries

Veins

Capillaries

Carry blood away from the

heart.

Carry blood towards the

heart.

Narrow walls that are one

red blood cell wide.

In most arteries blood is

bright red and oxygenated.

In most veins blood is

deep purple and
deoxygenated.

Huge network of tiny

vessels which link arteries
with veins.

Stretch as the blood is

forced through them and
go back into shape
afterwards. Have a pulse.

No pulse.

Very thin walls about one

cell thick to allow diffusion
of substances in and out of
the blood.

Have thick walls to

withstand the pressure of
the blood.

Walls are much thinner

because the pressure is
much lower.

Blood pressure is low.

No valves.

Valves present to prevent

backflow of blood.

No valves, but they have

small pores.

Blood pressure is high.

Blood pressure is low.

Finding an Artery: In some places in the body, the arteries are relatively near the surface. In these places you can feel the
bulge as blood is forced out of the heart into the arteries followed by the return to normal shape. This is known as the pulse.

Veins and Valves: The blood traveling in the veins back to the heart is not under any great pressure. It is often

squeezed in the right direction by the action of your muscles. A system of valves stops the blood flowing in the
wrong direction. Valves only open in one direction to stop the blood flowing the wrong way. In the veins they keep
the blood moving back to the heart. They commonly open when muscles contracting in the body in the body
squeeze the vein and cause blood to move along it.

Capillaries (Linking Arteries and Veins): It is in the capillaries that the exchange of substances takes place between
the blood and the cells. The capillaries provide a massive surface area and thin walls for easy diffusion. Dissolved
food and oxygen move out of the blood into the cells down a concentration gradient by diffusion. Carbon dioxide and
urea move out of the cells into the blood in the same way. Blood moves from the arteries into the capillary network
and then into the veins.

Check it Off!: Look at the descriptions below and decide whether they refer to arteries, veins, or capillaries.
ARTERIES
Oxygen and glucose move out into the
tissues.
Walls are under a lot of pressure
Contains valves to stop the backflow of
blood.
Carbon dioxide is picked up and
dissolves in the plasma.
There is a pulse
The lumen of the vessel is wide and
the walls are relatively thin.

VEINS CAPILLARIES