Smaller arteries are more muscular in the structure of their walls. The largest arteries of the body contain a high percentage of elastic tissue that allows them to stretch and accommodate the pressure of the heart. To withstand this pressure, the walls of the arteries are thicker, more elastic, and more muscular than those of other vessels. The pulmonary trunk and arteries of the pulmonary circulation loop provide an exception to this rule - these arteries carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs to be oxygenated.Īrteries face high levels of blood pressure as they carry blood being pushed from the heart under great force. Blood carried by arteries is usually highly oxygenated, having just left the lungs on its way to the body’s tissues. Arteries and ArteriolesĪrteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. The subclavian artery runs into the axillary region where it becomes known as the axillary artery. One of its branches, the subclavian artery, runs under the clavicle hence the name subclavian. For example, the brachiocephalic artery carries blood into the brachial (arm) and cephalic (head) regions. Blood vessels are often named after either the region of the body through which they carry blood or for nearby structures. There are three major types of blood vessels: arteries, capillaries and veins. The endothelium lines the entire circulatory system, all the way to the interior of the heart, where it is called the endocardium. Around the lumen is the wall of the vessel, which may be thin in the case of capillaries or very thick in the case of arteries.Īll blood vessels are lined with a thin layer of simple squamous epithelium known as the endothelium that keeps blood cells inside of the blood vessels and prevents clots from forming. All blood vessels contain a hollow area called the lumen through which blood is able to flow. The size of blood vessels corresponds with the amount of blood that passes through the vessel. The left atrium and left ventricle of the heart are the pumping chambers for the systemic circulation loop.īlood vessels are the body’s highways that allow blood to flow quickly and efficiently from the heart to every region of the body and back again. Systemic circulation removes wastes from body tissues and returns deoxygenated blood to the right side of the heart. Systemic circulation carries highly oxygenated blood from the left side of the heart to all of the tissues of the body (with the exception of the heart and lungs).The pumping chambers of the heart that support the pulmonary circulation loop are the right atrium and right ventricle. Pulmonary circulation transports deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs, where the blood picks up oxygen and returns to the left side of the heart.There are 2 primary circulatory loops in the human body: the pulmonary circulation loop and the systemic circulation loop. The top of the heart, known as the heart’s base, connects to the great blood vessels of the body: the aorta, vena cava, pulmonary trunk, and pulmonary veins. The bottom tip of the heart, known as its apex, is turned to the left, so that about 2/3 of the heart is located on the body’s left side with the other 1/3 on right. The heart is a muscular pumping organ located medial to the lungs along the body’s midline in the thoracic region. Even at rest, the average heart easily pumps over 5 liters of blood throughout the body every minute. Responsible for transporting oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and cellular waste products throughout the body, the cardiovascular system is powered by the body’s hardest-working organ - the heart, which is only about the size of a closed fist. The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, blood vessels, and the approximately 5 liters of blood that the blood vessels transport.
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