Circulatory system - Blood Vessels

• What are the 3 different blood vessels in the body?

  Arteries, veins and capillaries
• Which blood vessel has the biggest lumen?

  Veins
• What are veins mostly made of?

  Elastic fibres and smooth muscle
• What is the function of valves in veins?

  Keep blood flowing in the right direction
• What is the size of capillaries like?

  Really small
• What is the primary function of capillaries?

  Carry blood to cells in the body to exchange substances
• What do capillaries supply to tissues?

  Blood, nutrients and oxygen
• What waste product do capillaries remove from tissues and how do they do this?

  They remove Carbon dioxide by supplying food and oxygen
• What property of capillary walls allows for substance exchange?

  Permeable
• Which of the three blood vessels has thick walls?

  Arteries
• What is the thickness of capillary walls?

  One cell thick
• Why are capillary walls only one cell thick?

  Increases rate of diffusion
• Why is the blood pressure lower in capillaries?

  Gives blood time to exchange
• Compared to arteries, how big is the lumen of capillaries?

  Narrow
• What type of blood vessels carry blood away from the heart?

  Arteries
• What do arteries transport to capillaries?

  Nutrients and oxygen
• What type of blood vessels carry blood back to the heart?

  Veins
• Why is the structure of each blood vessel important?

  Structure related to its function
• What feature of blood vessel walls allows substances to diffuse in and out?

  Permeability
• What type of pressure do capillaries have?

  Low blood pressure
• What is the lumen in a blood vessel?

  Hole in the middle of the vessel
• At what pressure do arteries pump blood at?

  At high pressure
• How does the pressure the arteries pump blood at affect its structure?

  It has thick layers of muscle for strength and elastic fibres to allow them to stretch
• In what order does blood flow from in the blood vessel?

  Blood flows from the Arteries -> Capillaries -> Veins