Arteries

• They carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body
• Their walls are thick and muscular and have an elastic tissue to stretch and recoil as the heart beats which helps maintain the high pressure
• The inner lining ( endothelium ) is folded, allowing the artery to expand - also helps it maintain high pressure
• All arteries carry oxygenated blood except for the pulmonary arteries which take deoxygenated blood to the lungs
• Arteries have small and narrow lumen
• The inner lining of arteries is folded which allows the artery to expand and carry blood at high pressure
• Arteries don't contain valves