blood vessels

• arteries

  it carries blood away from the heart
• arteries

  thick muscular walls
• arteries

  large amount of elastin in walls

  has pulse and no valves
• veins

  carry blood back to the heart
• veins

  thin muscle wals
• veins

  small amount of elastin in walls
• veins

  large lumen and slow blood flow

  no pulse
• capillaries

  form networks in the tissues of the body
• capillaries

  link arterioles and venules
• capillaries

  no elastin fibres or muscle

  little pressure and no pulse
• arteries function

  carry fast flowing blood under high pressure away from the heart

  • elastic walls enable the vessel to stretch and recoil to keep the blood flowing
• vein function

  carries slow flowing blood under low pressure back to the heart

  • sufficient pressure to force valves in veins to open
• capillaries function

  network of tiny, thin blood vessels in the tissues of the body that supply blood to all tissues and cells of the body