Blood Function Relationship between structure and

vessel function

Artery ❖ Carries blood flowing away from the heart at
high pressure.
❖ Stretches and recoils to maintain blood
pressure
❖ Delivers blood to organs at a pressure slightly
less than when it left the heart
● Elastic tissue stretches as blood is
pumped into an artery; it recoils
to maintain blood pressure
● Collagen fibres give strength to
prevent bursting
● Smooth muscle maintains tension
in the artery to maintain pressure

Capillary ❖ Carries blood flowing between arteries and
veins at low pressure and low speed.
❖ Allows the exchange of respiratory gases
(oxygen and carbon dioxide), solutes and water
between blood and tissue fluid
● Short diffusion distance
● Thin vessels so no cell is far from
a capillary
● Has pores to allow water and
solutes to pass out into tissue
fluid by pressure filtration

Vein ❖ Carries blood flowing towards the heart at low ● Prevent backflow of blood.
pressure. ● Diameter of the vein increases to
❖ Expands to take increasing volumes of blood, take in more blood.
e.g during exercise
❖ As blood pressure is low, backflow of blood is
prevented by semilunar valves at intervals.

Feature of the type of blood Deoxygenated Blood Oxygenated Blood

Abundant gas present

Carbon dioxide Oxygen
Transported by
Veins Arteries
Color
Blue Red