The Structure and Functions of the Arteries

When your heart muscles contract they force blood into the arteries at a high pressure. Arteries have quite
a narrow space in the centre called lumen['luːmen]内腔 for the blood to flow along. They have thick walls
made of muscle and elastic[ɪ'læstɪk]弹性的 fibres['faɪbə]纤维 to withstand the pressure of blood.
The walls of arteries are made up of three layers same as veins. The layer that lines the lumen of the artery
is called the endothelium[,endə(ʊ)'θiːlɪəm]内皮层. This layer is made up of special cells which give a
smooth surface to the lumen. This layer helps reduce the friction['frɪkʃ(ə)n]摩擦.
Next is a thick layer of muscle and elastic fibres. This layer of muscle and elastic fibres stretches and recoils
like a piece of elastic when you stretch it and then let it return to its original length. The recoil of elastic
fibres helps to push blood along so maintaining its pressure. As a results the pressure at the end of an
artery where it enters an organ is only a little less than when it left the heart. The stretch and recoil cause
the pulse 脉搏 that you can feel if you press the artery against a bone, for example in the wrist[rɪst]手腕.
The outer wall is also thick. It enable the artery to withstand and maintain the high pressure of blood. This
layer can prevent the artery from bursting. Rings of muscle can narrow or widen the artery and control the
blood flow in it according to the body’s needs.

Arteries branch out into smaller blood vessels called arterioles[ɑː'tɪərɪəʊl]小动脉 as they reach tissues
which they are transporting blood to. The walls of arterioles are similar to those of arteries but they have a
greater number of smooth muscles. When smooth muscles contract they narrow the diameter of the
arteriole therefore controlling the volume of blood flowing into a tissue at different times.

Label 4 parts in an artery in the diagram. Summarize how the structures are related to their
functions next to each label.
The Structure and Functions of the veins
Veins carry blood back to the heart.
The blood returning from the body is at a much lower pressure than that fired out by the beating heart. So
veins do not need to be as strong as arteries.

Veins have a structure that is very similar to arteries. The layer that lines the lumen['luːmen]内腔 of the
artery is called the endothelium[,endə(ʊ)'θiːlɪəm] (内皮层). This layer is made up of special cells which give
a smooth surface to the lumen. This layer helps minimise the friction.

Next is a layer of muscle and elastic[ɪ'læstɪk]弹性的 fibres['faɪbə]纤维. It is thinner than that in the artery
because of lower pressure in vein compared to artery. The outer wall is also thinner than that in artery.
Another obvious difference is that vein has a much wider lumen. The lumen (inside) of the vein is much
larger than in an artery, reflecting the slower rate of blood flow.
Another main difference is that veins have valves inside them to prevent the backflow of blood, while
arteries do not. The valves occur occasionally along their length and ensure that blood can only travel in
one direction. Because veins have to work against gravity to get blood back to the heart, contraction of
skeletal muscle assists with the flow of blood back to the heart.
Having valves in arteries would not be much use as it would slow the blood down and stop it reaching
those important bits of you, like your head.
Label 4 parts of a vein in the diagram. Summarize how the structures are related to their
functions next to each label.

The Structure and Functions of the capillaries

Arterioles diverge into capillary beds. It is estimated that there are over 80 000 km of capillaries in the
human body. These tiny vessels provide a huge surface area for exchange between blood and cells.
Capillaries are narrow-diameter tubes that can fit red blood cells in single-file lines and are the sites for the
exchange of nutrients, waste, and oxygen with tissues at the cellular level. The capillaries
converge[kən'vɜːdʒ]汇集 again into venules ['venjuːl]小静脉 that connect to minor veins, which connect
to major veins that take blood high in carbon dioxide back to the heart.

Capillaries are made up of a single layer of endothelial [,endəʊ'θiːlɪəl]内皮的 cells around a very small
lumen['luːmen]内腔. Inside the narrow lumen, a red blood cell can only just squeeze through. Blood flows
through capillaries very slowly (about 1 mm per second) giving time for exchange of substances with cells.
Capillaries are tiny, thin-walled vessels. They carry blood close to all the body's cells in its tissues and
organs. The wall of a capillary is made from a single layer of very thin cells so that the diffusion distance
between blood and cells is very short. This allows food, gas and waste molecules to be taken to and from
every cell in the body. They may not be the most glamorous['glæmərəs]富有魅力的 of the vessels but
they are perhaps the most important.

Label 2 parts of a capillary in the diagram. Summarize how the structures are related to
their functions next to each label.