Structure of blood and blood vessels

All vessels feature varying lumen size & wall structure.

The blood vessels are specifically structured to perform their function.
1. Arteries are tough and flexible to cope with high pressure blood flow

a. They have a thick wall, which is essential to withstand the high

pressures.

b. They also have thick layers of circular elastic fibres and muscle
fibres to help KEEP the blood FLOWING during ventricular
diastole.

c. In addition the narrow lumen maintains the high pressure inside

the arteries to ensure efficient capillary filling pressure.

2. Veins are thin walled with large lumen to accommodate a larger volume of slowly moving
blood & contain valves to prevent the blood from travelling backwards when at low
pressure.
3. Capillary wall is microscopically thin to allow gaseous exchange & either fenestrated or
have intercellular clefts for exchange of substances.
ARTERY VEIN CAPILLARY

Carry blood away from the
heart (usually oxygenated
Function
blood, except for the
pulmonary artery)
Wall Thick, muscular
Lumen Small
Thick muscular walls to
withstand blood flowing at
Other
high pressure as it leaves
features
the heart; the largest artery
is the aorta
Carry blood towards the
heart (usually Allows diffusion of gases
deoxygenated blood, and nutrients from blood
except for the pulmonary into the body cells
vein)
Thinner Very thin, one cell thick
Very small, only allows
Large blood to pass through one
cell at a time
Walls are made of semi-
permeable membrane to
Contain valves to prevent
allow transport of gases and
back flow of blood
nutrients into and out of the
blood