What do veins and arteries do

It must work constantly and with enough force to ensure all bodily tissues receive enough blood to function. Disruptions to the cardiovascular system can have severe consequences. Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels, such as coronary heart disease. These diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for around Arteries are a type of blood vessel that transports blood away from the heart.

Veins carry blood back to the heart. Along with capillaries, these blood vessels are responsible for moving blood to and from tissues around the body. The heart pumps blood through a complex system of blood vessels. There are several types of arteries and veins with different functions. For example, some contain more muscle for changing how much blood they carry.

The cardiovascular system is essential to human life. Disruptions in the heart or blood vessels can be severe and, sometimes, fatal. Cardiovascular disease affects the heart and blood vessels. There are many types, including coronary artery disease, angina, and heart failure…. Poor circulation has a range of potential causes, including diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Symptoms include numbness in the extremities, digestive…. The circulatory system includes the heart and blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen around the body. Some circulatory diseases, such as stroke…. The carotid arteries provide oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other parts of the head. In this article, learn more about their function and carotid…. Hypertension or high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, stroke, and death and is a major global health concern. The blood pushes against the vessel walls and flows faster under this high pressure.

When the ventricles relax, the vessel walls push back against the decreased force. Blood flow slows down under this low pressure. Download Blood Vessels Lab Manuals. See more from our free eBook library. Functions of the Blood. Anatomy of the Heart. Pulmonary and Systemic Circulation. Circulatory System Pathologies. When you select "Subscribe" you will start receiving our email newsletter.

Use the links at the bottom of any email to manage the type of emails you receive or to unsubscribe. They fight gravity to prevent the backflow of blood. The cardiovascular system is a closed system of vessels called arteries, veins, and capillaries. The cardiovascular system keeps a continuous and controlled movement of blood that delivers nutrients and oxygen to every cell in the body. It does this through thousands of miles of capillaries between the arteries and the veins.

Nutrients and oxygen are delivered to every cell in your body through a circulatory system. The heart pumps oxygenated blood to your cells through arteries. It pumps oxygen-depleted blood away from your cells through veins. If you have chronic health conditions, your blood oxygen level may fall outside of the normal range. This includes people with asthma, heart disease….

Find out what exams and screenings are recommended for men at every stage of life, as well as tips on what to ask your doctor. Subscription boxes are the gift that keeps on giving. The wall of an artery consists of three layers. The innermost layer, the tunica intima also called tunica interna , is simple squamous epithelium surrounded by a connective tissue basement membrane with elastic fibers.

The middle layer, the tunica media , is primarily smooth muscle and is usually the thickest layer. It not only provides support for the vessel but also changes vessel diameter to regulate blood flow and blood pressure. The outermost layer, which attaches the vessel to the surrounding tissue, is the tunica externa or tunica adventitia. This layer is connective tissue with varying amounts of elastic and collagenous fibers. The connective tissue in this layer is quite dense where it is adjacent to the tunic media, but it changes to loose connective tissue near the periphery of the vessel.

Capillaries, the smallest and most numerous of the blood vessels, form the connection between the vessels that carry blood away from the heart arteries and the vessels that return blood to the heart veins. The primary function of capillaries is the exchange of materials between the blood and tissue cells. Capillary distribution varies with the metabolic activity of body tissues.