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Artery |
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An artery (pl. arteries)
is one of several types of blood vessels that transport blood around
the body.
Other blood vessels include: arterioles, veins, venules, and capillaries.
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The structure of an artery is
as follows: |
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The walls (outer structure) of arteries contain
smooth muscle fibre that contract and relax under the instructions
of the sympathetic nervous system. |
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The functions of arteries include: |
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Transport blood away from the heart;
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Carry Oxygenated Blood
(except in the case of the Pulmonary Artery);
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Have relatively narrow lumens (see diagram above);
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Have relatively more muscle/elastic tissue;
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Transports blood under higher pressure (than veins);
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Do not have valves (except for the semi-lunar valves
of the pulmonary artery and the aorta).
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For more information about blood vessels and the components (or "constituents")
of blood, see the pages about: The Structure
and Functions of Blood Vessels, and the Structure
and Functions of Blood.
These pages may interest students of massage, reflexology, beauty therapies,
or other health or clinical courses.
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