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Jai Ganesh

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Artery

Artery

Gist

An artery is a blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. They are part of the circulatory system and are crucial for delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs.

Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. Their main function is to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs, enabling them to function properly. Arteries also play a role in blood pressure regulation and consistent blood flow through the body.

Summary

An artery is a blood vessel in humans and most other animals that takes oxygenated blood away from the heart in the systemic circulation to one or more parts of the body. Exceptions that carry deoxygenated blood are the pulmonary arteries in the pulmonary circulation that carry blood to the lungs for oxygenation, and the umbilical arteries in the fetal circulation that carry deoxygenated blood to the placenta. It consists of a multi-layered artery wall wrapped into a tube-shaped channel.

Arteries contrast with veins, which carry deoxygenated blood back towards the heart; or in the pulmonary and fetal circulations carry oxygenated blood to the lungs and fetus respectively.

An artery is a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to other parts of the body. Almost all arteries carry blood with a lot of oxygen in it. The only arteries that do not carry oxygen-rich blood are the pulmonary artery, and (in a fetus) the umbilical artery.

Every artery has three layers. The outer layer is a thick covering made of stretchy tissue. The middle layer is made of muscle, so the artery can get wider or get smaller when the body needs it to. The inner lining is made of the same cells that line the heart.

Arteries are deep under the skin. They do not have valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards. Instead, every time the heart beats, the arteries stretch out so the blood has room to go through. Once the walls have completely stretched out, the muscles in the arteries make them shrink back to their normal size. This pushes the blood through.

Arteries split down into small vessels called arterioles.

Details

Arteries, a critical part of your cardiovascular system, are blood vessels that distribute oxygen-rich blood to your entire body. These tube-like vessels and the muscles inside them ensure your organs and tissues have the oxygen and nutrients they need to function. A condition called atherosclerosis can slow down blood flow through your arteries.

Arteries, part of your circulatory (cardiovascular) system, are the blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood from your heart to all of your body’s cells. They play a crucial role in distributing oxygen, nutrients and hormones throughout your body. Arteries keep your body alive and healthy by delivering what your cells and tissues need.

Types of arteries

You have two types of arteries that have slightly different functions. Both have a role in carrying oxygen-rich blood from your heart to your body’s tissues.

* The first type, elastic, is like when a football player catches the ball, absorbing the force from the throw. This is the type that gets your blood from your heart before passing it on to other arteries.

* The second type, muscular, is like when they run down the field with the ball, getting it to where it needs to go. This is your blood going to your body’s tissues.

The two types of arteries are:

* Elastic: Have more elastic tissue than muscular arteries and are located close to your heart. Examples: Aorta and pulmonary artery.
* Muscular: Have more smooth muscle than elastic arteries. Examples: Femoral, radial and brachial arteries.

How are arteries different from veins?:

Arteries

* Take oxygen-rich blood away from your heart and distribute it to your whole body.
* Have strong, muscular walls that can handle the high pressure of blood your heart pumps out with each heartbeat.
* Don’t need valves because the force of the blood coming from your heart ensures the blood only goes in one direction.

Veins

* Bring blood back to your heart after your body’s cells and tissues have taken the oxygen out of it. This is known as oxygen-poor blood or deoxygenated blood.
* Have thinner walls because the pressure inside them isn’t as high as it is in arteries.
* Have valves inside them to keep blood from moving in the wrong direction.

Function:

What do arteries do?

Your arteries carry blood that has oxygen and nutrients in it. Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood into the biggest artery in your body — your aorta. This branches off into parts that feed smaller and smaller arteries, eventually reaching your entire body.

How do arteries help with other organs?

Your arteries supply all of your organs with blood. Your blood contains oxygen and nutrients, which every organ in your body needs to function.

Specific arteries provide blood to organs or certain parts of your body, such as:

* Coronary arteries: Heart.
* Carotid arteries: Brain, head, face and neck.
* Vertebral arteries: Brain and spine.
* Iliac arteries: Pelvis.
* Femoral artery: Legs.
* Subclavian arteries: Head, neck and arms.
* Celiac and mesenteric arteries: Digestive system.

Interesting facts about arteries

* Arteries get messages from your central nervous system to tighten or open up. This affects your blood pressure, or the force of your blood moving through your arteries. Arteries help keep your blood pressure steady. They also control blood flow. They do both by tightening or loosening their muscle walls.
* Roughly 10% of your body’s blood is in your arteries at any point in time.

Your pulmonary artery is the only artery that carries deoxygenated blood. This artery takes blood from your heart to your lungs to get oxygen.

Anatomy:

Where are arteries located?

Your arteries start branching out from your aorta, which gets blood from your heart. From there, arteries continue to branch out into smaller and smaller vessels going all through your body.

What do arteries look like?

Arteries look like tubes. They have thicker and more muscular walls than veins so they can handle the force of blood coming from your heart’s left ventricle. Think of them like your furnace ducts (but flexible) that take warm air throughout your house when your furnace is running.

How big are arteries?

Your aorta, your largest artery, is about 10 millimeters (mm) to 25 mm (.4 inch to .9 inch) in diameter. Other arteries can be 3 mm to 5 mm (.11 inches to .19 inches) in diameter, while the smallest arteries, arterioles, can be .30 mm to .01 mm in diameter.

What are arteries made of?

Your arteries have three layers:

* Tunica intima, or inner layer: Has tissue with elastic fiber.
* Tunica media, or middle layer: This is mostly smooth muscle that lets your arteries get tighter or more open as needed.
* Tunica externa, or outer layer: Interacts with other tissues, including nerves that send commands to pull in or expand.

Additional Information

An artery, in human physiology, is any of the vessels that, with one exception, carry oxygenated blood and nourishment from the heart to the tissues of the body. The exception, the pulmonary artery, carries oxygen-depleted blood to the lungs for oxygenation and removal of excess carbon dioxide (see pulmonary circulation).

Arteries are muscular and elastic tubes that must transport blood under a high pressure exerted by the pumping action of the heart. The pulse, which can be felt over an artery lying near the surface of the skin, results from the alternate expansion and contraction of the arterial wall as the beating heart forces blood into the arterial system via the aorta. Large arteries branch off from the aorta and in turn give rise to smaller arteries until the level of the smallest arteries, or arterioles, is reached. The threadlike arterioles carry blood to networks of microscopic vessels called capillaries, which supply nourishment and oxygen to the tissues and carry away carbon dioxide and other products of metabolism by way of the veins.

The largest artery is the aorta, which arises from the left ventricle of the heart. The aorta arches briefly upward before continuing downward close to the backbone; the arteries that supply blood to the head, neck, and arms arise from this arch and travel upward. As it descends along the backbone, the aorta gives rise to other major arteries that supply the internal organs of the thorax. After descending to the abdomen, the aorta divides into two terminal branches, each of which supplies blood to one leg.

Each artery, no matter what its size, has walls with three layers, or coats. The innermost layer, or tunica intima, consists of a lining, a fine network of connective tissue, and a layer of elastic fibres bound together in a membrane pierced with many openings. The tunica media, or middle coat, is made up principally of smooth (involuntary) muscle cells and elastic fibres arranged in roughly spiral layers. The outermost coat, or tunica adventitia, is a tough layer consisting mainly of collagen fibres that act as a supportive element. The large arteries differ structurally from the medium-sized arteries in that they have a much thicker tunica media and a somewhat thicker tunica adventitia.

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