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Blood Vessels

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The Blood Vessels

Blood is carried around the body by three types of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries.

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Arteries

  • Arteries carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
    • The blood in the arteries is oxygenated and is under high pressure.
    • The walls of the arteries are thick and elastic-like.
    • The artery that takes blood away from the heart is called the aorta.
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Capillaries

  • Capillaries are small blood vessels that connect arteries to veins.
    • Capillaries are only one cell thick.
    • Oxygen diffuses from the oxygenated blood into the body cells.
    • Carbon dioxide diffuses from the body cells into the capillaries.
    • Urea is transported into the blood through the capillary walls.
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Veins

  • Veins take deoxygenated blood from the body back to the heart.
    • Blood in the veins is under much lower pressure.
    • Veins contain valves to prevent the backflow of blood.

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