Blood Vessels 2
Physical Education: AQA GCSE, topic 1.2.3
Capillaries
Capillaries are a tiny network of blood vessels that link the arteries and veins.
Structure
- They are very small and can only let 1 red blood cell through at a time.
- They are only 1 cell thick.
Function
- They make diffusion easier (shorter distance for oxygen or carbon dioxide to travel).
Blood Vessels in the Heart
Listed below are the main blood vessels found in the heart.
Vena cava
- A vein that returns deoxygenated (contains no oxygen) blood back to the right atrium.
Pulmonary artery
- Carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.
Pulmonary vein
- Carries oxygenated (contains oxygen) blood from the lungs back to the left atrium.
Aorta
- The largest artery that carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body.
Test yourself on Blood Vessels 2
What do we call the tiny network of blood vessels that link the arteries and veins?
Characteristics of capillaries
Which of the following is not a blood vessel in the heart?
Which blood vessel carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs?