Blood Vessels
Science: KS3, topic 1.6.31
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.
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.
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.
Test yourself on Blood Vessels
What carries freshly oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body?
How many cells thick are capillaries?
How does the blood pressure in arteries compare with the blood pressure in veins?
Which statement correctly compares arteries and veins?
Select the correct statement in each pair