Human Arteries
Human arteries are blood vessels from the circulatory system that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to every single corner of the entire human body. Arteries have three layers: tunica adventitia, tunica media, and tunica intima. There are three types of arteries and they are distinguished based on their size, amount of elastic tissue or muscle in the tunica media, the thickness of the wall, and function.(1)
Large elastic arteries or conducting arteries have many elastic layers in their walls and they receive blood directly from the heart. Their elasticity allows them to expand when the heart contracts and pushes blood through them and, they return to normal size between heart contractions.(1) Medium muscular arteries or distributing arteries have walls that consist of circulatory disposed muscle fibers and they have the ability to decrease in diameter regulates the blood flow to all different areas on the body.(1)Small arteries and arterioles are the smallest of all the arteries. They have a narrow lumina and thick muscular walls and they play an important role in blood pressure regulation.(1)
1. Clinically oriented Anatomy, 2006 5th edition, Keith L. Moore and Arthur F. Dalley, “Arteries.” Pages 39 and 40.
Return from human arteries to the heart
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