Capillaries & Tissue Fluid

Question 1

Capillaries are another type of blood vessel present in the circulatory system
They have thin walls which are “leaky”, allowing

Answer 1

substances to leave the blood to reach the body’s tissues

Question 2

They can form networks called……………. which are

Answer 2

They can form networks called capillary beds which are very important exchange surfaces within the circulatory system

Question 3

capillaries have a ……….. diameter

which allows for what

Answer 3

They have a very small diameter (lumen)

This forces the blood to travel slowly which provides more opportunity for diffusion to occur

Question 4

Capillaries branch between

which allow for

Answer 4

Capillaries branch between cells

Substances can diffuse between the blood and cells quickly as there is a short diffusion distance

Question 5

The wall of the capillary is made solely from a single layer of

Answer 5

endothelial cells (this layer is also found lining the lumen in arteries and veins)

Question 6

The wall is only one cell thick – this reduces

Answer 6

the diffusion distance for oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood and the tissues of the body

Question 7

The cells of the wall have gaps called pores which

Answer 7

allow blood plasma to leak out and form tissue fluid