Vessels

Question 1

What are blood vessels? Name the three major types of blood vessels.

Answer 1

Blood transporters

• Veins
• Arteries
• Capillaries

Question 2

Describe arteries. Identify the largest artery in the body.

Answer 2

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart

Aorta

Question 3

How are veins defined? What are the two largest veins in the body?

Answer 3

Blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart

Superior and inferior vena cava

Question 4

Compare and contrast how blood moves through arteries and veins.

Answer 4

Both:
- Blood movement is caused by the pressure from the beating of the heart

Veins:
- Blood moves up

Arteries:
- Blood moves down

Question 5

What are capillaries, and what is their function?

Answer 5

Smallest blood vessels that handles the exchange of substances between the blood and surrounding tissues

Question 6

Compare and contrast the structure of the walls of arteries, veins, and capillaries.

Answer 6

All:
- At least one thin layer

Arteries:
-Tunica Media, Tunica Intima, Tunica Externa/Tunica Adventitia layers
-Tunica Media is the thickest
-Tuna Intima is the thinnest

Veins:
-Tunica Media, Tunica Intima, Tunica Externa/Tunica Adventitia layers
-Tunica Externa/Tunica Adventitia is the thickest
-Tunica Intima is the thinnest

Capillaries:
-One layer of epithelial cells

Question 7

What is blood pressure, and how is it expressed? What blood pressure is considered normal?

Answer 7

Measure of the force that blood exerts on the walls of arteries

Less than 120 mm Hg (systolic)/80 mm Hg (diastolic)

Question 8

Identify the functions of vasoconstriction and vasodilation of arteries.

Answer 8

Allows the arteries to contract or relax as needed to help regulate blood pressure

Question 9

Does the blood in most veins have any oxygen at all? Explain your answer.

Answer 9

Yes

The blood in most veins has hemoglobin that is 75% saturated with oxygen

Question 10

True or False. Only one red blood cell can pass through the lumen of a capillary at a given time.

Answer 10

True

Question 11

True or False. The pulmonary artery carries oxygenated blood.

Answer 11

False

Question 12

Which tissue in blood vessels is responsible for vasodilation and vasoconstriction? Where is it located?

Answer 12

Smooth muscle tissue

Located in the walls of arteries

Question 13

The blood pressure at the arterioles is generally _________ the blood pressure at the aorta.
A. lower than
B. higher than
C. the same as
D. not related to

Answer 13

A. lower than

Question 14

Explain why it is important that the walls of capillaries are very thin.

Answer 14

The thin walls allow cells to pass through during the exchange of substances

Question 15

Most of the blood in the body is in the:
A. Capillaries
B. Arteries
C. Heart
D. Veins

Answer 15

D. Veins