BLOOD VESSELS-ARTERIES

In preparation for the upcoming quiz I want to go over arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. Usually it is always oxygenated blood, with the exception of the pulmonary arteries. Elastic arteries are the largest in diameter. They are also called "conducting arteries" because they help move blood through arteries due to their elasticity. An example of an elastic artery is the aorta. Muscular arteries help to move blood to different areas of the body. Because of this they are called "distributing arteries". An example of a muscular artery is the brachial artery. There are three layers (tunics ) to the artery. The inner most is the tunica interna. It is made of simple squamous epithelium, a basement membrane, and internal elastic lamina. This layer is closest to the lumen of the artery. The next layer is the tunica media. It is made up of elastic and smooth muscle fibers. The outermost layer is the tunica externa (or tunica adventitia). This layer is made up of elastic and collagen fibers. In muscle arteries only, there is a external elastic lamina which separates the tunica media from the tunica externa.
Arteries are a very important part of our bodies. Without them we would not be able to supply our bodies with blood. If someone severs an artery they could die very quickly. Nurses can put an arterial line into the radial or femoral artery to monitor blood pressure. If the reading is low, then there is not enough blood going to the arteries and an intervention needs to occur.