What is the basic difference between arteries and veins?
Arteries
- Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.
- Arteries have thick, muscular walls that help to maintain blood pressure.
- Arteries branch into smaller and smaller vessels as they move away from the heart.
Veins
- Veins are blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
- Veins have thin, elastic walls that allow them to expand and contract.
- Veins have valves that help to prevent blood from flowing backwards.
Additional differences
- Arteries have a higher pressure than veins.
- Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood, while veins carry oxygen-poor blood.
- Arteries are generally located deeper in the body than veins.
- Arteries are more prone to atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque builds up on the artery walls and narrows them.
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