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What Blood Vessels Takes Blood From the Cells to the Heart

The heart is an amazing organic machine that regulates the life-giving blood that flows throughout our bodies. It is made up of four chambers: the left atrium, left ventricle, right atrium and the right ventricle.

  1. All Blood Vessels

    • The term blood vessels is used as a generic term to describe all the smaller passageways that carry blood to and from the heart. Blood vessels are made up of tiny passageways, small passageways and larger passageways. These blood vessels have their own unique names: arteries, arterioles, capillaries, veins and venules.

    Veins & Venules

    • Veins are blood vessels that carry blood from the cells, nourished by capillaries, to the heart. Venules, because they are small veins, do the same work of carrying blood to the heart as the larger veins do. Veins have smaller walls than arteries and they do not have their own pulse. These are the blood vessels that are used by phlebotomists to draw blood.

    Veins to Vena Cava

    • Veins blood vessels that bring blood through the superior vena cava and inferior vena cava (major veins) to the the right atrium toward to the right ventricle of the heart. Then, the heart propels this blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs where the blood receives oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide.

    Out the Aorta

    • This blood then travels via pulmonary veins back to the left atrium and left ventricle of the heart where it is pumped out to the rest of the body. The blood exits the heart through the aorta. This is the largest artery in the body. Then, the blood goes to nourish all organs and cells.

    Arteries

    • Arteries are blood vessels that actually have a pulse of their own. They are used to find the pulse or heartbeat of an individual. The brachial artery on each arm is used for taking blood pressure. Their job is to carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Arteries connect to arterioles.

    Arterioles, Capillaries, Venules & Recycling

    • Arterioles are tiny blood vessels that branch out from the arteries and connect to capillaries. Capillaries are some of the smallest blood vessels that connect arterioles to tiny venules. A venule is a small blood vessel that is a small vein. These small veins connect the capillaries to larger veins and again to the vena cavas.

      Then the cycle continues to bring back blood to the heart to supply it with needed oxygen.

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