The arteries are the blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the tissues of the body. Each artery is a muscular tube lined by smooth tissue and has three layers: The intima, the inner layer lined by a smooth tissue called endothelium.
When the heart contracts, and ejects blood into these arteries, the walls need to stretch to accommodate the blood surge, storing energy. The arterial hydrostatic pressure that results from ventricular contraction is the ‘systolic blood pressure’ (systole is greek for contract).
Tunica adventitia – has small ‘vasa vasorum’ as the large arteries need their own blood supply. Tunica media is broad and elastic with concentric fenestrated sheets of elastin, and collagen and only relatively few smooth muscle fibres.
The arteries are the blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the tissues of the body. Each artery is a muscular tube lined by smooth tissue and has three layers: The intima, the inner layer lined by a smooth tissue called endothelium.
When the heart contracts, and ejects blood into these arteries, the walls need to stretch to accommodate the blood surge, storing energy. The arterial hydrostatic pressure that results from ventricular contraction is the ‘systolic blood pressure’ (systole is greek for contract).
Tunica adventitia – has small ‘vasa vasorum’ as the large arteries need their own blood supply. Tunica media is broad and elastic with concentric fenestrated sheets of elastin, and collagen and only relatively few smooth muscle fibres.