Arteries function and structure

What is an artery?
An elastic blood vessels that transports blood away from the heart. Two main types of arteries: 1) Pulmonary 2) Systemic

Structure
Lumen is small when unstretched by the flow of blood from the heart Due to smooth lining, allows easiest flow of blood

Pulmonary Arteries

Carries blood from the heart lungs The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood After picking up oxygen, oxygen rich blood is returned back to the heart via the pulmonary veins

Systemic Arteries
- Delivers blood to the rest of body - Aorta is the main systemic artery and it is the largest artery of the body - It originates from the heart and branches out into smaller arteries which supplies blood to the head region.