artery

(art′ĕ-rē)

To hear audio pronunciation of this topic, purchase a subscription or log in.

pl. arteries [Gr. artēria, windpipe, artery]
A vessel carrying blood away from the heart. Pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs to pick up oxygen and to release carbon dioxide; systemic arteries carry oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body.

SYSTEMIC ARTERIES

AORTIC ARTERIES

ANATOMY
A typical artery has three tissue layers: the inner layer (tunica intima) has endothelial tissue; the middle layer (tunica media) has smooth muscle and elastic connective tissue; and the outer layer (tunica externa) has connective tissue.

STRUCTURE OF AN ARTERY

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.

© 2000–2023 Unbound Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved