Circulatory System 2 - Blood Vessels

This lesson covers:

1The structure and function of arteries

2The structure and function of capillaries

3The structure and function of veins

4How to calculate the rate of blood flow

Important blood vessels


You must be able to name and identify the blood vessels that supply blood to the kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs.

Blood supply to the kidneys

Diagram showing the renal artery and renal vein in the kidney with arrows indicating blood flow directions.
  1. Renal artery - carries oxygenated, unfiltered blood into the kidneys​.
  2. Renal vein - carries deoxygenated, filtered blood out of the kidneys.


(you will often see the ureter on diagrams of the kidneys, but remember it is not a blood vessel)

Blood supply to the liver

  1. Hepatic artery - carries oxygenated blood from the heart into the liver.
  2. Hepatic portal vein - carries nutrient-rich blood from the intestines into the liver.
  3. Hepatic vein - carries deoxygenated blood out of the liver.


(you will often see the gall bladder and bile duct on diagrams of the liver, but remember they are not blood vessels)

Diagram showing important blood vessels supplying the liver, including the hepatic artery, hepatic vein, hepatic portal vein, and vena cava.

Blood supply to the heart and lungs

Diagram showing the blood vessels including pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, vena cava, aorta, heart, and lungs.
  1. Vena cava - carries deoxygenated blood from the body into the heart.
  2. Pulmonary artery - carries deoxygenated blood out of the heart and into the lungs.
  3. Pulmonary vein - carries oxygenated blood out of the lungs and into the heart.
  4. Aorta - carries oxygenated blood out of the heart to the rest of the body.


Illustration of a human heart showing arteries and veins.

Arteries carry blood ___________ the heart.

towards

away from

0

/

1

nerves / arteries / capillaries / veins


carry blood through the body tissues, allowing oxygen, nutrients, and waste products, to be exchanged between tissues and the blood.

Capillaries

0

/

1

Veins carry blood ___________ the heart.

towards

away from

0

/

1

Diagram showing the structure of an artery with a thick wall and narrow lumen.

Structure and function of arteries 


high / low / elastic / plastic / muscle / nerve / narrow / wide


  1. Arteries are large and carry blood at a very pressure.
  2. Artery walls have a thick middle layer, containing both muscle and tissue.
  3. The tissue provides strength, and allows the arteries to direct blood flow.
  4. The tissue allows the arteries to stretch and recoil.
  5. Compared to their walls, arteries have a relatively lumen, which keeps the blood pressure high.



high
elastic
muscle
elastic
narrow

0

/

5

Illustration showing the structure and function of capillaries in the circulatory system.

Structure and function of capillaries 


high / low / waste / one / exchange / diffusion / permeable / wide


  1. Capillaries are the smallest of the three blood vessels.
  2. The role of capillaries is to nutrients and products with the tissues.
  3. Capillary walls are , meaning substances are able to move through them.
  4. Their walls are also only cell thick which means a short distance for .
  5. Capillaries carry blood at a pressure and have a lower rate of flow than arteries.
exchange
waste
permeable
one
diffusion
low

0

/

6

Which of the following substances are nutrients that are exchanged between the blood in the capillaries and the body tissues?

(Select all that apply)

Urea

Proteins 

Amino acids

Carbon dioxide

Glucose

0

/

2

Which of the following substances are waste products that are exchanged between the blood in the capillaries, and the body tissues?

(Select all that apply)

Oxygen

Urea

Amino acids

Carbon dioxide

Glucose

Proteins 

0

/

2

Diagram showing the structure of a vein with a wide lumen and thin walls.

Structure and function of veins 


higher / lower / thin / thick / heart / wide / small / valves


  1. The role of veins is to carry blood from the body (or lungs) back to the .
  2. Veins are a similar size to arteries, but they have relatively walls and a relatively lumen
  3. This is because they carry blood at a much pressure.
  4. Veins also contain to prevent the blood from flowing backwards.
heart
thin
wide
lower
valves

0

/

5

Which of the following substances are exchanged between the blood in the capillaries, and the body tissues?

(Select all that apply)

Urea

Glucose

Proteins 

Oxygen

Carbon dioxide

0

/

4

Microscope image showing a blood vessel marked with an X.

Which type of blood vessel is marked with an X?

Capillary

Vein

Artery

0

/

1

Diagram comparing the lumen size of different blood vessels labelled A, B, and C.

Based on the size of the lumen relative to the whole vessel, which of these blood vessels must be an artery?

A

B

C

0

/

1

1.4 litres of blood passes through an artery in 7 minutes. 


What is the rate of blood flow in millilitres per minute? 

200

ml/min

ml/min

0

/

1

Blood is flowing through a vein at a rate of 37 ml/min.


How long will it take for 407 ml of blood flow through the vessel? Give your answer in minutes.

11

minutes

minutes

0

/

1

If you consider all the blood vessels inside of a human body, which type of blood vessel accounts for the majority of the cross-sectional area?

Capillaries 

Veins

Arteries 

0

/

1

In which order does blood flow through the three types of blood vessels? 


Heart ➔  ➔  ➔  ➔ heart

arteries
capillaries
veins

0

/

3

What is the name of the organ supplied with blood by the hepatic portal vein?

Liver

Pancreas

Stomach

Small intestine

0

/

1

What is the name of the organ supplied with blood by the renal artery?

Pancreas

Bladder

Kidneys

Liver

0

/

1