THE ARTERIES.

    Efferent vessels are blood vessels that bring blood away from the heart. The arteries are such blood vessels. Arteries carry blood away from the heart. Most arteries carry oxygen-rich blood. The pulmonary artery is an exception - it carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.

    The arteries are connected to the capillaries through the arterioles. The arterioles are basically small arteries which branch out into many capillaries.

    Total blood volume in the body is 5 litres. Of this, only about 1 litre is found in the heart, arteries and capillaries at any one time. 

    The picture below shows the distribution of some major arteries in the body. The blood vessels marked red carry oxygenated blood and those in blue carry deoxygenated blood

    These are some of the common arteries.

    Click here to view a close-up description of an artery

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©Copyright TQ Team 25896, 1999. The Circulatory System- Online Learning.