Different Arteries and

Veins

Classification of Arteries
Elastic (Conducting) Arteries
Muscular (Distributing) Arteries
Arterioles

Elastic (Conducting) Arteries

aorta, branches from the aortic arch
(common carotid artery and
subclavian artery), common iliac
arteries, and pulmonary trunk
yellow in the fresh state because
of the abundance of elastin

Muscular (distributing) arteries

most vessels arising from the aorta,
except for the major trunks
orginating from the arch of the aorta
and the terminal bifurcation of the
abdominal aorta w/c are elastic
arteries
thick tunica media composed
mostly of smooth muscle cells

Arterioles
terminal arterial vessels
regulate blood flow into the capillary
beds
do not have an external elastic
lamina

Artery

Tunica Intima

Tunica Media

Tunica
Adventitia

Elastic
Artery

Endothelium with Weibel

Palade bodies, basal
lamina, subendothelial
layer, incomplete elastic
lamina

40-70
fenestrated
elastic
membranes,
smooth muscle
cells between,
thin ext. elastic
lamina, vasa
vasorum outer
half

Thin layers of
fibroelastic CT,
vasa vasorum,
lymphatic vessels,
nerve fibers

Muscular
artery

Endothelium with Weibel

Palade bodies, basal
lamina, subendothelial
layer, Thick internal
elastic lamina

40 layers smooth
muscle cells,
thick external
elastic lamina

Thin layers of
fibroelastic CT,
vasa vasorum not
very prominent,
lymphatic vessels,
nerve fibers

Arteriole

Endothelium with Weibel 1 or 2 layers

Palade bodies, basal
smooth muscle
lamina, subendothelial
layer not prominent,
elastic fibers

Loose CT, nerve

fibers

Classification of veins
Venules and Small Veins
Medium Veins
Large Veins

Venules and Small Veins

Postcapillary venules
Where blood pools from capillary bed

High endothelial venules

Cuboidal endothelial cells of venules
found in lymphoid organs

Medium veins
Drains most regions of the body
Valves to prevent backflow
2 leaflets (each have a thin fold of the
intima jutting out from the wall into the
lumen)
collagen and elastic fibers

Large Veins
venae cavae and the pulmonary,
portal, renal, internal jugular, iliac,
and azygos veins

Type

Tunica intima

Tunica Media

Tunica
Adventitia

Large Veins

Endothelium,
basal lamina,
valves in some,
sudendothelial
CT

Connective
tissue, smooth
muscle cells

Smooth muscle
cells in
longitudinal
bundles,
cardiac muscle
cells near their
entry into the
heart, collagen
w/ fibroblasts

Medium and
small veins

Endothelium,
basal lamina,
valves in some,
sudendothelial
CT

Reticular &
elastic fibers,
some smooth
muscle cells

Collagen layer
w/ fibroblasts

Venules

Endothelium,
basal lamina

Sparse
Connective

Some collagen
and few

Cappillaries

Capillaries
smallest
50 m in length; diameter of 8 to 10 m
pinocytotic vesicles with the
plasmalemma
single layer of squamous endothelial cells
the cytoplasm contains a
marginal fold
fasciae occludents (tight junctions)

Continuous capillaries
muscle, nervous, and connective tissues
fasciae occludentes (gap junction)
amino acids, glucose, nucleosides, and
purines move across via carriermediated transport

Fenestrated capillaries
pancreas, intestines, and endocrine
glands
pores (fenestrae) (60 to 80 nm in
diameter) in the walls
covered by a pore diaphragm
Except renal glomerulus, composed of
fenestrated capillaries that lack
diaphragm

Sinusoidal capillaries
bone marrow, liver, spleen, lymphoid
organs, and certain of the endocrine glands
Sinusoids
irregular blood pools or channels

large fenestrae that lack diaphragms

lined by endothelium
macrophages