What do arteries do

This is a bulging, weakened area in the wall of a blood vessel. It causes an abnormal widening or ballooning in the chest thoracic part of the aorta. Abdominal vascular disease. It can cause an abdominal aortic aneurysm. It causes an abnormal widening or ballooning in the belly abdominal part of the aorta. Peripheral venous disease. This can cause deep vein thrombosis DVT. DVT is a blood clot in a deep vein in the muscles of the leg.

This disease can also cause varicose veins. Lymphatic vascular diseases. These can cause lymphedema. This is swelling caused by problems of the normal draining of the lymph nodes. Vascular diseases of the lungs. These can cause granulomatosis with polyangiitis. This is an uncommon disease in which the blood vessels are inflamed. It mainly affects the respiratory tract and the kidneys. Other diseases include angiitis inflammation of blood vessels and hypertensive pulmonary vascular disease.

This is high blood pressure in the lungs' blood flow. Renal kidney vascular diseases. These can cause renal artery stenosis blockage of a renal artery. They can also cause fibromuscular dysplasia.

This is a condition that weakens the walls of medium-sized arteries. It occurs most often in young women of childbearing age. Genitourinary vascular diseases. These can cause vascular erectile dysfunction impotence. Vascular diseases may affect more than 1 of the body's systems at a time. Because of this, many types of doctors treat vascular problems. Specialists in vascular medicine or surgery work closely with doctors in other specialties.

These include doctors of internal medicine, interventional radiology, cardiology, and others. This oxygenated blood enters the left atrium and is pumped to the left ventricle and out through the aorta. Arteries contain a high percentage of a special type of muscle, called smooth muscle, that can be controlled by hormones and special signals from the nervous system.

The outer layer of an artery is made of collagen fibers. The middle layer has smooth muscle and elastic fibers. The inner layer is the lining called the endothelium. Blood travels through the hollow center of the arteries. If this hollow center becomes constricted due to overdevelopment of the muscle or the formation of plaques, it can raise blood pressure.

Plaque also makes the arteries less flexible. If an artery ruptures or is blocked, such as in a stroke or heart attack, the tissues that it normally supplies will die.

The thick, strong walls of arteries make them able to resist the high pressures that exist near the heart. All of the major organs in the body have their own special kind of arteries which are uniquely structured to deliver the supplies needed. The heart muscle is supplied by the coronary arteries.

The left coronary artery and the right coronary artery branch off of the aorta and the left coronary artery further divides into the circumflex artery and the left anterior descending artery. These four arteries are the ones that may be replaced in coronary artery bypass graft CABG surgery. A quadruple bypass replaces all four arteries. Hardening of the arteries is the common term for atherosclerosis and peripheral arterial disease PAD.

This occurs when plaque forms from fat, cholesterol, calcium, protein, and inflammatory cells, narrowing or blocking the arteries. When this happens in the arteries of the heart, it is coronary artery disease CAD.

The exception is the network of pulmonary veins, which take oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart. Blood pressure Blood pressure refers to the amount of pressure inside the circulatory system as the blood is pumped around. Common problems Some common problems of the circulatory system include: Aneurysm — a weak spot in the wall of an artery Atherosclerosis — a narrowing of the arteries caused by plaque deposits Heart disease — lack of blood supply to the heart because of narrowed arteries High blood pressure — can be caused by obesity among other things Varicose veins — problems with the valves that stop blood from running backwards.

Where to get help Your doctor In an emergency, always call triple zero Things to remember The circulatory system delivers oxygen and nutrients to cells and takes away wastes. The heart pumps oxygenated and deoxygenated blood on different sides. The types of blood vessels include arteries, capillaries and veins. Lloyd, M. Give feedback about this page. Was this page helpful? Yes No. View all blood and blood vessels. Related information. From other websites Heart Foundation - Heart Information..

Content disclaimer Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. The connective tissue in this layer is quite dense where it is adjacent to the tunic media, but it changes to loose connective tissue near the periphery of the vessel. Capillaries, the smallest and most numerous of the blood vessels, form the connection between the vessels that carry blood away from the heart arteries and the vessels that return blood to the heart veins. The primary function of capillaries is the exchange of materials between the blood and tissue cells.

Capillary distribution varies with the metabolic activity of body tissues. Tissues such as skeletal muscle , liver , and kidney have extensive capillary networks because they are metabolically active and require an abundant supply of oxygen and nutrients. Other tissues, such as connective tissue, have a less abundant supply of capillaries. The epidermis of the skin and the lens and cornea of the eye completely lack a capillary network.

About 5 percent of the total blood volume is in the systemic capillaries at any given time. Another 10 percent is in the lungs. Smooth muscle cells in the arterioles where they branch to form capillaries regulate blood flow from the arterioles into the capillaries.