Human Anatomy, Part 2 - K. A. Dyubenko, A. K. Kolomiysev, Yu. B. Chaykovsky 2008

Special Part
Cardiovascular System, *systema cardiovasculare* — General Overview
Arteries

Arteries (from the Greek arteria: aer meaning air, and tereo meaning to contain) are Blood Vessels that continuously transport oxygen-rich blood away from The Heart to all parts and Organs of The Human Body. An exception is the pulmonary trunk (truncus pulmonalis), the right and left pulmonary arteries (aa. pulmonalis dextra et sinistra), and their branches, which carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the Lungs. As they extend further from the heart, arteries branch out, decrease in diameter, and ultimately transition into the Components of the Hemomicrocirculatory bed: arterioles, precapillary arterioles, capillaries, postcapillary venules, collecting venules, and arteriovenous anastomoses. The network of arteries—ranging from the largest arterial vessel, the aorta, down to the precapillary arterioles—constitutes the Arterial System, which is part of The Cardiovascular system (see Fig. 1).

Most arteries are named based on specific characteristics: their topography (e.g., a. subclavia, a. poplitea, a. brachialis); the name of the organ they supply (e.g., a. uterina, a. renalis, a. testicularis); or the body part they traverse (e.g., a. femoralis, a. dorsalis pedis). Arteries supplying the body walls are termed parietal arteries, while those supplying Internal Organs are called visceral arteries. Furthermore, arteries are classified as intraorgan, branching within the substance of an organ, or extraorgan, supplying blood to the organ from the outside.

Class="center">Functions of Arteries

1. Convey blood away from the heart;

2. Distribute blood among organs and Tissues;

3. Participate in the Regulation of Blood Circulation.



Last update: 08/08/2026

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