blood vessels
Arteries and veins
Blood vessels are the tubes that carry blood through the body—arteries, veins, and capillaries forming an intricate network.
Arteries carry blood away from the heart, veins return it, and capillaries connect them at the tissue level.
The phrase appears in both medical contexts and figurative uses: The rivers are the blood vessels of the rainforest.
Tubes carrying oxygenated blood
- veinsBlood-return tubes
- capillariesTiniest blood vessels
- aortaChief arterial trunk
- pulseArterial blood throb
flow · cardiovascular · systole · diastole · oxygenation · hemoglobin · plasma · perfusion
Tubes carrying oxygenated blood
- veinsBlood-return tubes
- capillariesTiniest blood vessels
- arteriolesSmallest arterial vessels
- venulesSmallest vein branches
aorta · vena cava · endothelium · intima · media · lumen · vasculature · vascular
Arterial plaque accumulation disease
- thrombosisClot forming in vessel
- embolismObstruction in blood vessel
- aneurysmArterial wall bulge
- ischemiaInsufficient tissue blood supply
hypoxia · stenosis · varicose · hypertension · stroke · hemorrhage · clot · plaque
Arterial walls contracting inward
- vasodilationRelaxation of vessel walls
- angiogenesisFormation of new vessels
- hemostasisProcess that stops bleeding
- perfusionFluid delivery to tissue
permeability · elasticity · compliance · tone · autoregulation · nitric oxide · collaterals · anastomosis
arteries
Tubes carrying oxygenated blood
- veinsBlood-return tubes
- capillariesTiniest blood vessels
- aortaChief arterial trunk
pulse · flow · cardiovascular · systole · diastole · oxygenation · hemoglobin · plasma · perfusion · systemic
arteries
Tubes carrying oxygenated blood
- veinsBlood-return tubes
- capillariesTiniest blood vessels
- arteriolesSmallest arterial vessels
venules · aorta · vena cava · endothelium · intima · media · lumen · vasculature · vascular · smooth muscle
atherosclerosis
Arterial plaque accumulation disease
- thrombosisClot forming in vessel
- embolismObstruction in blood vessel
- aneurysmArterial wall bulge
ischemia · hypoxia · stenosis · varicose · hypertension · stroke · hemorrhage · clot · plaque · occlusion
vasoconstriction
Arterial walls contracting inward
- vasodilationRelaxation of vessel walls
- angiogenesisFormation of new vessels
- hemostasisProcess that stops bleeding
perfusion · permeability · elasticity · compliance · tone · autoregulation · nitric oxide · collaterals · anastomosis · shunting
- circulation systemsarteries, veins, capillaries, heart, aorta
- cardiopulmonaryheart rate, lungs, circulation, breathing, oxygen
- blood vesselsarteries, artery, vein, veins, capillaries
- smooth muscle organsstomach, intestines, bladder, uterus, esophagus
- vascular biologyvasodilation, vasoconstriction, nitric oxide, microcirculation, angiogenesis
- anatomybrain, heart, bones, liver, stomach
blood vesselslymphatic vessels
Channels draining tissue fluid
lymphatics · lymph nodes · bile ducts · urinary tract · digestive tract
blood vesselsblockage
Obstruction halting movement
occlusion · thrombosis · embolism · stenosis
blood, vessel, bloody, bleeding, bloodline, bloodshed, blooded, bloodthirsty, bloodbath