What are arteries ? Why do arteries have thicker wall?
1 Answer
The arteries are the blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the tissues of the body. Each artery is a muscular tube lined by smooth tissue and has three layers: The intima, the inner layer lined by a smooth tissue called endothelium.Blood flows under high pressure in arteries. Arteries have thicker wall to withstand the pressure that is exerted by the blood pumped from the heart.
The right coronary artery, the left main coronary, the left anterior descending, and the left circumflex artery, are the four major coronary arteries. Blockage of these arteries is a common cause of angina, heart disease, heart attacks and heart failure.Importance in cardiovascular diseases: The LAD artery is the most commonly occluded of the coronary arteries. It provides the major blood supply to the interventricular septum, and thus bundle branches of the conducting system.
The main function of the arteries is to circulate or to carry oxygenated blood from the heart to different parts of the human body. Walls of the arteries are thick because they have to withstand the high pressure released from the heart during the process of pumping the blood.