Difference between Arteries and Veins

We have studied a lot about arteries, veins, the human body, and its related systems. Arteries and veins have been an important topic when we discuss about the human body. Different systems in the body are responsible for performing several functions. For instance, digestive system is responsible for carrying out the digestion properly, and the nervous system is responsible for carrying the commands from brain to body, etc. There are many systems like these in the body.

One such system is the circulatory system. Arteries and veins are part of this circulatory system. Arteries and veins are the blood vessels that help in the circulation and pumping of blood in the body.

Well, arteries are defined as the vessels that are responsible for carrying oxygenated blood (blood rich with oxygen) from the heart to the entire body. The structure of an artery is that of a tube that carries this blood. There are four major arteries, namely the right coronary artery, left coronary artery, left circumflex artery, and left anterior descending. There are other types of arteries that we will discuss later.

On the other hand, veins are defined as the vessels that carry deoxygenated blood (blood that doesn?t have any oxygen) from the body/ tissues to the heart. There are only two veins that carry oxygenated blood to the heart, i.e., pulmonary veins and umbilical veins. Now, you must be wondering about the difference among veins and arteries. Well, the difference between them is given below.

So, these are the fundamental points of contrast between arteries and veins. Veins and arteries are important parts of the human body as they help in pumping blood to various tissues. Now, there are various types of veins and arteries. Each type of vein or artery carries a distinctive function and characteristic. The four major arteries have already been listed above. Now, let us discuss about different kinds of arteries.

1. lastic Artery: Elastic Artery has a rigid layer. These arteries have the capability of stretching at every pulse. The elastic arteries comprise of collagen, and these arteries are positioned very near to the heart.
2. Muscular Artery: The elastic arteries give rise to various muscular arteries in the body. The muscular arteries are medium-sized. As the name suggests, muscular arteries have smooth muscles which are able to expand and contract as the blood pumps.
3. Arterioles: Arterioles are responsible for transferring the blood in the capillaries. They carry the blood to various tissues present in the body..

So, these are various kinds of arteries. Now, let us discuss various types of veins as well. The four types of veins are:

1. eep Veins: As the name suggests, deep veins are located deep inside the tissues and are responsible for pumping the blood from tissues to the heart. The deep veins have one-way valves that help in preventing the reverse blood flow.
2. Superficial veins: Superficial veins are located very close to the skin, so much so that they are visible with bare eyes. These veins are responsible for cooling down the body. These veins help in maintaining the correct body temperature.
3. Pulmonary Veins: This is an exceptional vein that carries oxygenated blood (blood rich with oxygen) from the lungs to the heart. These veins are also called the lung veins.
4. Systemic Veins: Systematic veins are present in the body. These veins carry the deoxygenated blood to the heart in order to purify it. Most than half of the veins are systematic veins.

So, these are the various types of veins present in the body. Arteries and veins are important parts of the human body, and they help in providing blood to various parts of the body. The basic distinction between arteries and veins is of the oxygenated blood, i.e., arteries carry oxygen rich blood, while veins carry blood that is low in oxygen. This is the fundamental difference among them. Thus, arteries and veins are essential as they help in pumping blood from the heart to the tissues and vice-versa.