Can Arteries Carry Deoxygenated Blood

Diagram showing human heart — © blueringmedia/Fotolia

Veins and arteries are major players in the circulatory system of all vertebrates. They work together to transport blood throughout the body, helping to oxygenate and remove waste material from every prison cell with each heartbeat. Arteries comport oxygenated blood from the heart, while veins carry oxygen-depleted blood back to the center. An like shooting fish in a barrel mnemonic is "A for 'avenue' and 'away' (from the heart)." (The exceptions to this general rule are the pulmonary vessels. The pulmonary veins transport oxygenated blood back to the heart from the lungs, while the pulmonary arteries move deoxygenated blood from the centre to the lungs.)

Every bit the vessels that are closest to the heart, arteries must contend with intense concrete pressure from the blood moving forcibly through them. They pulse with each heartbeat (which is why your pulse is taken from an avenue) and have thicker walls. Veins experience much less force per unit area only must argue with the forces of gravity to become blood from the extremities back to the eye. Many veins, especially those in the legs, have valves to forbid the backflow and pooling of claret. Although veins are oft depicted every bit blueish in medical diagrams and sometimes appear blueish through stake skin, they are not actually blueish in color. Light interacts with skin and deoxygenated claret, which is a darker shade of red, to reflect a blue tone. Veins seen during surgery or in cadavers look nearly identical to arteries.