What is the difference between veins and arteries
The heart pumps blood through the arteries to all parts of the body – the vital organs, the head, arms and legs. The blood is then spread through tiny vessels called capillaries which form a network . Later it is returned in increasingly large vessels – veins – which complete the circulation of blood back to the heart. The arteries are rather thick and elastic and their size constantly changes due to the fluctuating pressure which varies with the heartbeat. The veins, on the other hand, have very thin walls and have no elastic fibres. They are therefore unable to contract and push the bloodflow onwards. The veins are completely dependent on the functions of the surrounding muscles and the valves inside the veins helping the blood to flow in the right direction towards the heart.
