MICROANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -Large arteries receive the highest pressure of blood flow and are thicker and more elastic to accommodate the high pressures. Smaller arteries, such as arterioles, have more smooth muscle, which contracts or relaxes to regulate blood flow to specific portions of the body.

Detailed explanation-2: -Arteries are always under high pressure. To accommodate this stress, they have an abundance of elastic tissue and less smooth muscle. The presence of elastin in the large blood vessels enables these vessels to increase in size and alter their diameter.

Detailed explanation-3: -Arteries carry blood away from the heart and veins carry blood back to the heart.

Detailed explanation-4: -High blood pressure (hypertension) means that your blood is pumping with more force than normal through your arteries. The added stress on the arteries can speed up the clogging of arteries with fatty plaques (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis contributes to many illnesses, such as heart attack and stroke.