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artery: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As arterial system

Photos and Videos

Diagram showing a transverse section of an artery with labeled layers: tunica intima, tunica media, and tunica adventitia, including endothelium, connective tissue, elastic membranes, and muscle fibers.
drug-eluting stent
Diagram of the circulatory system showing a red artery carrying blood from the heart, branching into smaller arterioles and capillaries, then merging into blue venules and a vein returning blood to the heart.
Medical illustration of a human head in profile showing the superficial arteries and veins of the face and scalp, with major blood vessels labeled, including temporal, facial, and carotid arteries and veins.
Three-panel medical illustration showing balloon angioplasty and stent insertion in an artery. Panel A shows a catheter with a balloon and stent positioned at a narrowed section with plaque. Panel B shows the balloon inflated, compressing the plaque and expanding the stent. Panel C shows the expanded stent holding the artery open with the plaque compressed against the artery wall.
Two cross-sectional illustrations compare a normal human artery with a healthy, open lumen to an artery narrowed by atherosclerotic plaque buildup, showing damaged endothelium, foam cells, fibrous cap, and lipid deposits.
Watch red blood cells travel through arteries and capillaries to deliver oxygen
Understanding the human cardiovascular system
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Related Topics and References

Topics
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Key People

Allbutt, detail of a portrait by Sir William Orpen
Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt
English physician

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