capillary
Sign in to saveA capillary is a small blood vessel, from 5 to 10 micrometres in diameter, and is part of the microcirculation system. Capillaries are microvessels and the smallest blood vessels in the body. They are composed of only the tunica intima (the innermost layer of an artery or vein), consisting of a thin wall of simple squamous endothelial cells. They are the site of the exchange of many substances from the surrounding interstitial fluid, and they convey blood from the smallest branches of the arteries (arterioles) to those of the veins (venules). Other substances which cross capillaries include wa
AI overview
Capillaries are the tiniest blood vessels in your body, measuring just 5 to 10 micrometers across, and they form the final connection between arteries and veins. They matter because their extremely thin walls allow oxygen, nutrients, and other substances to pass between your blood and the surrounding tissues, making them essential for keeping your cells alive.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Capillary
- Anatomy.Latin
- vas capillare
- Anatomy.Image
- Capillary.svg
- Anatomy.Caption
- Diagram of a capillary
- Anatomy.Image2
- Capillary system CERT.jpg
- Anatomy.Caption2
- A simplified illustration of a capillary network
- Anatomy.System
- Circulatory system
- Anatomy.Pronunciation
- ,
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Structure
- Types
- Continuous
- Fenestrated
- Sinusoidal
- Development
- Function
- Starling equation
- Clinical significance
- Therapeutics
- Blood sampling
- History
- See also
- References
- External links
A capillary is a small blood vessel, from 5 to 10 micrometres in diameter, and is part of the microcirculation system. Capillaries are microvessels and the smallest blood vessels in the body. They are composed of only the tunica intima (the innermost layer of an artery or vein), consisting of a thin wall of simple squamous endothelial cells. They are the site of the exchange of many substances from the surrounding interstitial fluid, and they convey blood from the smallest branches of the arteries (arterioles) to those of the veins (venules). Other substances which cross capillaries include water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, urea, glucose, uric acid, lactic acid and creatinine. Lymph capillaries connect with larger lymph vessels to drain lymphatic fluid collected in microcirculation.
== Etymology == Capillary comes from the Latin word , meaning "of or resembling hair", with use in English beginning in the mid-17th century. The meaning stems from the tiny, hairlike diameter of a capillary. While capillary is usually used as a noun, the word also is used as an adjective, as in "capillary action", in which a liquid flows without influence of external forces, such as gravity.