Safekipedia

Blood vessel

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

Diagram of arteries, veins, and capillaries. Also shows cross-sectional area differences. Aligned to 720 × 496 px grid. Based on [1], [2], a diagram in my Biology textbook, and some others.

What Are Blood Vessels?

Blood vessels are tiny tubes inside our bodies. They carry blood to all parts of us. Blood brings oxygen and food to our cells and takes away things our body doesn’t need anymore.

Types of Blood Vessels

There are a few main types of blood vessels. Arteries carry blood away from the heart. Veins bring blood back to the heart. Capillaries are very tiny tubes that let blood share water and other important things with our body’s tissues.

Why They Matter

Blood vessels help keep our body healthy. They work with the heart to move blood everywhere it’s needed. This helps us stay warm, heal when we get hurt, and give our cells the things they need to grow.

Images

A close-up view of a tiny blood vessel showing cells that help support and protect the vessel.

Related articles

Blood
Heart
Capillaries

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Blood vessel, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.