What are the four main functions of arteries?
The four main functions of arteries are that they: • act as a conduit for blood between the heart and capillaries. • act as a pressure reservoir for forcing blood into the small-diameter arterioles. The further away the arteries are to the heart, the smaller and stiffer they get. Thus pressure is need in order for blood to travel into smaller arterioles. • dampen the oscillation pressure and flow generated by the heart and produces a more even flow of blood into the capillaries. The arteries range in size and are able to decrease the pressure of blood that flows into the capillaries. If this did not happen, the capillaries would probably burst for they would be receiving a high pressure blood inside their sensitive thin layer capillaries. • control distribution of blood to different capillary networks via selective constriction of the terminal branches of the arterial tree. This is an important feature of arteries (and a benefit of a closed circulatory system), for if more blood is nee
