What is the characteristic of muscular artery?

A muscular artery (or distributing artery) is a medium-sized artery that draws blood from an elastic artery and branches into “resistance vessels” including small arteries and arterioles. Their walls contain larger number of smooth muscles, allowing them to contract and expand depending on peripheral blood demand.

What is the structure of muscular arteries?

Muscular arteries contain more smooth muscle cells in the tunica media layer than the elastic arteries. Elastic arteries are those nearest the heart (aorta and pulmonary arteries) that contain much more elastic tissue in the tunica media than muscular arteries.

What is the muscle layer of the artery?

The wall of an artery consists of three layers. The innermost layer, the tunica intima (also called tunica interna), is simple squamous epithelium surrounded by a connective tissue basement membrane with elastic fibers. The middle layer, the tunica media, is primarily smooth muscle and is usually the thickest layer.

What is the histology of arteries?

Arteries and veins have walls that share a common overall structure that consists of three layers: the tunica intima, tunica media, and tunica adventitia. The inner layer or tunica intima is lined with a single layer of a specialized epithelium called the endothelium, which acts as a semipermeable barrier.

Do muscular arteries have a thick tunica media?

Tunica Media It is generally the thickest layer in arteries, and it is much thicker in arteries than it is in veins. The tunica media consists of layers of smooth muscle supported by connective tissue that is primarily made up of elastic fibers, most of which are arranged in circular sheets.

Why do muscular arteries have thick layers of smooth muscle?

Arteries typically have a thicker tunica media than veins, containing more smooth muscle cells and elastic tissue. This allows for modulation of vessel caliber and thus control of blood pressure.

What is the function of a muscular artery?

Muscular arteries (or distributing arteries): This type of artery distributes blood to various parts of organs and living tissues. Their walls have a greater number of smooth muscles.

Where are muscular arteries located?

Muscular arteries can be identified by the well-defined elastic lamina that lies between the tunicae intima and media. The splenic artery (lienal artery), the blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to the spleen, is an example of a muscular artery.

Why do muscular arteries have the thickest tunica media?

Arteries and arterioles have thicker walls than veins and venules because they are closer to the heart and receive blood that is surging at a far greater pressure ((Figure)).

Where are muscular arteries?

What is the function of muscular arteries?

Muscular artery These arteries distribute blood to various parts of the body. These include arteries such as the femoral and coronary arteries. The walls of these arteries have lots of smooth muscle, which means that they are able to contract or relax (dilate) to change the amount of blood delivered, as needed.