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First teaching 2023

First exams 2025

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Blood Vessels: Structures & Functions (CIE AS Biology)

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Arteries, Veins & Capillaries: Structures & Functions

Blood vessels structure & function table

  Structure Explanation
Muscular artery Thicker tunica media mainly composed of smooth muscle Able to perform vasoconstriction and vasodilation
Much less elastin than elastic arteries Cannot stretch and recoil
Narrow lumen Blood flows under high pressure
Elastic artery Thinner tunica media (compared to muscular artery) mainly composed of elastin and collagen Gives artery the ability to stretch in response to each pulse
Relatively few smooth muscle fibres Cannot perform vasoconstriction or vasodilation
Narrow lumen Blood flows under high pressure
Vein One-way valves Close to prevent the backflow of blood
Wide lumen Blood pressure is reduced in veins with no surges
Less smooth muscle and elastin No need for veins to stretch and recoil
Lots of collagen Increased strength and structure
Capillary Very small diameter Blood travels relatively slowly, giving more opportunity for diffusion to occur
Capillaries branch between cells Substances can diffuse quickly between cells and the blood quickly
Thin walls, no elastic, smooth muscle or collagen Capillaries can fit between individual cells and diffusion is rapid

Worked example

The table below shows features of blood vessels.

Which row of the table is correct? 

  Feature of elastic artery Feature of muscular artery Feature of vein Feature of capillary
A One-way valves Wide lumen Narrow lumen Very small diameter
B Relatively few smooth muscle fibres Tunica media composed of smooth muscle Lots of collagen No elastic, smooth muscle or collagen
C Wide lumen Lots of collagen Little elastic Tunica media composed of collagen
D One-cell thick Narrow lumen Narrow lumen Lots of elastic

The correct answer is B.

This is because elastic arteries do not contain many smooth muscle fibres and are not able to perform vasoconstriction or vasodilation. In contrast, muscular arteries contain much more smooth muscle. Veins have large amounts of collagen for strength and keeping their shape, while capillaries are only one-cell thick and so do not contain any elastic, smooth muscle or collagen.

Examiner Tip

For “Explain” questions, remember to pair a description of a structural feature to an explanation of how it helps the blood vessel to function. For example, “Capillaries are one-cell thick, which enables quick and efficient diffusion of substances.”

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Emma

Author: Emma

Expertise: Biology

Prior to working at SME, Emma was a Biology teacher for 5 years. During those years she taught three different GCSE exam boards and two A-Level exam boards, gaining a wide range of teaching expertise in the subject. Emma particularly enjoys learning about ecology and conservation. Emma is passionate about making her students achieve the highest possible grades in their exams by creating amazing revision resources!